The Research Institute for Cosmopolitan Cultures (RICC) responds to a world in which global restructuring and growing inequalities are fueling religious and ethnic conflicts and growing national anxieties, as well as movements for social justice, reconciliation, interconnection, and the development of common perspectives.

RICC provides a framework for scholars at Manchester University to collaborate with international researchers through the examination of the distinctive features of contemporary cosmopolitanism. Providing the context for an ongoing and open debate about the meaning and significance of this term, both historically and for contemporary culture, lies at the heart of the aim of this Institute.

RICC brings together academic staff from the schools which have invested in this initiative - the School of Social Sciences, the School of Arts, Histories and Cultures, and the School of Languages, Linguistics and Cultures - and works closely with other interested schools in the Faculty of Humanities, such as the School of Environment and Development, and the Manchester Business School.