Newsletter - Center for Global Politics

December
Newsletter
2009
Center for Global Politics
Chapters
pages
1
Editorial
2
Freie Universität Berlin Rankings
3
EES Online Master’s Program
4
IR Online Master`s Program
5
German Studies Russia
6
The Graduate School of Global Politics
7
Center for Global Politics - Seasonal Schools
9
Alumni
11
Customized Products
12
Research at the Center for Global Politics
13
Our Global Cultures
December
2009
Newsletter
Editorial
Dear Partners and Friends,
The year 2009 is coming to an end. In this second 2009 edition of our newsletter, we would like to take
the opportunity to thank those with whom we already have long-established partnerships and working
relationships. We also want to use the opportunity to introduce ourselves, the Center for Global Politics,
to those who are new to our institute. The CGP is part of Freie Universität Berlin, which has just been
voted one of the 100 best universities in the world. Read more about this on page 2.
Prof. Dr. Klaus Segbers is
the director of the Center
for Global Politics.
(photo: private)
The Center for Global Politics
We live in a world that is increasingly undergoing profound changes. Globalization is on the rise. We
face a multitude of international issues such as migration, security challenges, WMD proliferation,
failing states and environmental degradation. The Center for Global Politics is designed for professionals and young leaders who wish to deepen their understanding of these global challenges and their
political, economic and social causes, and impacts. Our unique programs explore Europe’s international relations, such as politics, economics, intercultural communication and conflict management.
The Programs of the Center for Global Politics:
In response to these issues and their imperative needs, the Center for Global Politics offers five distinct
graduate study programs: the M.A. East European Studies Online (page 3), the M.A. International
Relations Online (page 4), the Global Politics Seasonal Schools funded by the DAAD with summer
schools in Shanghai (page 8) and Syria (page 7) and next year also in Hanoi in Vietnam, the certificate
program German Studies Russia (page 5), and the Graduate School of Global Politics (page 6), each
addressing 21st century global challenges. We also offer individually tailored professional training
programs (page 11). In this newsletter, all of our programs are introduced and we update you on what
has happened during the last six months.
Research at the Center for Global Politics:
In this section, we present two of our research areas of the CGP. In March 2009, the Center for Global
Politics and the Center for Comparative Politics and Economics held a workshop in Beijing. The working
paper The Role of Civil Society Organizations in China and Germany is the result of the papers
presented at the workshop. Klaus Segbers introduces his new research project Urban Times, which has
just been promised funding for one year by the FUB's Presidency and the Center for Cluster
Development (page 12).
Alumni
Fostering a strong Alumni Network with participants from all of our programs is one of the key areas of
our work here at the Center for Global Politics. As a CGP alumna or alumnus, you continue to be a
member of the CGP’s academic community. We want to maintain and strengthen the ties built up at the
CGP beyond the programs themselves. Where do the alumni of the Center for Global Politics come
from? And, which alumni activities do we offer? Find out more about the Alumni Forum on page 9.
Our Global Cultures
Our review of the year 2009 at the Center for Global Politics concludes by giving you an outline of how
our students and alumni celebrate their big festive days at end of a year and at the beginning of a new
year. Some celebrate Chanukah, for others it is Christmas in Kenya and Russia, or the New Year in
China. Wherever you will be during your festive days and however you will spend them, we wish you a
peaceful and happy time.
Yours Klaus Segbers
Director of the Center for Global Politics
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Freie Universität Berlin Rankings
Freie Universität Berlin is One the World’s 100 Best Universities
by Press Office FUB and Marie Budde
Freie Universität One of the Top Three German Universities
Excellent results for Freie Universität Berlin! FUB is, according to the new ranking by the
prestigious Times Higher Education (THE), one of the 100 best universities in the world. As THE
announced in London, Freie Universität is ranked 94th in its latest university ranking. That is 43
places better than the previous year and 78 better than in the initial ranking in 2005. Among the
world’s 100 best universities, no other university managed a larger leap forward. Freie Universität
is third among German universities surpassed only by the University of Heidelberg and TU
München. Nationally, Freie Universität improved by one place.
Marie Budde is the Editor at the
Center for Global Politics. You
can get in touch with her at:
[email protected]
(photo: private)
In the Humanities, Freie Universität Berlin is once again ranked number one in Germany, and 27th
worldwide. In Europe, Freie Universität Berlin is ranked sixth, only topped by the Universities of
Oxford and Cambridge, the Sorbonne, the University of Edinburgh and University College London
(in this order). In the Social Sciences, FUB has improved by 25 places and is now ranked number
47 worldwide. This makes FUB the only German institution in this subject area among the top 50
universities. In the Natural Sciences, FUB now holds 77th place, five positions better than last year.
Also in the Life Sciences and Technical Sciences, Freie Universität Berlin has improved by 40
places in the former, and 27 in the latter.
The THE ranking list on the internet:
www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/Rankings2009-Top200.html
Freie Universität Berlin is among the Top Five Research German
Universities
by Press Office FUB and Marie Budde
The headquarters of the
German Research
Foundation are in Bonn.
(photo: http://www.dfg.de/)
In the fifth funding-ranking of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, The German Research
Foundation) the Freie Universität Berlin once again strengthened its top position among the best
research universities in Germany. The DFG is the central, self-governing research funding
organization to promote academic research. Since 1999 FUB has continually improved its ranking
by climbing from the 13th to the fifth position. In the humanities, social sciences, life sciences, and
natural sciences, FUB qualifies as one of the ten best German universities, which means that
FUB’s excellent research capacity stretches over a considerably large subject area.
In the DFG ranking, Freie Universität Berlin has proven to be on the forefront in many key areas.
In the humanities and social sciences, FUB is ranked first, a position almost matched by FUB’s life
sciences. Also examined was the percentage of women researchers who have successfully
applied for a research project with DFG. No other university has been more successful in this area
than Freie Universität Berlin.
DFG also evaluates the degree of internationalization and networking of German universities within
international academia. In these two disciplines, the new ranking results clearly confirm that FUB’s
direction towards becoming an International Network University is the right path. Since winning the
Title of Excellence in 2007 FUB has considerably improved in this field. In internationalization and
networking, FUB’s humanities and social sciences are ranked number one, and when evaluated
from an interdisciplinary perspective, FUB is second among all German universities.
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EES Online Master’s Program
by Wendy Stollberg
Wendy Stollberg is the Project
Coordinator of the EES
Online Master’s Program. You
can contact her at:
[email protected]
(photo: private)
The students of the sixth run.
The East European Studies (EES Online) Master’s Program is the longest standing program at the
Center for Global Politics. Since 2003, there have been several runs with students from Eastern
and Western Europe, North America, and Asia studying the interrelationships and latest
developments in the region. Internationally trained experts with multinational, professional
backgrounds teach and counsel the students during the online phases of the modules as well as
during the in-house classes in Berlin. Many of EES Online’s students are working professionals
who aim to expand their career perspective in order to work for NGO’s, international organizations,
governmental agencies, and private enterprises as well as to conduct further academic research
and studies. As an interdisciplinary program, EES Online’s portfolio consists of a large set of
modules in several different disciplines: Politics, Society, Economics, Law, Humanities, History,
Conflict Management, Intercultural Communication, Migration, European Integration, Globalization,
and Project Management. What has happened at EES Online during the last few months? Here are
some of the latest developments:
In-House Classes and Graduation Ceremony
The first week of October featured two major events in our program: First, there were the in-house
classes for our students from the sixth and the seventh run. Second, we celebrated the graduation
of our fifth run students who had successfully completed their two years of studies.
We were happy to welcome the freshmen from the seventh run to our program. Many of the
students have backgrounds in economics and the humanities. For the first time, we have a run in
which no one has studied political science before joining EES Online. The students in this run are
once again very international, with Western Europe being the major place of origin. During the
in-house week, the seventh run students had their first opportunity to meet each other, the students
from the sixth run, as well as their tutors and the program staff. They were introduced to the details
of the program, to the learning management system Blackboard and to their two first modules:
Introduction & Tools and Society.
Our sixth run students had classes in Humanities, Law, Project Management, and History. During
one afternoon, one of the students, a born and bred Berliner, gave a guided tour along the Berlin
wall to everyone who was interested. A major extra curricular event took place in the middle of the
week: Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan gave a guest lecture on Good Global Governance to the EES
Online, IR Online and GSGP students.
Natalia Zarudna, Ambassador of the
Ukraine to Germany and Klaus
Segbers, the Director of the Center
for Global Politics at the Graduation
Ceremony of EES Online’s fifth run.
(photos: EES Online Team)
One highlight of the week was the graduation of the fifth run students on Friday. At Villa Kreuzberg
in the center of Berlin, the graduates received their diplomas and the top students were honored.
As part of the celebration Natalia Zarudna, Ambassador of the Ukraine to Germany, spoke about
the Ukraine’s priorities in foreign policy and presented many other facts and facets about her
country. Moreover, one of our alumni informed the new EES graduates about the alumni activities
taking place. She concluded by inviting them to join the CGP Alumni Network.
Modules
We are proud to present two major improvements within EES Online’s portfolio of modules. The
first is that we have launched a new module: History. It was developed by Prof. Dr. Philipp Ther
(European University Institute, Firenze) and is now taught by his colleague Prof. Dr. Georgiy
Kasianov (National University - Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Kiev). The History module focuses on major
periods in 20th century East European history. It aims to develop generic skills for the analysis of
current politics and policies in Eastern Europe.
As a second improvement, we are offering elective modules to our students for the first time since
the beginning of our program. Our aim is to allow students to focus on their particular fields of
interest within East European Studies. The students of the sixth run can now choose between the
Globalization and Migration modules. If the students welcome this addition, we will plan to offer
more electives in the future.
Guest lecture by Gesine Schwan, former
President of the Europa Universität
Viadrina (1999-2008) and professor of
Political Sciences.
(photos: EES Online Team)
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IR Online Master`s Program
by Yamina Ehrt
Yamina Ehrt is the Student
Advisor at IR Online. You can
get in touch with her at:
[email protected]
(photo: private)
Welcome Dinner at the International Club
of the German Federal Foreign Office.
In 2006, the Center for Global Politics at FU Berlin, chaired by Prof. Klaus Segbers, developed a
blended learning program focusing on International Relations and current issues in global politics.
This Master of Arts program is particularly designed for international professionals wishing to
deepen their knowledge on International Relations and/or to qualify for higher positions in
government agencies, internationally operating private enterprises, NGOs, and international
organizations. IR Online is a two-year M.A. program in English comprising 120 credit points in
accordance with ECTS standards. Online studying is supported by four weeks of in-house teaching
throughout the two-year study cycle. What happened at International Relations Online since June
2009? Read on to hear about the latest news in our Master’s program.
Second, Third, and Fourth Run with IR Online
The new academic year started in October 2009 and with it 33 new fourth run IR Online students.
With almost 200 potential candidates considered, the number of applicants was the highest ever.
Thus, the selection process took quite some time, and was not always easy. However, in the end
we were very pleased to have found a great group of individuals from all over the world, with a
variety of different professional and cultural experiences. The students from the third run have
reached the second half of their studies and are now searching for an internship or study project of
their choice. This will be a great opportunity to gain practical insights into International Relations,
be confronted with new problems and complexities, and in case they decide to do an internship, to
meet experts in the field and build international networks. The second run students also
successfully submitted their theses in October and received their final results a few weeks later.
During the next in-house class in March 2010, these students will have the opportunity to enjoy their
graduation in Berlin.
The IR Online Team.
In-House Classes
IR Online’s most recent in-house class took place at the beginning of October, specifically from
October 5-9, 2009. Opened by program director Klaus Segbers, the academic program for the third
run included intensive seminars on Global Risk and Security, International Relations and Culture
and Intercultural Communications. On Thursday morning, students had the opportunity to take a
guided tour through the German Bundestag, followed by a political talk with Hans-Ulrich-Klose,
former Vice President of the German Bundestag and current Vice President of the Committee on
Foreign Affairs of the German Bundestag, on German-Iranian relations. In the afternoon, they meet
with Martin Kremer, Head of the Research Division on European Integration and Science and
Political Counsellor on climate, energy, and counter terrorism for the German Federal Foreign
Office at the Stiftung für Wissenschaft und Politik (Foundation for Science and Politics).
Farewell Dinner in Villa Kreuzberg.
Students of the fourth run enjoyed their first lessons on Introduction and Tools to IR, International
Relations Theory, as well as Globalization. The in-house class’ Welcome Dinner took place at the
International Club of the German Federal Foreign Office, an excellent place with beautiful view of
Berlin’s skyline. The dinner was complimented by a very interesting and informative talk by Prof.
Steven Livingston, who holds a chair in Media and Public Affairs at the George Washington
University. Livingston gave illustrative and thought-provoking insights into his current research on
interrelations between the development of new technology and International Relations.
(photos: IR Online Team)
E-Learning in a Newly Improved Design
All modules of IR Online teaching are now delivered in a new and improved design. The new look
is geared to the corporate design of our program and includes new technical features such as the
option of audio units, improved content navigation, and newly organized readings. For more
information and the latest news on IR Online, visit: http://www.ir-online.org/index.html
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German Studies Russia
Certificate Program German Studies Russia: Building Bridges between
Russia and Germany
by Julia Gerlach
Julia Gerlach is the
Program Coordinator of
German Studies Russia.
Contact her at:
[email protected]
(photo: private)
German Studies Russia, our one-year supplementary course in Social Sciences with a special
focus on Germany and the European Union, has just started its sixth run at MGIMO University in
Moscow. We are proud of the fact that we now have more students than ever before (18), and that
we have had far more applicants to the program than available slots (35). Our students come from
different departments at MGIMO University. Most students are affiliated with International
Relations, Political Sciences, International Law, International Economic Relations, or International
Journalism. Our students also have diverse backgrounds; they come from different CIS-countries
such as Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and Kyrgyzstan.
New to the German Studies program is a special training course in rhetoric with an emphasis on
presentation skills. In 2009, the famous TV journalist Sonja Fuhrmann (WDR – Westdeutscher
Rundfunk) went to MGIMO University to share her knowledge in presentation skills with the GSR
students. It was a great way to kickoff the program.
Sonja Furhmann taught
the rhetoric workshop in
Moscow.
(photo: private)
Thanks to the DAAD’s strong financial support for GSR, we are more than happy to be able to
award scholarships to our high potential graduates providing them a one semester stay at Freie
Universität Berlin. In the winter term, we welcomed seven GSR-graduates at FU Berlin. Two of
them are enrolled in the German-Russian Double Master’s Program in International Relations. Five
students are completing their bachelor’s degree after their exchange in Berlin.
Also, our Public Lecture Series at MGIMO University is arousing interest in the audience. For the
upcoming study year, the lectures will deal with the complexities of the environment and politics on
the one hand, and the correlation between media and politics on the other.
German Studies Russia is proud to have a strong student and alumni network, including more than
40 former and approximately 20 current students. They are joined together by their personal and
professional interest in Germany and the European Union, as well as Russian-German relations.
To keep in touch, we offer two major alumni events in Moscow per year, as well as other minor
events on the side. All of our MGIMO alumni are also invited to get involved in the global alumni
network for the Center for Global Politics. In order to support the networking of our alumni, we offer
a Facebook-like alumni platform where bridges are built – not only between Russia and Germany.
Public Lecture on Federal
Elections in Germany in 2009,
Julia Gerlach lecturing,
The 6th run of GSR.
(photos: Denis Popov)
Pumpkins – Autumn in Berlin for our
seven graduates.
(photo: Daria Svirskaya)
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The Graduate School of Global Politics
by Bettina Rollow
Bettina Rollow is the Student
Advisor of the Graduate
School of Global Politics. You
can contact her at:
[email protected]
The Graduate School of Global Politics (GSGP) is very happy to welcome the new second run
students. This time, the first Chinese students also joined their international counterparts at the
GSGP in Berlin. Li Xinlei, Ren Lin and Wang Xiaoguang are former participants of the Global
Politics Summer School Shanghai, and they arrived in Berlin in September 2009 to attend the
orientation week organized by the Dahlem Research School. As a new German PhD candidate,
the GSGP welcomes Frauke Austerman from Germany, a former lecturer at Maastricht University
in the Netherlands. They all met for the first time in person in Berlin when they attended the first
intensive seminar of the GSGP with Claudia Sadean and Elisabeth Schultze from the first run.
(photo: private)
First Intensive Seminar at Freie Universität Berlin:
The seminar, which serves as an introduction to the online course Theory I, took place from
October 5-9, 2009 at Freie Universität Berlin. The GSGP was very happy to welcome Prof. Dr.
Manuela Spindler as the lecturer and tutor of this course. Prof. Spindler spent two full days with the
PhD candidates introducing them to the course and completing the first units. After the seminar,
the course will take place online via the Blackboard platform. In addition to the tutorial, the doctoral
candidates were introduced to the facilities of the FU Berlin, and taken on a tour through their new
city. After completing the first intensive seminar, the GSGP students attend a special colloquium
and elective courses during the next semester. All of these courses have to be taken in addition to
their intensive work on their PhD theses.
Apply now!
From November 1, 2009 until February 1, 2010 the GSGP will be accepting applications for the
third run which will start in October 2010. All information, as well as the login to the Online
Application System, can be found on the GSGP website www.cgp-phd.org.
Scholarships for Chinese PhD Candidates:
As was already the case this past year, the GSGP offers several places as PhD candidates for
Chinese students as part of the special cooperation between the FU Berlin and the China
Scholarship Council (CSC). Those students will spend their entire PhD studies in Berlin with the
opportunity to organize a research semester in a relevant country other than China. For further
information please visit the following website http://www.fu-berlin.org.cn/CSC/.
If you are interested in applying, or have any questions please contact [email protected]
concerning the application process.
The participants of the conference on University
Cooperations at the PhD Level organized by the
GSGP.
Our new PhD Students and those from the 1st run
during the intensive seminar at Freie Universität
Berlin in October.
(photos: GSGP Team)
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Center for Global Politics - Seasonal Schools
News – DAAD approved CGP’s Seasonal Schools
The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has approved our pilot projects for several
seasonal schools, starting in 2010. Initially set up for three years, the projects will take place in
Shanghai, Hanoi and in Damascus. Further seasonal schools are planned in Istanbul and in
Teheran.
Traveling to Syria - Global Politics Summer School Syria 2009
by Agnes Bodens
Agnes Bodens
coordinated the Summer
School Syria in July.
(photo: private)
Professor Abdul Ghain Maa Bared and
Professor Segbers admiring the
beautifully decorated chamber of the
Syrian Parliament.
The Syrian-German group of the second GP Summer School Syria 2009.
Have you ever thought about going to Syria to study? This summer five German graduate students
went to Damascus to pursue their studies in International Relations. They participated in the Global
Politics (GP) Summer School Syria by the Center for Global Politics at the Freie Universität Berlin
and the Arab International University (AIU).
For the second time, the GP Summer School Syria was held in Damascus from July 20 – 31, 2009
as a joint project between AIU and CGP. Under the title New Challenges in Global Politics – Arab
and European Responses, fifteen Syrian and German students discussed global trends and
prospects of international politics and the relationship between the Arab World and the European
Union. The two-week program offered a combination of theoretically based and practically oriented
modules, and was complemented by an attractive extracurricular program. Upon completion of the
program, a joint certificate covering four credit points, in accordance with ECTS standards, was
awarded.
From the two hosting partner universities, the director of the CGP Professor Klaus Segbers and
AIU President Professor Abdul Ghani Maa Bared officially opened the summer school. Speakers
at the opening ceremony included Minister of Higher Education, Dr. Ghiat Barakat and German
Ambassador to Syria, Dr. Andreas Reinicke. Syrian Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Faisal
Mikdad, gave the keynote speech on Internationalization of Study Programs in the Context of
National Policies and Approaches to Higher Education. Following the opening ceremony, topics
such as the issues and challenges that face the Syrian educational sector today were discussed in
smaller expert workshops. In the evening, Ambassador Reinicke warmly received everyone at the
German Embassy.
The next morning, the Speaker of the Syrian Parliament, Mahmoud Al Abrash, invited everyone to
the Syrian Parliament. The visit and meeting with Mr. Al Abrash were of particular importance. It
showed the interest in and positive reception of the program as well as the Syrian-German
cooperation in the educational sector by the Syrian government. The GP Summer School is what
builds the framework for further cooperation. The AIU plans to include a Bachelors program in
International Relations in their curricula and envisions the establishment of a Department of
International Relations and Diplomacy in the future, which will be compatible with European
education programs.
As in the previous year, a program on theories, methods, and issues in International Relations was
offered to the summer school participants. It provided them with a first hand experience of
international diplomacy by the Belgian Ambassador Dirk M. Loncke as well as an overview of the
function and policy of the European Commission’s Delegation to Syria by the Head of Political,
Economic Affairs and Information Section, Angelina Eichhorst.
Syrian and German students listening
attentively in their first class on New
Challenges in Global Politics.
(photos: Agnes Bodens)
The students not only learned about international negotiation tactics, but also had the opportunity
to practically apply those tactics within a simulation of the European Council Summit. Here they
stepped into the rolls of EU heads of state and delegates and represented their state’s respective
positions. This was a new and exciting experience particularly for the Syrian students, since this
kind of teaching method does not yet exist in Syria.
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Global Politics Summer School China 2009
by Marianne Karthäuser and Ole Jantschek
The 6th run of Global Politics Summer School China took place in Shanghai this summer, from
August 15-30, 2009. The course was comprised of a ten-day full-time program, giving 32 students
a platform to explore the issue of international responsibility and global governance. This guiding
theme provided the background for all of the individual courses, covering the foreign policies of
China and Europe, the importance of new actors from civil society, the corporate sector, as well as
specific policy fields such as environmental policy.
Ole Jantschek coordinated the
Summer School Shanghai with the
support of Marianne Karthäuser.
(photos: private)
The Summer School
China students.
There was a notable difference between 2009 and previous years. For the first time, eight
international participants joined the group of Mainland Chinese and Taiwanese students. Three of
them received scholarships from the Freie Universität’s Center for International Cooperation (CIC).
Two others combined their stay at the summer school with an internship at Siemens China Ltd. in
Shanghai and Wuhan. At first, this intercultural German-Chinese mixture triggered the Chinese
participants to be a bit more contained compared to the previous years. But step by step, they were
as lively in class as the German participants. Overall, it was a great step forward for the summer
school, adding an important element of intercultural exchange to the discussions. Hopefully, this
change can be taken even further in the coming years by opening the summer school to students
from all over Europe.
One of this year’s highlights was a one-day workshop on the interaction between media and
international politics, which was co-organized and supported by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, a
German organization active in the field of development cooperation and committed to the principles
of social democracy. The day began with two introductory lectures by Hendrik Bussiek, an
experienced journalist and consultant, and Prof. Chen Zhimin, of the Summer School. These
lectures prompted a vivid discussion and provided an ideal starting point for the working groups.
Students were asked to work on examples of reports from international media sources following
the main question posed of whether the coverage was conceived of as adequate and objective. In
the afternoon, it was a great honor to receive five journalists; Mr. Ma Zhenhuan from the China
Daily, Mr. Wan Lixin from the Shanghai Daily, Mr. Yang Xiaozhou from the Oriental Morning Post,
Mr. Lu Baokang, Director of the International News Department of the Wenhui Daily, and Mr. Lu
Baokang, Correspondent of the Shanghai Office of the German weekly Der Stern. Their roundtable
discussion was without a doubt one of the most interesting events of the summer school program.
As student Liu Luying summarized, “The workshop gave me a great opportunity to communicate
with professors and experts in this field. I fortunately caught the opportunity to ask questions about
the freedom of the media in China and abroad, as well as misperceptions sometimes caused by
the media. I benefited a lot in my understanding of the current condition of Chinese and foreign
media.”
Once again, the supporting cultural program hosted a good mixture of traditional events, such as
the beer festival and a visit to German Industry and Commerce Ltd. Ms. Lynn Pan gave a lecture
with many photos on the art and design styles in Shanghai in the 1920s. Her thoughts on the
Western and Eastern influences in Shanghai architecture and design certainly helped everyone
pay closer attention during the guided city tour and boat trip on the Huangpu River later that day.
Unfortunately, there was not enough time to visit all of the places mentioned in her presentation.
International journalists where invited
to join the Media Workshop of the
summer school.
(photos: Summer School China Team)
Alongside all the fun, the students worked hard during the summer school. There were papers and
presentations to prepare, as well as reading to ready oneself for the next day’s courses. There was
not much time to take a deep breath. The farewell dinner finishing off the summer school was an
important event for everybody. The participants then joined in different working groups to present
their Corporate Social Responsibility Business Strategies to a jury.
Finally, in the presence of Dr. Albrecht von der Heyden, Consul General of the Federal Republic of
Germany, Dr. Meng Fanchen, General Manager of Siemens Shanghai & Senior Vice President of
Siemens Ltd. China, and the Program Directors Prof. Klaus Segbers and Prof. Chen Zhimin, the
certificates of completion were handed out, and the most outstanding students were acknowledged.
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Alumni
Where Do the CGP Alumni Come from?
Our students and alumni are truly a global community.
CGP Alumni Activities
by Bettina Rollow
Alumni Workshop in Nida, Lithuania
In September 2009, the CGP held its annual Alumni Workshop in Nida, Lithuania. During those
five days the alumni were able to deepen their vision and understanding of what the CGP Alumni
Network is aiming at, and what it has to offer.
For the second time the group of the
Alumni Ambassadors of the different
programs of the Center for Global Politics
met for several days in Nida, Lithuania. In
this little seaside town they took part in
the CGP Alumni Workshop.
(photos: CGP Team)
The Alumni Network
The CGP Alumni Network is a joint venture that aims at benefiting and inspiring all of its
stakeholders. It strives to create opportunities for intercultural exchange and networking, as well as
fostering international education opportunities by constantly improving its standards and structures.
Its most recent innovation was the launch of its Alumni Forum. The Forum provides up-to-date
information on the individual study programs, as well as on global developments of the CGP.
Students can receive information on jobs and events and join discussions on the most recent
developments in Global Politics. They can also become an Alumni Ambassador representing their
study course and year of study.
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The CGP Alumni Forum – Continue Networking when the Program Ends
Networking does not end when the programs are over. Once students finish their
studies at the CGP, they become part of the worldwide Alumni Network. In July
2009, the CGP launched its new Alumni Forum to strengthen its efforts to offer
multiple opportunities for graduates of the Center for Global Politics (CGP) to keep
in touch with each other and with the enter. The CGP alumni play an important
role, and the Center is determined to maintain and facilitate the alumni’s ties built
up during their studies at the CGP. The forum serves as an information and
communication platform, offering program specific groups to maintain and
facilitate old contacts. There is also a general CGP alumni group encompassing
all of the programs in which alumni can make new friends and contacts with alumni
of the other CGP programs. According to its motto of ‘lifelong learning’ the global
CGP group offers regular discussion on issues of Global Politics.
In addition to communication functions such as news wires, blogs, a chat room
and the discussion boards, alumni can access various sources of information.
These include up-to date information on development in the different programs of
the CGP, jobs and event announcements, information on CGP events, photo
albums, newsletter archives, and much more. CGP Alumni Coordinator Bettina
Rollow and Project Coordinators from each of the different programs administer
the forum. Together they support the alumni in staying in touch with each other
and the CGP. The CGP is always happy to welcome new users to the forum.
Screenshot of our new Alumni Forum.
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December
2009
E-nEwSletter
Newsletter
Customized Products
The Center for Global Politics offers its innovative and tailor-made teaching
concepts as focused and customized programs to universities, education entities
and corporate partners. (The) CGP's expertise and experience delivers
knowledge in the following areas:
Global Politics E-Learning
E-Learning is an essential element of all
of the international graduate study
programs at the CGP. The CGP staffs are
experienced in successfully developing
and implementing e-learning programs
and offers consulting services in this area.
Our services range from integrating
sophisticated e-tools into existing virtual
learning
environments
(VLE’s)
to
designing
and
implementing
comprehensive online courses. For more
information, please download our flyer
here:
http://www.globalpolitics.org/media/docs/
EL_Flyer.pdf
Global Politics Professional Training
The Center for Global Politics offers
intensive and customized professional
training for globally oriented businesses
and (non-) governmental organizations
entering new fields of international activity
looking for professional training options
that combine new academic approaches
to International Relations with practical
work elements. Global Politics (GP)
Professional Training components are
based on the CGP’s extensive experience
in continuing education. Please download
our flyer here for more information:
http://www.global-politics.org/media/docs/
PT_Flyer.pdf
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December
2009
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Newsletter
Research at the Center for Global Politics
Working Papers of the Center for Global Politics
The Center for Global
Politics is happy to
present its new academic
publishing edition:
From March 13-15, 2009, the Center for Global Politics and the Center for Comparative Politics and
Economics held a workshop in Beijing on the role of civil society organizations in China and
Germany. The conference brought together ten scholars from both countries. The working paper
The Role of Civil Society Organizations in China and Germany is the result of the papers presented
at the workshop. You can find the working papers at www.global-politics.org
New Research Project Urban Times
Thanks to the funding of by the FUB’s Center for Cluster Development, Prof. Dr. Klaus Segbers’
new research project Urban Times is now prepared to be included in the upcoming competitions
for outstanding research by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). Rooted in the
theoretical foundations and empirical approaches of the social sciences and humanities, this
project seeks to organize research on Global City Regions (GCRs), which have, in the course of
the last 20 years, emerged as new core units of global politics. The diffusion of formerly nation
state-based sovereignty, the acceleration of flows of capital, people and information, and the
emergence of new creative, cultural and aesthetic designs across the globe have turned GCRs into
important sites as well as strategic actors in the transformation of international economic, political
and cultural systems and regimes. These major shifts call for a new and energetic effort to
conceptually remap global politics and clarify the changing relations between cities and nation states.
Victoria Station - colonial
architecture in Mumbai and a
blend of different times in Dubai.
Goods and services, people,
capital, and content…many
narratives of urban spaces.
This research enterprise will highlight a historical perspective, emphasize cross-regional,
comparative and transdisciplinary investigations (including city regions in the global North as well
as South), and combine on the ground analysis with a bird's eye perspective. As a result, this
research cluster will foster understanding of urban dynamics focused on the connectivity of global
city regions and world-wide flows.
(photos: www.pixelio.hu)
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December
2009
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Our Global Cultures
by Marie Budde
At the Center for Global Politics we work with colleagues and students from all over the world.
Especially at the time of year when big holidays are celebrated, I notice how different our customs
still are. Sometimes this becomes obvious during my daily working routine and makes me aware
of the different calendars. “Yes, I would like to speak to Lin Cheng, please. When can I reach her?”
“Oh, not for the next three days because we are celebrating the Spring Festival here.” Or, “I
received a deadline from my partners in Russia for the second of January…they probably forgot
that our New Year is on the first.” My first thought to these revelations was: “How am I supposed to
work like that? This really slows everything down…” Initially these different holidays seemed to be
an obstacle for efficiency, but now I quite like to be reminded that somewhere else on this planet
the time is ticking in a different rhythm, and culture and traditions are not entirely the same even
though the differences continue to lessen. All this is part of being a global community at the Center
for Global Politics.
In the Western world, holidays like Christmas and New Year’s are celebrated with unique and
special traditions in each and every country. In other continents, and for other cultures, the big
festive seasons of the year are at other times; like Chinese New Year or Chanukah. All of these
celebrations have a long history; many are much older than Christmas. For us at the Center for
Global Politics in Berlin, the year is coming to an end, and Christmas is just around the corner.
Therefore, we have taken this opportunity to ask our students, alumni, and colleagues about their
own holiday celebrations, and have collected some facts and statements for you.
Christmas and New Year Celebration in Kenya
by Anne-Kathrin Häusler, IR Online Student of the 4th run
Country: Kenya
Name of Event: Christmas / New Year Celebration
Date of Event: 25.12. and 31.12.
Main characteristics: only celebrated by Christians
Christmas decorations from
Kenya, a mix of Western and
Kenyan crafts.
(photo: www.unesco.org)
History: Christmas was introduced in Kenya together with the first missionaries and British
colonialists. It is still a new tradition and not that common for the population in the countryside. In
big cities like Nairobi or Kisumu, Christmas is celebrated with more and more westernized traditions.
Special features:
Christmas celebrations are mainly in church; Christmas in the home is only celebrated with good
and plentiful food (a lot of meat and instead of Ugali, Fufu or Maismash, people eat Chapatis which
are salty pancakes).
Other comments:
Christmas and New Years are not celebrated as much as they are in Europe. However, children
have their long school holidays, and people take this opportunity to visit their families in their
villages or elsewhere. The purpose is rather to spend time with family and friends up-country. For
that purpose, people transport all kinds of things with them, and bring a lot of money with them to
give to their relatives. For some it is the only time during the year that they can afford to return
home. Kenya is a very religiously mixed country. Though most of the population is Christian, many
do not celebrate Christmas, as they are Hindus, Sikhs, or Muslims. However, they still enjoy the
holidays, as the Christians in Kenya do at the end of Ramadan.
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The Spring Festival – the Chinese New Year
by Huo Mojing, Alumna of the Summer School China, 2006
Country: People's Republic of China
Name of Event: Chinese New Year (
) or Spring Festival (
)
Date of Event: The festival begins on the first day of the first lunar month in the Chinese calendar
and ends on the 15th; this day is called Lantern Festival.
Main characteristics: Family reunion, food, gifts, dumplings, lanterns, fireworks, New Year’s
celebration.
History: The celebration of the Spring Festival has a history of more than 4,000 years. It originated
with Emperor Yao. One day around 2000 B.C., Yao took the throne and led members of his court
to worship the heaven and the earth. Since then, people began to consider that day as the
beginning of the year and marked it as the first day of the first lunar month.
The Chinese Spring Festival.
(Photo: http://madlofa.files.wordpress.com/
2009/01/chinese-new-year.jpg)
Modern meaning: To gather for family reunions for New Year celebrations and enjoy food, gifts,
and fireworks.
Special features: The period around Chinese New Year is also the time of the largest human
migration, when migrant workers in China, as well as Chinese living overseas in countries around
the world, travel home to have reunion dinners with their families on Chinese New Year's Eve. This
period is called Chunyun (
).
Celebrating the Miracle of Light: Chanukah
by Emily Olman, who used to work for the CGP in Public Relations
Country: celebrated everywhere
Name of Event: Chanukah
Date of Event: December 12-19, 2009 (begins at sundown on December 11th), and annually on
the 25th Day of Kislev according to the Jewish calendar.
Main characteristics: Celebrating the miracle of light, and the rededication of the Holy Temple in
Jerusalem
The Mircale of light – Chanukah
(photo: Emily Olman)
History: In a Jewish temple or synagogue one of the religious symbols is the eternal flame. In
ancient times, it was represented by an oil lamp that was to be kept burning at all times. At the
rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, after it was almost destroyed by Antiochus IV’s army,
all that remained was enough oil to last one day. The miracle of Chanukah is that the oil lasted an
entire eight days, which is the time it takes to replenish olive oil.
Modern meaning: Festival of lights, and celebrating God’s miracle.
Special features: The Chanukah Menorah or Hanukiah is a candelabra made up of nine candles.
The Shamas, or lighting candle, is used to light the other eight candles and is typically either above
or to the side of the other eight candles. The first night of Chanukah starts with the lighting of the
Shamas and the first candle, and then each night a candle is added successively. Prayers are
recited in Hebrew for the lighting of the candles, and many families sing songs and give small gifts
to each other during the holiday. Children often play games with the four-sided top or Dreidel during
Chanukah.
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Soviet Style Christmas versus the Catholic Tradition
by Vitaliya Tsarik, Alumna of the 2nd run of German Studies Russia
Country: The Russian Federation
Name of Event: Russian Christmas
Date of Event: Russian (Orthodox) Christmas is celebrated according to Gregorian calendar on
January 7th.
History: It has been an official holiday in Russia since 1991, but the tradition of celebrating
Christmas dates back to early Christian times. It was prohibited during the Soviet era, but mostly in
industrial regions and cities. In towns and rural areas the tradition survived.
Modern meaning: Return of Imperial Russian traditions, as well as simply the end of extended
New Year celebrations.
Special features: Traditionally it involves fortune telling and Kolyadki (singing folklore).
Before Christmas there are a couple of weeks of fasting, so food is also an important part
of the celebration.
The first Christmas that I celebrated was Catholic Christmas. Russian Christmas used to be a taboo
in the Soviet times, and entered Russian modern life a little later then Western Christmas. And, so
far it seems that the return of Russian Christmas is more of a fad than a tradition that has returned.
Russian Christmas postcards
from the turn of the century.
It was in the middle of the 90s, after we’d started traveling abroad with parents, that gradually
Catholic Christmas became an annual party for friends with no religious background. December
24-25 has become a time for New Year’s tree decorating, and on Christmas Eve there are Xmas
parties in all of the Moscow clubs. This tradition formed in the 90s as Russia began to borrow a lot
from Western countries. To these borrowed traditions also belong single-colored decorations for
New Year’s trees. Typical Soviet decoration, which I now see only at my grandmother’s country
house, involves multicolored items and multicolored lights as well as a Kremlin star on the top.
Celebrating Orthodox Christmas on January 7 (according to the Orthodox Church calendar) has
recently become fashionable as well as with some other traditions from the Russian Empire.
Old Russian Christmas
To get the bold ambiance of old Russian Christmas, read a novel by Nikolai Gogol: The Night
Before Christmas. It perfectly describes some nice and magical traditions such as fortune telling
and Kolyadki. The latter involves local youngsters walking from house to house in their villages,
singing folklore songs and wishing all the best to the house owners; the owners of the houses then
demonstrate their generosity on this holiday and give as much as they can of sweets, food, money,
or clothes, etc.
Orthodox Christmas
celebration.
(pictures: Vitaliya Tsarik)
Imprint Articles: Center for Global Politics
(if not indicated otherwise)
Please contact us at [email protected]
regarding
all
contributions to and comments
about the GCP community. We
welcome your ideas and support!
The opinions expressed here do
not necessarily reflect the opinions
held by the Center for Global
Politics or Freie Universität Berlin.
Soviet-style celebration
During Soviet times in the remote rural areas, Russian Christmas was celebrated according to old
Russian traditions. My father, being a child, participated in traditional Kolyadki. In the less remote
industrial region, my mother’s grandmother prepared a holiday feast on that day, but in their family
it was never discussed what was being celebrated. People were afraid that children would blurt this
out in school. At that time, following religious traditions was very damaging for further careers in the
state service, where my great grandfather worked. Only later did my mother understand that it was
Orthodox Christmas. But actually in the Orthodox calendar Easter is by far a more important holiday
than Christmas.
Competition among holidays
Nowadays being religious is widespread among Russian elites. But, still the majority does not
celebrate it as a real holiday. This is partly because of a long-standing tradition to celebrate the New
Year on December 31st as the main highlight event of the year; moreover, New Years is a family
holiday in Russia. As we did not have the Christmas holiday for family get-togethers during the
entire Soviet era, the New Year celebration became a substitute for it. This is also because Catholic
Christmas looks more lucrative and joyful for those who travel abroad. Christmas in Russia is a
minor holiday that has lost the competition with other holidays. You simply can’t celebrate so many
holidays with equal intensity!
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