Freie Universität Berlin

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New Forms for Commemorating Nazi Occupation

Seminar on April 30 to Launch Exhibition on New Forms of Memorialization in Berlin, in Falstad, and in Rome

№ 132/2014 from Apr 23, 2014

A seminar devoted to new forms of memorialization in Berlin, Falstad (Norway), and Rome will be held on April 30, 2014, from 3 to 8 p.m. at Felleshus in the Nordic Embassies in Berlin. Entitled "Beyond Memorialisation. Design for Conflict Heritage," the English-language seminar will launch an exhibition with the same title. The exhibition, showing design proposals for monuments in Falstad and Rome that will draw attention to the Nazi occupation during World War II, will be on display at the Nordic Embassies from April 30 to May 10, 2014. The seminar and exhibition are being organized by Freie Universität Berlin’s Center for Digital Systems, the European research project "REcall," and the Nordic Embassies.

In many different locations in Europe, there are monuments to remind people of war and mass crimes – some of them were built soon after World War II and some more recently. During the recent past, these monuments have changed in form and function: from bronze and marble statues to interactive multimedia installations, from the expectation that heroic acts will be remembered forever to the idea that space is needed for reflection, discussion, and reconciliation.

Networks in the Middle East

The liaison office in Cairo aims to increase academic cooperation between Freie Universität and universities and research centers in Egypt and the Middle East. It highlights the university’s outstanding research in many fields including Middle Eastern Studies.

The Cairo liaison office of Freie Universität Berlin works to increase the visibility of Freie Universität in Egypt and the region, highlighting the university’s outstanding research in many fields including Middle Eastern Studies. It also informs students and scholars from the region about possibilities of funding from German and European institutions. At the same time it is open to researchers and students at Freie Universität and helps them identify suitable partners for cooperation in the Middle East.

With close involvement of Freie Universität 

Freie Universität has numerous cooperative arrangements with universities in Egypt. There is close collaboration withone of the largest and most prestigious universities in Egypt and the region. Jointly with the Center of Excellence for Studies and Research in German and Arabic as Foreign Languagesthe liaison office offers Arabic language classes for students of Middle Eastern Studies. In 2010 a direct exchange program was initiated with the(AUC) that enables students at Freie Universität to spend up to two semesters at AUC. In addition, Freie Universität is a member of two Erasmus Mundus consortia with Egyptian and Lebanese universities.

The office in Cairo has been accompanying the political upheavals in the region with various events. In February 2012, 16 newly elected student representatives from Cairo University visited Free Universität to gather information about student councils and student involvement in decision making.

In cooperation with the German Federal Foreign Office, the Department of Law at Freie Universität organized a simulation of the UN Security Council on The Responsibility to Protect: The Case of Syria. It took place in April 2012, as part of the Model United Nations and Model European Union programs. Libyan and Egyptian diplomats were also involved. In addition, Freie Universität is committed to two projects supported by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). One of the projects aims to promote equality between men and women at Egyptian universities, and the other is working on curriculum development in the field of Mediterranean Studies.

Young researchers can already benefit from the presence of Freie Universität in the region. Since 2011, the office in Cairo in conjunction with the branch of the Orient Institute Beirut is offering a tutorial for graduate students in the social sciences and humanities who are working on themes relating to the Middle East. In addition, Freie Universität is participating in an international cooperation project on children’s rights. The aim of the project, which is funded by the European Commission, is to set up a degree program called "Diploma Public Policy and Child Rights" (DPPCR) in Egypt and Jordan.

The liaison office in Cairo took up its work in 2010. It is headed by the political scientist Dr. Florian Kohstall, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on higher education reforms in Egypt and Morocco.

Freie Universität’s international network comprises seven liaison offices that support the university’s researchers by providing access to regional expertise and local contacts. The focus of the offices varies according to location.

Eastern Europe in Berlin

The Institute for East European Studies focuses on the diverse processes of change in the eastern part of the continent. This heterogeneous, conflict-ridden region plays an important role, particularly in light of the enlargement of the European UnionTeaching at the Institute for East European Studies centers around the multidisciplinaryMaster’s Degree Program in East European Studies. In addition to the regular classes, each year there is also a special interdisciplinary project course for first-year students, which aims to give students an opportunity to develop their own ideas within a given framework and to implement them in the course of the academic year.The master’s degree program East European Studies Online (EES Online) is intended as further training for young working professionals who are seeking a career in an international context. The program consists of separate modules conveying specialized knowledge about Eastern Europe from the perspective of various disciplines – politics, sociology, business and economics, law, and history.

The Institute for East European Studies was founded at Freie Universität in 1951. Research at this regional studies institute takes into account the historical, cultural, political, and economic background as well as current developments. Further emphasis is placed on cultural issues and the investigation of ethno-national conflicts in Eastern Europe.

Current research results are published in the Working Papers of the Eastern European-Institute. The library contains approximately 360,000 volumes, providing a comprehensive basis for research.