Conference
April 3, 2013
IES was pleased to cosponsor a conference on the singular work and exceptional biography of the Swiss author Robert Walser (1878-1956), which have in recent decades attracted the interest of a wide, international readership. During his lifetime, Walser lived and wrote at the margins of society. Many of Walser’s most prominent admirers have, therefore, portrayed him as the prototype of the modern writer’s tragic fate. Considering the central importance of writing and psychiatry in his life, Walser’s work and biography invite discussions from perspectives that combine artistic productivity with psychopathology. This conference thematized ongoing debates on genius and insanity with regard to Walser’s mysterious micrograms and his decision to turn silent as an author. The presenters also reflected on the possibilities of translating Walser’s unique work into the present day via other languages and art.
For complete information, please go here.
Feb 21-23, 2013, Pacific Film Archive & Berkeley Art Museum
IES was proud to cosponsor the Second International Berkeley Conference on Silent Cinema, February 21-23, 2013.
Following the successful inaugural BCSC in 2011 (Cinema Across Media: The 1920s), this year's conference similarly explores a targeted aspect of film and film culture in the silent era. Films from Europe (Sweden, France, Russia), America, and East Asia are featured. Each conference combines a three-day academic discussion (free and open to campus and the public) with an evening screening series at the Pacific Film Archive related to the topics at hand.
This year the conference was entitled On Location in order to shine an analytic light on silent film's evocation of cinematic place, whether Paris or Old California.
Fall 2012
James J. Sheehan, Dickason Professor in the Humanities, Professor of Modern European History, Emeritus, Stanford University
Eminent historian of Germany and Europe, James Sheehan gave the first Gerald D. and Norma Feldman Annual Lecture Thursday, November 29th, at the Faculty Club, to a packed audience of friends, colleagues, and students of former IES Director Gerald Feldman. Introduced by current Director John Efron, Prof. Sheehan engaged in an analysis of means of fixing and qantifying the state during the Englightenment. Norma Feldman was in attendance and joined in the reception afterward. James Sheehan is the author of Where Have All the Soldiers Gone?: The Transformation of Modern Europe and German History, 1770-1866 (Oxford History of Modern Europe), among many other volumes. His talk was titled ‘The Origins of the Legible State: Mapmaking, Census Taking, And Codification in Early Modern Europe.’
IES was pleased to announce the approval of the designated emphasis in Dutch Studies. As one of the Least Commonly Taught Languages (LCTL), the EU Center at Berkeley has been proud to support Dutch language and cultural studies at UC Berkeley since its inception.
The Designated Emphasis in Dutch Studies provides curricular and research resources for students who want to concentrate on Dutch Studies within their respective disciplines and have their work formally recognized in their degree designation.
Designed to bring together faculty and students from different departments, the DE provides a unique context for rigorous cross-disciplinary research. Sponsoring departments include German, History, History of Art, Southeast Asian Studies, African-American Studies, Comparative Literature, French, and Sociology. The program helps advance Berkeley's position as America's leading Dutch Studies program and facilitates research in and cooperation with other universities in the
Netherlands, Belgium, South Africa, Indonesia, and the Caribbean, for example, who also have strong Dutch Studies programs.
More information on the Graduate Group in Dutch Studies can be found here.
Gregor Gysi, Distinguished Member of the German Parliament
Distinguished Member of the German Parliament, Gregor Gysi, spoke on the significance of the November 9th in Germany history to a large audience in Stephens Hall on November 9, 2012. His address in German focused on four major events which took place on that day during the last 100 years, including an aborted democratic proclamation in 1918, Kristallnacht, and the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and how these events should be considered and remembered in historical discourse.
September Conference in Berkeley
The Institute of European Studies (IES) with the generous support of the Daimler Foundation was pleased to sponsor an important invitation-only Conference on September 13-14, 2012, examining comparative EU and US transportation policies. Additional assistance came from the EU Center of Excellence at UC Berkeley.
Entitled Urban Transportation Pathways: EU + US Lessons for the Developing World? (.pdf of poster), the gathering critically reviewed and examined how transport policies have developed and evolved, the issues that current policies raise, and their economic, social, and environmental consequences.
Particular issues in urbanization and infrastructure in the developing world were discussed, as were efforts at greening the transportation mix. Experts on transport in China, India, and Latin America joined in discussions of policy transferability. The primary focus, however, was on countries which have already undergone motorization. Possible implications for future policy directions in the US, EU, and other countries were examined, too.
Keynote speaker Daniel Sperling is founding director of the Institute of Transportation Studies and professor of Civil Engineering, Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis. He is coauthor of the book Two Billion Cars: Driving Toward Sustainability, and has been featured prominently in national media discussing greater strides toward efficiency in the automotive future.
Elizabeth Deakin, professor of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley, and former director of the UC Transportation Research Center and the Global Metropolitan Studies Center, chaired the Conference. She has authored over 200 publications on transportation issues and has conducted research on transportation and urban development policy in the UK, France, Sweden, and Germany, as well as in the US. In addition Deakin has been actively engaged in research into transportation planning and urban development issues in Chinese cities and has been involved in similar initiatives in India and Latin America.
Spring 2012
IES was pleased to announce the establishment of an annual memorial lectureship in honor of beloved former IES Director, Gerald D. Feldman. Prof. Feldman, 1937-2007, was an eminent historian of 20th-century Germany who focused on the intersection of politics, economics, and society. He taught at Berkeley for 44 years and was especially admired by his graduate students, whom he nurtured and challenged with his humanity and high standards.
Through the work of current IES Director John Efron and Associate Director Beverly Crawford, and with the assistance of his wife Norma Feldman, this Memorial Lecture is slated to begin this Fall at Berkeley with a talk by historian James Sheehan of Stanford.
The Institute of European Studies depends on public donations to support its research, public programs, and graduate students. More information is available here: gifts to IES.
As a means for keeping Cal students apprised of the panoply of languge offerings at Berkeley, Dutch Studies Professor Jeroen Dewulf has been instrumental in developing a European Language Portal. The intent is to promulgate broader awareness — especially to Cal undergrads early in their Berkeley studies — of the breadth and depth of offerings, especially in less commonly taught languages such as Hungarian and Dutch. In some cases, non- or special students may enroll via concurrent enrollment at the Berkeley Extension (with instructor approval) and languages may be offered on other campuses through distance learning (for instance, Finnish and Danish have been offered via videoconferencing originating from Cal at UC Davis and UCLA). Check out the portal and see what you think!
IES Associate Director
Beverly Crawford, Finnish Studies Program Finnish-language Lecturer
Sirpa Tuomainen (left) , and visiting Fullbright Teaching Fellow
Jenni Tuikkala (right) all had the honor of attending a lunchtime meeting with Finland's Ambassador to the US Ritva Koukku-Ronde, Consul General of Finland in LA Kirsti Westphalen, and Minister for European Affairs and Foreign Trade
Alexander Stubb (center) .
The meeting was the final stop in Stubb's tour (christened FinnvasionUSA) of the US to foster trade and start-up investment. Before coming to Northern California, the Minister had met with twenty-seven Finnish start-ups in Washington and New York, where he presided over the opening bell at NASDAQ.
At Cal, Stubb discussed the future of the European Union including his views on the integration theory to an invited audience, including members of the Departments of Economics and Political Science. He highlighted Finland’s triple-A rating in the financial markets and transparent business ethics, as well as the country’s sustainable development of its natural resources.
Read about Belgium, Germany, Romania, Portugal, and the UK in IES’ Spring 2012 edition of eNews. Minority language concerns, Germany foreign policy, British post-War history, and Romani origins are just some of the topics explored as an outgrowth of events and scholarship sponsored by IES over the past academic year.
Our Binnual Report enumerates our accomplishments, events, Country Program activities, fellowship recipients, visiting scholars, student support, etc. It is now available for downloading online. We recommend a high-speed internet connection for easiest downloading. Download a .pdf copy here.
As another of IES' popular "Rapid Response Forums", Cal Political Science Professor Jonah Levy tackled French public opinion and the overall zeitgeist in the country regarding the upcoming Presidential elections, whose first round took place on April 22. President Sarkozy, known for his boundless energy, model wife, and outlook à l'américaine is currently very unpopular in the polls as this article from the UK's The Guardian newspaper makes clear. His socialist rival François Hollande is expected to win the final round in early May but, as in any election cycle, 24 hours is a lifetime.
Portuguese Physical Culture
Roberto Medeiros, Alderman of Culture of the Municipality of Lagoa, in the Algarve, Portugal, gave a presentation on nativity scenes of the Lagoa region, in conjuction with the Portuguese Studies Program and the Phoebe A. Heart Museum of Anthropology. These nativity scenes and handcrafted clay figurines from Lagoa enjoy a long, creative folk tradition. Alderman Medeiros will explore their context, tradition, and variety in his talk on April 18, illustrated with actual handicraft examples from southern Portugal.
COLLOQUIUM
April 11, 2012
A colloquium which considers the impulses towards linguistic and cultural separtism in the EU was cosponsored by the EU Center and the Institute of European Studies this April.
Increased European unification has not diminished the appeal of sub-state regionalist, nationalist, and separatist movements. To name but some: Scottish, Flemish, Catalan and Basque nationalist movements have grown considerably in recent years. What does the future have in store for them?
Will these movements opt for the path of open secession? The upcoming referendum on Scottish independence in 2014 will be an important test case.
A Poignant Idyll: The National Cemetery of Finland
A Photo Exhibit by Eric Kotila, Institute of European Studies
Expansive Hietaniemi Cemetery in Helsinki manages in microcosm to present the history of the country in an aesthetically magical, symbolically rich environment evocative of Finnish identity and nationalism. The graves – most often in Swedish, Russian, and Finnish – concretely attest to the country’s trajectory from a Swedish possession, to a Russian Duchy, to an independent modern nation.
Photographer Eric Kotila captures its siting and landscape design, various chapels, and exquisite grave-markers in his photo essay undertaken with sponsorship from the Finlandia Foundation and IES. The environment captures the design history of a country which values architecture, landscape architecture, and the arts so markedly. Finns both prominent, such as Alvar Aalto and Field Marshal Mannerheim, and humble are buried and memorialized here, often with striking, creative gravestones ranging from Baroque to Art Nouveau. The exibit is cosponsored by the Department of Scandinavian and the Finnish Studies Program at IES.
Fall 2011
Sir Nigel Sheinwald, British Ambassador to the US, spoke to an engaged, packed audience in Moses Hall on September 29. He discussed the growing relationship (economic and otherwise) of Western countries with Asia, in particular the tigers of China and India. The longstanding relationship of the US and Britain, forged by a common language and historic ties, was also emphasized as a means of leveraging influence in the world. An optomistic assesment, his talk stressed the relative advantages of the US and the UK (massive mutual investment, rule of law, support for entrepreneurism, etc.). His tour to the Northern California and talk at Berkeley were noted in the San Francisco Chronicle, as well.
His talk was sponsored by the Center for British Studies at IES and the Institute of International Studies.
The National Resource Center (NRC) for West European Studies at the Institute of European Studies has been awarded a four-year Title VI grant from the US Department of Education covering the years 2010-2014. This critical funding enables IES to continue supporting an array of programs promoting scholarship and resource develo pment on West European languages and area studies for UC Berkeley scholars and students, K-14 educators, and the broader public. See our NRC pages for general information on this inititiative.
Spring 2011
As part of IES new Rapid Response Series which responds to topical issues in the news with in-depth, expert analysis, on April 7, 2011, in Moses Hall, UCB History Professor James Vernon spoke on contemporary issues regarding university funding in the UK. Last October the publication of the Browne Report “Securing a Sustainable Future for Higher Education in England” plunged the university sector in to chaos. The sustainable future envisioned by Browne was to be secured by a process of privatization that would replace public funds with student debt-financing that would enable large increases in tuition revenue.
Spring 2010
On April 8 the EU Center at Scripps College hosted the 8th Annual Claremont-UC Undergraduate Research Conference on the European Union. The conference enhances undergraduate student understanding of the European Union and US-European relations, fosters inter-campus exchange and collaboration, and recognizes excellent student work.
Forty-five undergraduate students from twenty-three US and European universities attended . Five from UCB were accepted with papers: “A Future Common Foreign and Security Policy for the European Union: A Look at Nuclear Iran,” Hannah Zarkar; “The ERASMUS Program and the Development of a European Identity,” Alisa Shekhtman; “France’s Governmental Response to the Financial Crisis and its Linkage to Hopes for EU Regulatory Uniformity,” July Hodara; “State & Industry Lobbying on European Financial Regulation Reform: A Case Study of United Kingdom and Germany,” Vaishnavi Jayakumar; and “The History and Politicization of European Agricultural Policy 1957-92,” Norman Waters.
Fall 2009
Christine Schoefer, a freelance journalist living in Berkeley, recounts her first-person memories of the historic fall of the Berlin Wall:
Twenty years ago I saw people dance on the Berlin Wall. I watched East Germans push westward through narrow border gates that had been forbidden to them for three decades. I witnessed strangers embrace each other like long lost best friends. I heard men sob in ecstatic happiness and witnessed a young woman kneel to kiss the cold asphalt of Niederkirchnerstrasse. I was there when the city transformed itself, overnight, from Cold War icon to global symbol of liberation. (continued . . . )
Historian of France, Joan Wallach Scott, professor in the School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, spoke on "The Politics of the Veil" while a guest of IES as part of our Islam, Gender and the West program (see below).
IIS Director Harry Kreisler welcomed her during a videotaped interview in which she traced her intellectual odyssey and recalled the impact of the women's movement on her research and teaching. Professor Scott also described the intellectual influences that led her, more than twenty years ago, to write the now classic article, "Gender: A Useful Category of Historical Analysis." Part of the discussion focuses on her recent book The Politics of the Veil, an analysis of the political, cultural, and social factors that led to the French ban on the wearing of the veil by Muslim young women in public schools.
Go to the Conversations with History section of YouTube to view this interview.
Fall 2008
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EU Vice-President Margot Wallström gave a talk at International House in late September discussing the role of women in policy and politics. Her visit coincided with the opening of UC Berkeley's new EU Center of Excellence; beforehand she met with graduate students and faculty in EU Studies at the Institute's European Studies Seminar Room. To watch an interview of Ms. Wallström by IIS Director Harry Kreisler, please follow this link to YouTube. |
Spring 2007
In April popular Former Foreign Minister of Germany (1998-2005) and Green Party
member Joschka Fischer spoke on “The Future of the Middle East: What’s
at Stake for America and Europe?” in a talk sponsored by IES. To an overflowing
audience in Stephens Hall, Ambassador Fischer was introduced by IES Director
Prof. John Efron and discussed his views of the current situation in the Middle
East. He commended efforts by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others in the US government
to break the bilateral diplomatic silence between the US and its adversaries
by speaking directly with players in the region (such as Syria).
Fischer argued that the US-led invasion of Iraq has led directly
to an increasing influence of Iran in the region. For countries
in the Middle East the focus has been taken off the Palestine-Israel
conflict, and the current biggest potential threat to countries
in the region such as Saudi Arabia and Syria, for instance,
is Shia-dominated Iran, due to its population, Shia majority,
historical dominance in the area, and regional ambitions. He
stressed that each issue in the Palestinian-Israeli dispute
has been negotiated literally hundreds of times, and what is
lacking is the will from the US administration and others to
encourage the parties to come to a lasting agreement. He also
feels the US should actively engage others in the Middle East
for collective help in containing Iran, as well.
IES was honored to host Ambassador Fischer.
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Globalization Comes Home Conference
The Globalization Comes Home Conference in February 2007 explored how globalization - once synonymous with “Westernization”- has become a force unto itself, coming back to challenge the political and legal institutions, economic landscape, and cultural foundations of Western industrial democracies. View images from the event ... |
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Fall 2006
Irish Studies Lectures Online
The Western Institute of Irish Studies has kindly posted videos of two Irish
Studies lectures given at Berkeley this Fall -- one on old Irish histories
by Jane Ohlmeyer and the other on the contemporary
Irish economy by Paul Sweeney. Go here to
view the videos (Real Player is required and can be downloaded free).
July 2006
IES Welcomes Director John
Efron
John
Efron, Koret Professor of History and Jewish Studies
and Chair of the Program in Jewish Studies, takes over the
directorship of IES as the new academic years begins.
His academic focus is on the cultural and intellectual history of modern Jewry,
with emphasis on the Jews of German-speaking Europe. He is the author of
Medicine
and the German Jews: A History (2001),
Jewish History and Jewish Memory:
Essays in Honor of Yosef Hayim Yerushalmi (1998), and
Defenders of the
Race: Jewish Doctors and Race Science in Fin-de-Siècle Europe (1994).
IES looks forward to his leadership and wishes him a warm welcome.
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July 2006
Goodbye, Gerry!
IES Director for over a decade, Gerald D. Feldman stepped down in July 2006.
To say thanks, IES surprised him with a going away party, replete with
opera. View
images from the event .... |
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September 2005
Sir David King Discusses Climate Change
The September conversation on Climate Change with Sir David King, Chief Scientific
Advisor to the British Government, was one of the best attended events in
IES history. Read
more...
Read or listen to Sir David's interview with Professor
Harry Kreisler earlier that same day: Click
here for the interview. |
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October 2004
International Law Conference
This IES Panel Discussion on Humanitarian Intervention drew a huge audience. Read
about the event...
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September
2004
CBS Reception
The Center for British Studies hosted its Second Annual Fall Reception
at the Alumni House. Read more... |
Goodbye
Germany?
Migration, Culture and the Nation State. An IES
Conference from October 28-30, 2004. Read
more... |
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IES Fall Festival 2004
Join the staff of IES for its annual fall reception. This is a great way to get
to know the staff and affiliates of IES, as well as learn more about the many
programs, events and grants we offer. Friday, October 22,
4-6 pm. More info... |
September 2004
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Berkeley-Viadrina Cooperation Program
This informal presentation, hosted by Michael Minkenberg, introduced the cooperation
program that has existed between Berkeley and Viadrina for 2 years now. View
pictures... |
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| Heidenreich week at Berkeley Art Museum,
on view through October 3, 2004. More
info... |
July 2004
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IES and EU Studies
IES has taken the lead in creating one of the foremost
programs for undergraduate students in European Union Studies.
This initiative began in the Spring of 2004
with a course on the European Union, taught by Michelle
Bertho, who has taught EU Studies at the University of San Francisco and
San Francisco State University, and is the program coordinator of IES’ France-Berkeley
Fund. Read more... |
Gerald D. and Norma Feldman Annual Lecture Established 
As another of IES' popular "Rapid Response Forums", Cal Political Science Professor Jonah Levy tackled French public opinion and the overall zeitgeist in the country regarding the upcoming Presidential elections, whose first round took place on April 22. President Sarkozy, known for his boundless energy, model wife, and outlook à l'américaine is currently very unpopular in the polls as this 
Roberto Medeiros, Alderman of Culture of the Municipality of Lagoa, in the Algarve, Portugal, gave a presentation on nativity scenes of the Lagoa region, in conjuction with the Portuguese Studies Program and the Phoebe A. Heart Museum of Anthropology. These nativity scenes and handcrafted clay figurines from Lagoa enjoy a long, creative folk tradition. Alderman Medeiros will explore their context, tradition, and variety in his talk on April 18, illustrated with actual handicraft examples from southern Portugal. 
British Ambassador Visits Cal and Northern California
