IES Blog

by Lillie Vogt

On October 9th, IES and GHI-West were pleased to host Martina Kessel (Professor of Modern German History at Bielefeld University) for a lecture on the significance of humor as an identity practice during the time of National Socialism in Germany. Addressed to an audience of 40 students, faculty and community members, the lecture was centered around Kessel’s forthcoming book titled Gewalt und Gelächter. “Deutschsein” 1914-1945 (Laughter and Violence. ‘Being German’ 1914-1945).

By Maddi Erdall & Ani Hakobyan

On October 4, 2018, the Berkeley Institute of European Studies, the Miller Institute for Global Challenges & the Law, the Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, and the School of Information hosted Peter Dabrock (Chair of the German Ethics Council) for a lecture on “Freedom and Ethics in the Era of Big Data” for an audience of 80 people. As a Protestant theologian and Chair of Systematic Theology at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Dabrock was able to provide a unique take on this controversial topic.

by Sophia Kownatzki and Alison Spencer

On October 2, 2018, the Institute of European Studies and GHI-West welcomed Uwe Lübken (Professor of American History at Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich) for a presentation on his three-year project “Climates of Migration.” The project centers on the concept of environmental migration, which is defined as migration prompted by environmental change. As the term is relatively new, Lübken examined historical examples to try and gain perspective on environmental migration. His research was also inspired by the current debates about migration and displacement caused by natural disasters.

by Ani Hakobyan and Jianwen Xu