Sunday 3 August 2008: the most beautiful weather in Berlin and ECLA students just can’t get enough food for thought. Art historian Aya Soika gave ISU 2008 students a tour of the Gemäldegalerie focusing on the week’s themes: religion, violence, martyrdom. Situated in the Kulturforum, west of Potsdamer Platz, the Gemäldegalerie hosts two kilometers of
TagInternational Summer University
Thinking Big
The night before Barack Obama delivered his speech in front of the Victory Pillar, in a covert location in Pankow suggestively referred to as ‘24’, ISU 2008 students came together to practice their oratorical talents and reward the best among them. Professors and students of the ISU gathered – outside the classroom this time –
International Summer University 2008
ECLA’s International Summer University has welcomed its 5th class of students from across the world. This year’s ISU opened its doors in Berlin for 37 students from 18 countries. For six weeks, students and professors will work together in a core course “The Mantle of the Prophet: Demons, Saints, and Terrorists.” Also for the first
Commencement ISU 2007: So Long, I’ll be Movin’ On
The last week of the Summer University at ECLA was dedicated to roundtable discussions which provided an effective concluding section of the programme by presenting case studies and in depth theoretical analyses on the following topics: “Terrorism and State”, “Terrorism and Religion”, and “Terrorism and Ethnicity”. Led by David Durst, Theodor Paleologu, and Bartholomew Ryan, respectively, the
International Dinner and Poetry Night: Soul Food
4:45 PM “Yes! There is no one in the kitchen. Let’s get started!” 5:00 PM “Um, guys, where can I put this plate? Is there any room left?” 5:15 PM “We need more dough” 5:45 PM “We have more dough!” 6:00 PM “Could you pass me the fork? Where’s the big knife? Cut the garlic
Visting Wannsee
A beautiful Sunday provided the perfect backdrop for a trip to idyllic Wannsee, a place in southwest Berlin well known for its lovely inland beach – one of the longest in Europe. Wannsee is also famous for hosting the conference of the same name on the 20th of January, 1942. Most of us have learned
Hunting for Fun
“What’s on for tonight?” “The “Scavenger Hunt!” “Is “scavenger” a German word?” “Ah, got it guys! Wiki says that “scavengers are animals that consume already dead animals” ”OK, so we’ll be predators…” “What are we looking for?” “No clue” ECLA students were given ten creative tasks and cameras. Needless to say, hilarity and a great
ISU 2007: Demons at ECLA
On July 16th ECLA inaugurated the International Summer University 2007 with the opening lecture on Dostoyevsky’s Demons given by one of ECLA’s ISU faculty, Melinda Harvey. This year’s summer programme brings together 41 students from 21 countries and international scholars specializing in Russian literature (Frank Goodwin, University of Florida), continental philosophy (David Durst, AUBG and