Location & Schedule

Program Sites

Poland

Krakow
Once the seat of Polish kings, Krakow retains its international stature due largely to its renowned medieval and renaissance architecture and its respected Jagiellonian University - a vibrant center of European intellectual life for the past six hundred years. Krakow has undergone multiple attempts to forcibly reshape its life and character. The most recent project was the former Communist government's construction of a vast new industrial suburb, Nowa Huta. Once a significant source of employment, the idled steel mills and production lines of Nowa Huta now symbolize the problematic economic, social, and environmental legacy of communist-era industrialization. Today, growth in the city's economy is fueled by the investments in an increasingly sophisticated service industry.  Poland's economy is further affected by its changing position in global labor markets.  After years as a net exporter of human capital, Poland's economic growth and its membership in the EU have made the country an increasingly attractive waystation and final destination for migrants, particularly from the former republics of the Soviet Union.           

Germany

Tübingen
The medieval university town of Tübingen lies at the heart of one of the most dynamic economic regions of the European Union, whose inhabitants enjoy the lowest unemployment rate in Germany. In addition to multinationals such as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch, IBM and Hewlett-Packard, the Land of Baden-Württemberg is also characterized by numerous highly competitive, export-oriented, mid-sized enterprises.  While Baden-Württemberg leads the nation in global manufacturing sales, companies in emerging industries such as fuel cell, nano- and biotechnologies are increasingly attracted to the region, and eco-innovation is actively fostered by regional and European initiatives.  The program examines the region's response to pressure on the German Social-Market Economy model and Tübingen's innovative policies to promote the successful integration of its migrant community. Participants benefit from access to the University of Tübingen's faculty and libraries.

Berlin
Berlin is a highly cosmopolitan city with nearly half a million immigrants, which places  it at the center of both national and European debates on migration, citizenship, and cultural diversity.  The Neukölln-Kreuzberg district is home to the largest Turkish migrant community in Europe, which was initially inhabited overwhelmingly by laborers from Turkey's rural East seeking economic opportunity under the guest worker program that helped fuel Germany's postwar Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle).  Students live in homestays with artists, activists, and other denizens whose personal histories illustrate the range and complexity of the changes in the past decades.

Turkey

Istanbul
The Bosphorus Strait that divides Istanbul is also the fault line between Europe and Asia; likewise, Istanbul embodies the divisions in Turkish society -- Western, urban, and secular elites versus traditional, rural, and religious masses.  Its highly strategic location at Iraq's doorstep and its massive military -- with the largest standing army in NATO after the U.S. -- place it squarely at the forefront of policymakers' considerations of the geopolitics of Europe and the Middle East.

After lengthy efforts to gain status as a recognized EU applicant were finally rewarded in 2005, Turkey's prospects for membership have once again dimmed, reinvigorating nationalism and internal debate on the merits of its quest for membership.  Unlike many EU policy issues, the prospect of Turkey's admission as the first predominantly Muslim Member State has sparked an intense debate among citizens as well as policymakers on Europe's identity.  Regardless of the ultimate outcome, Europe will have to intensify its collaboration with Turkey in order to address serious challenges of narcotics smuggling, human trafficking, and illegal immigration, which benefit from Turkey's location on the EU's doorstep.  Meanwhile, Turkey's bid for EU membership has introduced a powerful new factor into its political scene and is widely credited with providing key leverage for successful efforts to abolish the death penalty, reinforce the freedom of the press, and improve the rights of ethnic minorities. 

 

Academic Schedule

Pre-Program Preparation

A significant portion of the readings are completed before the program begins. Readings introduce the common themes of the program and present a dynamic mix of scholarship, journalism, and partisan opinion.  Students also consult individually with the Program Director to develop their research ideas.  These consultations allow on-site staff to prepare research contacts and resources for each student's project.

Orientation
The term begins in Krakow with the program orientation. Several days are spent discussing the pre-program reading assignments as well as cross-cultural similarities and differences between Europe and the United States.

The Program Itinerary in 2009 is planned as follows:

 

Krakow	Weeks 1-3
Tübingen	Week 4
Berlin	Weeks 5-6
Istanbul	Weeks 7-8
Krakow	Weeks 9-13