Germany

This course uses the March 2023 Berlin climate referendum as a starting point for an analysis of German energy policy and (geo)politics. It assesses the influence of (geo)political, technological, environmental and other social factors on the development of the German energy mix since the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951. The class traces the rise and fall of nuclear power before and after German reunification; the consequences of the oil shock and the persistence of oil despite the emergence of biofuels; the construction of natural gas pipelines, including Nord Stream; and the marked divergence of solar and wind capacity in the north and south of the country. Questions include: Should the German federal government have responded to widespread anti-nuclear sentiment by phasing out nuclear power ahead of coal? Are biofuels a sustainable substitute for oil? And is the shift to renewable energy in Berlin constrained by the technology or, as supporters of the climate referendum claimed, by a lack of political will?

This seminar provides students with a greater understanding of the scientific study of the politics of international economic relations, in particular the politics of trade. The course emphasizes seminal as well as cutting-edge academic scholarship on a number of substantive topics, incl. the distributional consequences of trade and domestic sources of trade policy, the design and evolution of global trade governance under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and World Trade Organization, the politics of preferential trade agreements, as well as the relationship between trade, conflict, international investment, migration, and the global environment.

This course seeks to immerse students in a professional work environment. Students have the opportunity to observe and interact with co-workers, and learn how to recognize and respond to cultural differences. Students compare concepts of teamwork and interpersonal interactions in different cultures as experienced on the job. Seminar work helps students apply academic knowledge in a business setting and identify opportunities to create value within the company. Students research a specific topic related to their work placement and present their findings in a final research report.

This course investigates the interconnectedness of poverty, human development as a measure of collective and individual quality of life and social progress, and human rights as an international discourse, legal and political construct. The course combines theoretical approaches to case studies with a historical and comparative perspective. Students learn how to analyze poverty and human development indicators; interrogate and compare different conceptions of rights and their effects in shaping analysis, policies and objectives; and evaluate the roles of social movements, governments and NGOs in social and economic development.

This course introduces students to the history of German cinema, with a special focus on the crucial role of Berlin as both production site and film set. Students engage with important milestones in the history of German cinema, many of which are set in Berlin, and learn about their historical, political and aesthetic contexts. Special emphasis is placed on the so-called “Berlin School” of filmmaking, a New Wave emerging in the late 1990s, and continuing to be highly relevant today. CIEE offers the course in German and English, and this version of the course is taught in English.

This service-learning course combines a structured curriculum and extensive partnership with a local community-based organization to offer tangible community service. Here, student community service includes direct
engagement as well as a research-based action plan addressing a specific challenge or goal identified by a community-based organization. Students begin by exploring key community-based organizations: examining their
mission, vision and goals, and the place of the organization in the local community. Each student then works with an assigned partner organization and invests at least 90 hours partnering with the organization, working with them
and investigating ways to solve a challenge or issue the organization has identified. Student service-learning includes exploring the proximate and ultimate drivers of the organization's chosen challenge, and the organization's
infrastructure, resources, limitations and possibilities for reducing barriers to achieving the organization's self-identified goals. In concert, coursework probes the role of community-based organizations in both local and global
contexts, common challenges of community-based organizations in defining and implementing their goals, the role of service-learning in addressing these issues, and effective ways for students to help them achieve their mission,
vision, and goals. Coursework also guides the student's service-learning experience by helping students develop sound international service ethics, provide tools to investigate solutions to common development issues, aid in
data analysis and presentation, and provide best practices to illustrate findings and deliver approved joint recommendations orally and in writing. Throughout, students use service-learning as a means to expand their global awareness and understanding, explore shared aspirations for social justice, and develop skills to work with others to effect positive change.

This course applies a critical lens to representations of gender and identity in contemporary media. Taking gender and sexuality as a critical starting point, students examine the construction of identities under the simultaneous influence of race, class, and nationality. By focusing on popular representations in both the US and the country where the course is taking place, students gain a deeper understanding of identities as both culturally specific and influenced by global media. Instead of suggesting that contemporary identities are determined by what is on TV screens, computers, and in local movie theaters, the course seeks to describe the complex interactions between national audiences and concrete media productions. It analyzes how different audiences reproduce or challenge traditional concepts and stereotypes of gender, race, sexuality, and class. By combining the study of theoretical texts with examples from the advertisement industry, television, movies, and other forms of contemporary cultural expression, it offers a comprehensive and thorough introduction to contemporary studies of the media and identity.

This course explores changes to our global environment in the Anthropocene and practices used to solve these impacts. It poses questions of current sustainability and global system failure, such as can we design a society and economy that is sustainable, democratic, and prosperous? This course uses a broad interdisciplinary approach to build understanding of central issues of sustainability. Students critically examine sustainability through the lens of culture and societal change, political conflict, ecological economics, global environmental issues, globalization and development and ecological design.

Students practice and improve all four main language skills—speaking, listening, reading, and writing—in a highly communicative classroom setting. Students’ knowledge of grammar and vocabulary is systematically reviewed and expanded through an emphasis on speaking and communicating in German. The course covers the main ideas of complex texts on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in their fields of specialization.

This course introduces the concept of strategic management through case analyses, and considers the basic direction and goals of an organization, the environment (social, political, technological, economic, and global factors), industry and market structure, and organizational strengths and weaknesses. The course focuses on the strategic management of the company in a dynamic global context. Students examine the study of the external environment and internal resources and capabilities of the company, in order to guide strategic decisions. Topics include readings and case studies of companies around the world, with special attention to regional and national contexts.