CIEE, Berlin

This course introduces students to the methodology and major concepts and theories in the Political Science field of comparative politics. Students learn how to analyze and assess similarities and differences among political systems. Students study and compare the domestic politics, political institutions and conflicts of various countries and through time within single countries. Students learn how to identify and explain political similarities and differences among countries, in the process gaining a critical perspective on politics in the U.S.

This course provides an overview of important international conflicts of the present time, their causes, main agents, and recent developments. Students investigate a number of case studies,  identifying and learning in detail about different areas of international controversy, and study models of international cooperation. Students analyze a variety of current conflicts by diagnosing the conflict, providing an outlook for the medium-term future, and proposing solutions. Classroom content is supplemented and enhanced by debate meetings with experts and practitioners from different organizations and institutions. The course addresses the following and other questions: In which policy domains can one find contemporary / future international controversies? What are the ways in which these controversies are diffused and settled? What are existing obstacles to the resolution and settlement of international conflicts? What major multilateral forums exist? Is global governance a realistic and desirable goal? What could possible forms look like?

This course examines key concepts and debates in contemporary international business, covering a range of topics including a critical deconstruction of the term globalization; the national and supranational alignment and divergence of political, economic, and legal systems; the complexities and nuances of international trade, including import, export, and countertrade, It includes foreign direct investment patterns and strategies; international finance and accounting; organizational structures for international businesses; market entry; global production; and, global complications in human resource management.

This course focuses on the process and theoretical background of The European Union (EU). It explores its formation by three creative processes: deepening of the integration, enlargement of the EU, and economic transformation in former socialist countries. After introducing those processes and some theoretical background, students analyze different EU economic policies. Considering that the participants are American undergraduates, this course systematically compares and contrasts the EU and its role in the world with the USA. Preliminary knowledge of principles of microeconomics is strongly recommended, but all necessary theoretical concepts are briefly summarized as part of this course.

In this course students trace the socio-political, cultural, and anthropological constructions of race, racialization and ethnicity in the host location from the country's history until the present day. Reflecting the increasingly charged articulations of race, racism, and race-based grievances in the host location, students study a wide range of issues, from the lingering legacy of colonialism and decolonization (and the attendant construction of racialized thinking), to reading race and ethnicity in host location, the role of race and ethnicity in the politics of immigration and the rise of ethno-nationalism, and the state of socio-political and cultural social policies that redress racialized and ethnic inequities – from affirmative action and (postcolonial) reparations, to social justice and police reform, and the decolonization of cultural institutions and the media landscape. By adopting an interdisciplinary approach to these issues, students learn how the history and contemporary lived reality of race (relations) and ethnicity in the host location can only be understood by accessing and closely examining -- from a variety of disciplinary vantage points -- the deep cultural archive of the host location and its people. At the same time, students analyze how discourses of race that originated in the United States circulate globally, are refracted through processes of mediation, and inflect local articulations of race, ethnicity and identity.

This course looks at the interface of community involvement and (effective) governmental approaches to public health. By studying how actors in this sphere collaborate in order to identify public health needs, select appropriate responses, and implement large-scale projects, students gain understanding of the different public health issues facing communities in the host environment, and the varied approaches to public health across the globe. The course pays special attention to identifying and understanding the main actors in public health systems, how such systems and their policies are influenced, and how the implementation of public health tools are affected by cultural and religious traditions.

This course combines seminars and site visits to take students on a cultural, literary journey through the many layers of Berlin. The course takes a historical look at 1920s Berlin, the liberal republic and how the Fascist government came to be. It then goes on to post WW2, when it became a frontline of the Cold War. Students explore the fall of the Wall in 1989 and the birth of Berlin in a new era as a center of creativity. 

In this course, students gain insight into a variety of approaches to ensuring that children grow up healthy and with opportunities to become contributing members of society. The historical roots, current issues, and future challenges related to children’s well-being are addressed. Students gain diverse knowledge and form opinions on a broad spectrum of related topics, including family life, the influence of the turbulent 20th century on youth and education, regional and national differences in educational systems, preventive youth health care, public policy on social services and divorce support, parental leave, and day care provision. Students learn about alternative educational approaches, such as those developed by Maria Montessori, Rudolf Steiner, Célestin Freinet, and A. S. Neill. Site visits to relevant museums and exhibitions deepens students’ theoretical learning. The course incorporates guest talks in order to foreground the place of family, schools and child development across societies and cultures.

This course explores how some of the myriad constructions and representations of sex and gender that emerged during the Weimar Republic (1919-1933), were performed in private, in public, and in the spaces where the two spheres intersected. Specifically, the course highlights how individuals and artists reacted to and expanded upon societal expectations concerning gender roles, during a period when Berlin became a global center of cultural innovation, artistic exploration, and scientific discovery. The stage and burgeoning film industry offer important documentation and a departure point to explore how German society grappled with the political implications of the First World War. In addition, both offer opportunities to explore how consumerism influenced the ways in which individuals chose to fashion their identities and the spaces around them.

This course introduces both computer game design and development. It includes important computer design concepts and fundamentals to create electronic games using C# and Unity. Students manage paper and digital prototyping, design iteration, and user testing. They also use game scripting and programming, including computer graphics and animation. The audience for this course includes current and aspiring game designers and those interested in all principles of the game creation process. Students from different locations share observations for a multinational/multicultural perspective.