The Austin College German Department has been selected by the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Washington, D.C., as a project partner and has received funding for the embassy’s fall 2018 Campus Weeks program, Shaping Germany.
The German Information Center at the Embassy of the Republic of Germany sponsors annual “Campus Weeks” focused on undergraduates at U.S. universities and colleges. The students, working through an academic department at their school, organize a variety of activities, competitions, and talks centered on a theme that changes annually.
This year’s program focuses on the internal factors that are currently shaping and changing Germany and contribute to what Germany will look like in 20, 30, or 50 years, program materials explain. Particular attention is given to the role of women in Germany; to the history of immigration in Germany; to Germany’s remembrance culture; and to the German Energiewende, the transitioning away from fossil fuel-powered energy production toward cleaner, renewable energy sources.
Germany has long faced the issue of the integration of immigrants into its society. Ruth Cape, professor of German at Austin College sees many nations facing similar challenges because of the large-scale migration and immigration in today’s world. “According to current statistics, the percentage of Germans with at least one parent born abroad is approximately the same as in the United States, with similar opportunities and challenges on both sides of the Atlantic,” she said. “Thus we all are asked to build inclusive societies that preserve or restore the dignity of all their people, societies that create human bridges instead of walls and distrust.”
The United States has other things in common with Germany: 2018 marks 100 years of women’s right to vote in Germany, and the U.S. women gained the right in 2020. Women in both countries still face significant imparities despite advances, Cape said. Both countries also are dealing with the need to find cleaner, renewable energy sources. One of the events of the Austin College German Weeks was a lecture from Dr. Charles Closmann of the University of North Florida, an expert on Germany’s environmental history. He spoke about Germany’s important green contributions and how they might help the U.S. in the future,” said Wolfgang Lüeckel, associate professor of German and co-coordinator for the campus events.
A popular element of past German Campus Weeks is returning to Austin College this fall: a Baking Contest of German-style good. Entry is open to all students, faculty, and staff of the College and details are available on the German Department webpage. Following judging on October 29, a coffee/tea and cake reception, 4:30 – 6 p.m., will be open to the campus community in Jordan Family Language House. The reception will be hosted by the students of the Jordan Family Language House German Wing and the German Club.
At the reception, the winners of the two Campus Weeks student photo competitions will be announced. Competition topics are “Opportunities and Barriers Women are Facing Today,” and “Integrating Immigrants.”
Austin College has been selected for the German Weeks program several times in past years, in celebration of the Think Transatlantic Program – U.S. and Germany in 2012, the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 2014, and the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017.
Austin College, a private national liberal arts college located north of Dallas in Sherman, Texas, has earned a reputation for excellence in academic preparation, international study, pre-professional foundations, leadership development, committed faculty, and hands-on, adventurous learning opportunities. One of 40 schools profiled in Loren Pope’s influential book Colleges That Change Lives, Austin College boasts a welcoming community that embraces diversity and individuality, with more than 40 percent of students representing ethnic minorities. A residential student body of approximately 1,275 students and a faculty of more than 100 allow a 13:1 student-faculty ratio and personalized attention. The College is related by covenant to the Presbyterian Church (USA) and cultivates an inclusive atmosphere that supports students’ faith journeys regardless of religious tradition. Founded in 1849, the College is the oldest institution of higher education in Texas operating under original name and charter.