Following the French Government’s lockdown announcement on 16 March 2020 and the closing of our offices in Berlin, CIFE adapted its teaching and went fully online immediately. Next to virtual lectures, students are offered simulations, interactive workshops, virtual study trips and more. Courses will continue to be held exclusively online until the end of the academic year.
Here are a few teaching highlights from the past six weeks:
Master in European Integration and Global Studies
Students participated in a Seminar on Intercultural Communication organised by Career Coach Nina Frauenfeld via Zoom which provided guidance, tips and most of all motivation and a positive ‘can-do attitude’, which might be more important today than ever before. The workshop was structured around two major foundations: ‘The crisis will become our opportunity…’ and ‘Dare to show your uniqueness to your potential employer’. Students were able to experience first-hand the ‘CIFE solidarity’ thanks to Alumni video testimonials, allowing them to gain a concrete insight into what they can expect after completing the programme.
Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance
Students had the opportunity to attend a Virtual Study Trip to Brussels with numerous speakers including Policy Officers, Energy Attachés and Strategic Analysts. Joachim Balke, Head of Unit at DG Energy offered students an insightful presentation on projects of common EU interest: How can energy cross-border infrastructure allow for a better integrated energy market? Energy Attaché Jérémie Zeitoun tackled the decision-making process of energy policy in Europe. He gave students insights into the negotiation process and the long road to finding compromises. Cyril Dewaleyne introduced students to regional cooperation between the EU and Mediterranean countries as well as strategic priorities for energy and financial support mechanisms.
Students also participated in a Simulation with Negotiation Expert and founder of Rational Games Mark Young on the "South China Sea Conflict". Rational Games uses playful methods to teach negotiation in order to support initiatives and individuals that make creative use of games and play to resolve conflict. This simulation gave students an insight into the long negotiations between China, ASEAN, Vietnam, Japan and the USA on freedom of navigation and travel.
Master in Mediterranean Studies
Students were offered a lecture on the EU-Turkey refugee debate by Ayhan Kaya, Professor of Politics at Istanbul Bilgi University. Laurent Baechler, Programme Director at CIFE addressed the concept and challenges of Sustainable development. And Emre Gür, CIFE representative in Turkey, initiated a module on Project Cycle Management.
Trilingual Master European Policy and Governance
Programme Director Susann Heinecke opened the ‘Berlin term’ remotely and briefed the students on how courses and exams have been transformed into online formats, taking into account that students are spread over different times zones with shifts of up to seven hours. Jean-Claude Vérez, Professor of Economics at the Université d’Artois hold lectures on Global economics and Hartmut Marhold, Professor at the University of Cologne, gave insights on Germany’s European politics.
Joint Master in Global Economic Governance and Public Affairs
Prof. Robert Isaak from the University of Mannheim and Heidelberg gave students an online lecture on “Ecocrisis, Ecopreneurship & Government Policy”. Henrike van Platen and Katinka Brose from Fair Pay Labs engaged students in a one-day workshop about Gender Equality & Fair Pay as part of the Sustainable Development Goals. Prof. Richard Bryon-Cox, United Nations‘ Senior Policy Officer at UNCCD (UN Convention to Combat Desertification) in Bonn explained how the UNCCD influences policy making on land issues at the international and national levels. Dr. Alvin Chandra Climate Specialist at the UNFCCC (UN Convention to Fight Climate Change) and Al Gore's Climate Reality Leader, Bonn gave students insights into international Climate Policy, UNFCCC and the Paris Agreement.
The other perspective: Nina Frauenfeld, coach for intercultural communication, during her workshop with the students.
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Virtual socialising: Raising the glasses after five successful days of the virtual study trip to Brussels for the students of the Master in Global Energy Transition and Governance.
