Study Abroad in Berlin: Courses
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Courses may change at the discretion of Humboldt-Universität.
A minimum enrollment of 10 students is required for each course offered.
German Language Courses - Session 1 and Session 2
A placement exam after arrival determines appropriate levels. Students taking German are advised to gain pre-approval from their home institution for several levels of German in order to ensure that they receive credit for the level that they test into. German language classes are taught for 45 contact hours for a recommended 3 semester credits and appear on a Humboldt-Universität transcript. Courses meet Monday through Friday. Each course is divided into grammar, conversation, vocabulary and culture.
Session 1 and Session 2
German 101 (3) | Elementary German
German 102 (3) | Advanced Elementary German
German 201 (3) | Lower Intermediate German
German 203 (3) | Upper Intermediate German
German 301 (3) | Advanced German
Subject Courses (Taught in English)
Session 1: Stream A
History/Political Science/Sociology 311 (3) | Nazi Germany - Rise and Fall
In two world wars Germany tried to dominate the globe and all major decisions were made in the capital Berlin.
Why was Germany such an aggressive power until 1945? How did Hitler manage to gain and keep power? Why were many Germans Nazis and deeply racist? How was the life of ordinary people during the war? Why did the Nazis kill millions of Jews and other innocent people in concentration camps? What were the long-term effects of World War II? What happened to the Nazis after the war?
The course will provide answers to such questions via readings of texts from political science, sociology and history, while also taking the opportunity to explore the locations in which the events between 1933 and 1945 took place.
Undergraduate students (especially students of Political Science, Social Science, and History) can cover two eras of German history if they combine this course with the Summer Session 2 course on either “The Berlin Wall” or “The European Union”.
Session 1: Stream B
Geography/Urban Planning/Social Sciences 307 (3) | Planning Economic and Urban Neighborhoods in Transition - The Case of Berlin
Law 318 (3) | European Constitutional Law: National Identities Between Unity and Plurality
Religion/Culture 320 (3) | Jewish Narratives in Germany – Exploring Memory Past and Present
Session 1: Stream C
History/Political Science/Social Science 331 (3) | Global Cities as Centers of Knowledge Production
The course will introduce students to the theory, development and realities of global cities as centers of knowledge production. Based upon a closer look at the formation of the European and the American city as knowledge centers in historical perspective, particularly in terms of travelling educational philosophies and practices of education, the 19th century German university will be explored as a role model for American educational institutions. In a second step in the course will discuss the shifting aims and institutional paradigms of education in Europe and the United States since the 20th century.
Here, the emergence of the knowledge relationship between Berlin and New York, among others, will serve as a comparative case study in explaining the forms, functions and resources of knowledge production in the contemporary global city. This discussion will be accompanied by investigating public and private education institutions in Berlin in terms of their impact on the politics, economy and culture of the city.
In a final step, the course will address future directions of the knowledge metropolis by exploring competing concepts of education in Europe and the United States in the 21st century and their functions in a transnational and international perspective, for instance with regard to the emergence of "Education Cities" in non-Western countries (such as Arab countries).
Session 2: Stream A
Conservation/Ecology 306 (3) | Land in the City–Green in the City
German Literature 321 (3) | Stadt und Land: Literaten in und um Berlin/City and Country: Literature in and around Berlin (taught in German)
Berlin is a vibrant city and has always attracted and influenced artists. The “Golden Twenties and Thirties” of the 20th century are legendary – not only did the city provide inspiration and material for novels, music, theater and fine arts, but also places of refuge from life’s hectic pace and an opportunity for inner reflection.
The course is concerned with several writers, whose lives and work are closely connected to Berlin and the escape to the idylls of small towns. In this course, we read and write, discuss, look around, walk and go out: various field trips in and around Berlin, a theater visit and some movies will show the relationship between texts, style and atmosphere.
Texts for preparation or for background knowledge can also be read in English or in any other language. Texts reviewed during this class are read and discussed in their original German and all course lecture and discussions will be taught in German. To take this course students must be fluent in German.
History/Political Science/Social Science 325 (3) | Surveillance Technologies and Cultural Transformations since 9/11
History/Politics/Sociology 312 (3) | The Berlin Wall: Tales of Division and Unity
Law 315 (3) | Introduction to International Economic Law
Multinational companies like Google or Apple self-evidently act on a global stage. But even small businesses participate in international trade today. The integration of national economies and the elimination of barriers of trade no longer allow a solely national view on this development. With the growing importance of international commerce, the need for an “International Economic Law” arises. Numerous regulations and agreements concern international trade and investment, but the legal framework of international economy remains indefinite. Common principles of International Economic Law will be examined by analyzing leading decisions by international courts. Therefore a substantial part of the course will be dedicated to classroom discussion of cases and reading materials.
Politics/Social Sciences 324 (3) | Global Governance: Power, Structure and Agency
An overview of how global governance works in a world of networks, diluted power, fragmented organizational structures, renewed great power competition, and exceeded planetary boundaries. The focus will be on the actors, institutions and ideas of world politics today – from the UN family and Agenda 2030 to Great Powers to thematic alliances such as the OECD. Some hope Germany will take on the mantle of “leader of the free world”. The course will take this German perspective as a starting point to try to understand the state of global governance more broadly.
Finally, the course will revolve around the question of how to make the global liberal institutionalist order (and ultimately, our planet) more resilient in the face of new authoritarian challenges – after all, this is what Germany and other countries like it are striving to do.
Session 2: Stream B
Economics/Politics/Social Sciences 327 (3) | German “Social Market Economy” - A Better Capitalism?
Germany is Europe’s largest economy and its industrial powerhouse – selling cars like Mercedes-Benz, BMW and VW and chemical products like “aspirin” to the world. The quick recovery of the German economy after World War II still appears as an “Economic Miracle”. The seminar will air the secrets of this success by exploring the sophisticated German system – the “Social Market Economy”: How is efficient capitalist order combined with a huge welfare state? How are conflicts smoothed by incorporating the unions into “Social Partnership”? You will be surprised how modern efficient capitalism and corrupt mediaeval traditions are merged into “Social Market Economy”.
The course will explore the German economic system by lectures, readings, facility visits to industrial plants (e.g. BMW), excursions to the Museum of History, the governmental district and to innovative projects (e.g. cooperatives). Furthermore we will compare the German system with your country to find solutions for a better capitalism.
Law/Computer Sciences/Social Sciences 330 (3) | Law in the Age of Algorithms: Interdisciplinary Investigations
Algorithmic technologies mediate ever larger parts of our social relations. Whether it is online platforms seeking to combat hate speech, employers searching for job candidates or public officials trying to optimize efficient resource allocation: human work and human decision-making, increasingly, are supported, reshaped or even entirely replaced by algorithmic decision-making systems.
The course will introduce students with backgrounds in law, the social sciences or computer science to different academic perspectives on the novel political and regulatory issues which these technological transformations entail. The course will proceed in three steps:
1) Foundations: The logics of algorithmic computation In a first step, the course will introduce students to the methods and modes of operation of current algorithmic technologies. What is an algorithm and how do current computational methods (specifically different forms of Machine Learning) differ from more conventional programming? How do algorithms mediate the world and how do these representations differ from human meaning-making? Can algorithms really „outperform“ humans and what cognitive limitations do they usually incur? How are processes of algorithmic design organized and how do specific workflows benefit the resulting product?
Students will investigate these questions through introductory literature from the Computer Sciences, insights into the work of programmers and hands-on experiments with creating their own coded solutions.
2) Context: How algorithms shift political conflicts In the course’s second section, students will learn about the ways in which algorithmic technologies change political dynamics. How do algorithmic technologies reframe political conflicts? Which actors benefit from their employment? What are people calling for when they demand “explainable“, „responsible“, “accountable” or “fair AI”? What strategies exist to further democratic participation in the development and implementation of algorithmic systems? And in which ways can algorithms be described as political themselves?
Students will be introduced to these topics through literature from the political sciences and STS, explorative research methods (e.g. twitter case studies) and exchange with policy organizations.
3) Focus: Algorithmic regulation and the role of law In the course’s third and final section, students will get a deeper look at specific regulatory issues and the different ways in which law can be used to address societal issues raised by algorithmic automation. What areas of law affect the design and use of algorithms and what are their potentials and limitations? What broader regulatory strategies exist to counter the dangers and harms provoked by algorithmic systems? Can legal decisions be automated and are such developments desirable from a legal and political point of view?
Next to an introduction into the most important current legislative proposal on AI regulation and the EU’s Digital Service Act, students will be able to choose whether they want to focus on particular regulatory issues (e.g. algorithmic content moderation on online platforms, use of algorithms in social service resource allocation, liability of algorithms) or on more structural areas of concern (e.g. algorithmic discrimination, explainable AI, fair AI). Reading and response sessions will be combined with assignments to engage in proactive legal interventions for instance through contributing to ongoing EU public consultation processes or filing a complaint for a domestic Data Protection Authority.
Throughout the course’s timeline, students will have several possibilities to exchange with experts from the different academic fields as well as with IT, political and legal practitioners. In an effort to harness the potential of diverse perspectives, the course is committed to fostering an inclusive and creative intellectual environment open for all.
(Only open to undergraduate students of law, computer sciences or social sciences and/or students with previous knowledge on the subject)
Politics/Social Sciences 309 (3) | The European Union - Between Supranational Integration and National Sovereignty
Religion/Cultural Studies/Jewish Studies 308 (3) | Interreligious and Intercultural Tensions in Germany
Follows the complex trajectories linking interreligious and intercultural narratives in Germany today. How does the culture of memory in Germany, with its Christian frame and Jewish focus converge and diverge with more recent narratives of migration that have made Islam a visible presence in Germany? Students will interrogate this topic through dedicated lectures, workshops, and site visits to museums and other venues.
This course can stand alone well, but can also be combined with the course offered in Summer Session 1: Jewish Narratives in Germany: Exploring Memory Past and Present.
Religion/Ethics/Law 317 (3) | Introduction to Refugee Protection and Forced Migration
Examines the protection regime pertaining to refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and stateless persons. It gives special attention to the evolving set of legal norms, institutions, and procedures that have emerged from the international community’s resolve to protect refugees and other forced migrants.
The course adopts two complementary methodologies: seminars and case studies combined with presentations by the students.
The seminars are complemented by a ‘hands-on’ methodology, namely a major case study and presentations by the students both on the state of refugee protection in their countries of origin/residence and on current significant situations (i.e. Myanmar, Syria, Venezuela, European asylum crisis, Mediterranean situation).