23.07.2024

Shifting societies, changing universities, politics and museums

Activities of the CIVIS Alliance focus on current developments

Students, teachers and staff from CIVIS universities and non-university partners met in Tübingen as part of various activities of the CIVIS Alliance in the first week of June. As the coincidence of these various initiatives in Tübingen was not planned, their common theme of changes in society and the associated adjustments in public institutions and life was all the more noticeable.

Eight staff members from the administration of Stockholm University came to Tübingen on a partner visit. Their aim was to network with colleagues in Tübingen and to exchange expertise. The guests from Stockholm were from the International Office, the Student Advisory Service and various departments ranging from Anthropology to Sociology. The program included a mix of direct meetings with their professional counterparts in Tübingen, discussions and short presentations. Besides the possibilities for additional cooperation between the two universities, changes in educational institutions but also among students that have already taken place or are still necessary were addressed. 

Changes in the political sphere were the topic of the lecture "Is Europe drifting to the right?" by Dr. Rolf Frankenberger, Institute for Research on Far Right Extremism (IRex) in Tübingen and member of  CIVIS Hub 4. The talk scheduled shortly before the European elections was organized by the team of the Tübingen CIVIS Mobility Unit and part of the programme for CIVIS exchange students in Tübingen. Following the event, the staff members from Stockholm used the opportunity to hear from and answer questions of the exchange students.

From the Alte Aula building, the group went straight on to the castle. At the Ludwig Uhland Institute of Historical and Cultural Anthropology, the guests from Stockholm met over 35 students from seven countries and lecturers from the universities of Tübingen, Aix-Marseille, Athens and Stockholm. They were all participants of the CIVIS course "Shifting Societies, Changing Museums", in which the students gained valuable insights into how museums are adapting to resonate with the communities they serve. In addition to the academic perspective, Sanne Nielsen, director of the Nordic Museum Stockholm, gave a report of the professional practice of redesigning the museum. The Nordic Museum Stockholm is part of the CIVIS Museum Partner Network. This year's course on museums, coordinated by Professor Thomas Thiemeyer, was the third joint teaching project of this group of academics. CIVIS has enabled funding through the Erasmus+ program as a blended intensive program and has provided digital platforms for collaboration and administrative support. 

Professor Monique Scheer, Tübingen’s Vice-Rector for International Affairs and the University’s representative on the CIVIS Steering Committee, welcomed all the guests at a joint reception at the castle. The week's activities highlighted the many opportunities for exchange and cooperation within the CIVIS Alliance. Information on offers for all members of the University of Tübingen can be found on the network's website.

Anna Thorwart, European University Alliance (CIVIS) staff unit