Universität zu Köln International

Lecturer: Dr. Wulf Reiners

Course Nr.: 15304.0056

Date: Mon, 16:00 - 17:30

Location: 103 S83

The course provides an introduction to global and European economic cooperation and its relationship with sustainable development. It concentrates on two main components. First, we will analyse the contemporary global architecture for economic cooperation and development and its main characteristics, including relevant actors, international organisations, treaties, and patterns in trade and development economics. Second, we will examine the European Union as an example of regional economic integration, its internal market, the framework for economic coordination and its external economic relations. The course will take up topical economic and political processes such as the United Nation’s 2030 agenda for sustainable development, China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the EU’s trade and economic partnership agreements. In this way, the course seeks to contribute to the understanding how economic cooperation and development are interconnected with environmental and social questions.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Frank Schulz-Nieswandt

Course Nr.: 15304.0053

Date: Wed., 10:00 - 11:30

Location: 103 S57

Inclusion does not happen overnight. We can not understand inclusion as if we switch on and off the light. Beyond legal frameworks and economic incentives as important preconditions to generate social change by Pareto-optimal solutions in allocation, successful inclusion is a process of social change understood as cultural transformation.
Inclusion as metamorphosis (Gestalt-switch) of the collective agreement about the question of a good life needs time but during this time-span, society has to organize social learning processes that transform the psychodynamics of individuals and the cultural grammar of exclusion.
This broad problem has to be located in the legal context of the EU and the UN, connected with the national legal regime development in the structure of multi-level-system with final results on the local level.

Lecturer: Dr. Tobias Kunstein

Course Nr.: 15304.0051

Date: Wed., 16:00 - 17:30

Location: 103 S57

The process of integration among sovereign nation states embodied by the European Union (EU) is a unique attempt of organising the co-existence of peoples. The EU’s sui generis character – something between a federation of nation states, or “Staatenbund”, and a federal state, or “Bundesstaat” (which led the German Constitutional Court to invent the term “Staatenverbund”) – makes the EU an ideal test case for political scientists interested in international cooperation. 
Although the EU is used to sailing rough seas, recent years have seen a succession of apparently existential crises and frantic reforms. Most recently, Brexit – the first-ever exit of a Member State – may form a watershed moment for the Union as a whole. At the very least, it implies that fast-paced institutional adaptation will continue. For example, a number of proposals have been tabled on how to deal with the UK’s 73 alloted seats in the European Parliament, which will likely become vacant just before the upcoming European Elections in May 2019.
Against this background, the seminar aims to take a closer look at the political structures underlying the EU. Based on a systematic appraisal of the Union’s institutional foundations, its strength and weaknesses will be the subject of debate and assessment. In particular, the seminar will include two sessions organised along the lines of a Tilbury debate. Students will controversially discuss a statement in two teams and try to defend a point of view that is not necessarily their own.

Lecturer: Rada Popova

Course Nr: 15304.0050

Date/Time: Tue., 14:00 - 15:30

Location: 103 S92

In its first part, by outlining the relevant historical background, this course will introduce the genesis of the European legal tradition. In its second part, the institutional basis, the structure and the basic principles of European Union law will be presented. On the basis of case studies on milestone jurisprudence of the ECJ, the role of European Union Law for Member States will be explained.
The structure of the lessons is interactive, where active participation is both desired and expected. 
In the end of the course, every student will prepare a topic and present the results in front of the course (10 to 15 minutes). After the presentation, the topic at hand will be discussed among the class.
The course will be concluded with a short multiple choice exam.

Course outline
I.    The genesis of modern European legal systems: historical and economic factors (1 week)

II.    The main elements of Roman Law, the Germanic legal tradition and English (common) law and their influence on the European legal tradition (2 weeks)

III.    Overview on the system of European Union Law: history, structure, organs institutions and principles (2 weeks)

IV.    The sources and hierarchy of European Union Law (2 weeks)

V.    The role of European Union law for the legal systems in Member States: case studies of milestone judicial decisions of the European Court of Justice (3 weeks)

VI.    Presentations and discussion (1 week)

Lecturer: Dr. Johannes Müller

Course Nr.: 15304.0052

Time/Date: Mon., 10:00 - 11:30

Location: 326 0.01

European History during the 20th Century has been described as an “Age of Extremes” (Eric Hobsbawm), as a period in which the “Dark Continent” (Mark Mazower) went “to Hell and Back” (Ian Kershaw) and then had to be rebuild “Out of Ashes” (Konrad Jarausch). This is all the more surprising as the 19th Century seemed to forebode an age of culminating progress, characterised by scientific triumphs, civilizing achievements, accelerated discoveries and technological solutions for all problems and needs of mankind. Yet, the 20th century saw the most barbaric set-back Europe had experienced for ages: Two world-wars, slaughter and repression of entire people and populations, excesses of intolerance, hate and violence, dictatorship, tyranny and the spectre of nuclear apocalypse. 
Examining the first half of the 20th century is examining how Europe arrived at the edge of self-destruction. It also means to identify the lessons to be learnt by successive generations – as at least in part the second half of the century is reacting to and trying to avoid the errors of the first half.
Historiography has just started to historicize the last century as a whole. Hence, we will also deal with competing interpretations which try to integrate the first half of the century into a comprehensive view of the entire epoch.

Lecturer: Dr. Benjamin Naujoks

Course Nr.: 15304.0054

Time/Date: Tue., 10:00 - 11:30am

Location: 326 0.01

Euroscepticism is in vogue all over Europe. In addition, pictures seem to be omnipresent. As icons, they have a significant, maybe even overriding impact on the perception of public and private spaces as well as on private and political communication. In fact: iconographic communication is an integral part of the history of humankind. In this sense, pictures have a decisive influence on the idea of Europe.
Therefore, this seminar will deal with the Idea of Europe and the European History of the 19th and 20th centuries under particular consideration of Visual History. Its guiding question is: Do we already have a collective European iconographic memory or is there a variety of (and competition between) collective national memories related to European history?

Lecturer: Dr. Heike Berner, Judith Berns

Course Nr: 15304.0058

Time/Date: Tue.: 16:00 - 17:30

Location: 326, S0.01 

Credit Points: 3

Study competence meets Intercultural competence

Intercultural encounters in an academic context can be challenging and beneficial at the same time. In this seminar, international and regular students of the University of Cologne will be introduced to methods and theories as to how to make the most out of an international academic environment in practice.

Nowadays, intercultural competence is needed not only in professional contexts but has become a necessary tool in everyday life as globalization and migration are shaping our lives.

The seminar has a unique set-up: It is divided in two groups, one consisting of international students from partner universities of the University of Cologne and Erasmus, the other of regular students students. During the first half of the semester, the two groups will work separately in order to allow specific, tailor-made input for each group. The second half of the semester, the groups will be combined to fully benefit from the intercultural setting.

1st half of the semester

• Understanding the German academic system
• Study competences (e.g. writing essays, giving presentations)
• Communication on campus
• Studying in international groups

2nd half of the semester

• Discovering intercultural potential
• Transferring theory to real-life situations
• Intercultural communication
• Perception of the self and the other
• In-group and out-group perception
• Excursion

The content of the second half semester is subject to change depending on the wishes and needs of the students.

All core courses can also be chosen for the elective module.

For more information on the modules (basic and elective) see pages 7-9 of our brochure.

Lecturer: Prof. Daniel Buncic

Course Nr: 14659.6001

Time/Date: Mon, 18:00 - 19:30

Location: 106 S11

Credit Points: 3

The CCLS Lecture Series offers a forum to linguists from many different areas to present findings from current research. In this way, students will have access to up-to-date work done locally at the University of Cologne, as well as to work done internationally. Topics will cover a variety of languages, methodological approaches, and theoretical perspectives (see course list for detailed information). Individual class sessions will be divided up in a lecture part and a question and answer session. Open to all interested.

http://ccls.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/32754.html?&L=1

3 CPs: 2 summaries of lectures

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stefan Neubert

Course Nr: 14387.0004

Time/Date: Thu., 5:45 - 7:15pm (start Apr 12th)

Location: 216 S130

Credit Points: 3

The seminar will address internationally influential, important, and innovative debates concerning Cultural Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Democracy and Education.

Lecturer: Tatiana Lopez

Course Nr: 14351.5001

Time/Date: Wed, 14:00 - 18:00

Location: 101 S524

Credit Points: 6

This course outlines the basic arguments, theories and developments of contemporary Economic Geography. It is meant to give students first insights into this highly dynamic and empirical science. Starting from core processes in our modern economic and social world like globalization and uneven development, we will deal with questions of economic growth, inequalities and economic change on different spatial scales. We will get to know basic spatial theories and use them to describe and explain various empirical examples from dif-ferent regions. A special focus will be set on the role of knowledge and innovation in contemporary economic developments and on the challenges for developing regions like East-Asia.

Course requirement: Written exam and presentation

Note: This course is combined with the lecture "Economic Geography", taking place at the same at the same place. Just make sure to register for both, the seminar (14351.5001) and the lecture (14351.5000), in order to receive the total of 6CP. It is NOT possible to pick just one. 

Lecturer: Kohnen, Thomas

Course Nr: 14569.2103

Time/Date: Tuesdays, 10:00 - 11:30

Location: 100, HS XVIII

Credit Points: 3

Middle English is the period in the history of English which starts after the Norman Conquest and gradually turns into Early Modern English during the second half of the 15th century. Middle English is often described as a period of rapid transition and considerable heterogeneousness. It is also a phase with an extremely rich output of texts, both literary and non-literary. This lecture will deal with the important developments in the fields of spelling, phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis, but will also focus on topics involving Middle English society and culture and the major genres of the period.

Lecturer: Abel, Dennis

Course Nr: 14335.0405

Time/Date: Tuesdays, 12:00 - 13:30

Location: 211 S101

Credit Points: 6

Lecturer: Neubert, Stefan

Course Nr: 14387.0005

Time/Date: Tuesdays, 16:00 - 17:30

Location: 211 H114

Credit Points: 3

The seminar will offer an introduction to internationally influential debates in education in the wake of John Dewey (1859-1952). It will be combined with the international conference "Democracy and Education Reconsidered", Dec 2 and 3, 2016 that will compensate for 8 regular meetings.

Lecturer:  de Paula Castanho e Silva, Bruno

Course Nr: 14335.0205

Time/Date: Wednesdays, 14:00 - 15:30

Location: 211 S103

Credit Points:

Remaining spaces in seminars of the Cologne Center for Comparative Politics (CCCP) are *not* allocated via KLIPS2 during the "Restplatzvergabe". If you do not have a place in this seminar, participation in the first session is strictly mandatory. Available spaces will be allocated there.

Lecturer: Kaftan, Lea

Course Nr: 14335.0106

Time/Date: Thursdays, 16:00 - 17:30

Location: 211 S105

Credit Points: 6

Course description: This seminar is an introduction to the comparative analysis of political institutions exemplified by the case of the Federal Republic of Germany. We will devote the single sessions to explore how formal and informal institutions influence the behavior of actors within a political system. The syllabus covers four major subject areas: To begin with, we focus on electoral systems and voting behavior (I). Amongst other questions, we examine how and why different electoral systems evolve. In the second part, dedicated to interest aggregation and representation (II), we take a closer look at political parties, interest groups, and the media as well as their relationship with state actors. Coalition and veto player theories are subjects of the third block for which we look at political actors governing between conflict and consensus (III). We apply the veto player approach to discuss and explain policy evolvement and change. Furthermore, we compare and contrast theories on coalition building and assess, for example, how well they can predict coalition outcomes of national elections. The last part of the seminar, multi-level governance (IV), focusses on interdependences between different political levels. Particularly, we highlight the mechanisms and effects of federal systems and Europeanization. The overall aim of the seminar is to gain a deeper understanding of essential processes, structures and the behavior of actors within political systems by means of general political theories. Additionally, we focus on the individual steps of developing and executing a research project in order for participants to be prepared to write their own term paper.

Lecturer: Bongartz, Christiane

Course Nr: 14569.2101

Time/Date: Wednesdays, 17:45 - 19:15

Location: 105 Hörsaal C

Credit Points: 3

Embracing diversity is serves as a goal and as a challenge for societies and educational systems. Recent developments in linguistics illustrates the impact of language in a g/loc/b/alized world; while multilingualism presents a reality in many communities of practices, education may raise social justice concerns with its reliance on a monolingual habitus. The lecture will address research findings on a range of issues while exploring new directions for making the field ‘hospitable.’

****Please note: Appearance in the first session is mandatory!! Your spot will be given to someone else in case of a no-show*****

Lecturer: Sager, Jenny

Course Nr: 14227.0033

Time/Date: Thursdays, 10:00 - 11:30

Location: 106 S01

Credit Points: 3

This seminar will introduce you to the plays of Shakespeare’s first and second tetralogies: Richard II, Henry IV, Parts One and Two, Henry V, Henry VI, Parts One, Two and Three and Richard III. The seminar will consider key themes, including kingship, power and authority, national and regional identities, sexual politics, war, and ideas of community. 

Bringing matters up to the present day, the seminar will deploy a range of media resources, including film and performance archives, to consider the ways in which these plays continue to resonate and reverberate in the modern era. The relevance of the history plays within new social and political contexts and in new eras of war and conflict will be the focus of analysis, allowing us to think about Shakespeare in performance, on the screen, and in various forms of adaptation. 

This seminar, including course materials and class discussions, will be in the English language.

Lecturer: Sager, Jenny

Course Nr: 14227.0122 (or 14227.0123)

Time/Date: Thursdays, 14:00 - 17:30

Location: 103 0.302

Credit Points: 3

NOTE: Course Nr. 14227.0122: 8 Oct - 19 Nov, Course Nr. 14227.0123: Nov 26 - Jan 28

This course explores the remarkable variety of ways in which Shakespeare's life and works have been adapted by contemporary film directors. The course asks what happens when Shakespeare is popularized, and when the popular is Shakespeareanized; it queries the factors that determine the definitions of and boundaries between the legitimate and illegitimate, the canonical and the authorized and the subversive, the oppositional, the scandalous and the inane. This seminar series will discuss the ways in which the plays of Shakespeare, as well as Shakespeare himself, have been interpreted and reinvented, adapted and parodied, transposed into another media, and act as a source of inspiration for film-makers worldwide.

Lecturer: lecture series (professors from the University of Cologne and Keio University, Japan)

Course number: 15304.0059

Time/Date: Starting October 31st every Wednesday, 12-2pm

Location: 105 Hörsaal G

Credit Points: 3

Longevity – one of humankind’s all-time goals and desires – turns out to be boon and bane. Japan and Germany are among the countries, where not only individuals tend to get old and older, but the entire society is aging and has to adapt to a substantial demographic change. With a life expectancy of 85 years in Japan and 81 years in Germany and an almost identical average age of 47.2 years of populations in both countries, Japan and Germany share common problems and challenges. Individual longevity implies an increase of aging-associated diseases, a growing need for age-appropriated environments and living conditions, higher demand of elder care, public health care and pension funds under stress, financial pressure on taxpayers, strain on the labor market and many more issues to be dealt with from medical, political, social, economic and legal points of view. 
Both Keio University/Tokyo, and University of Cologne have established “Longevity/Aging” as a transversal topic of interdisciplinary research, to which scholars and scientists from several disciplines contribute cutting-edge research. Both Universities dispose of strong research centers in Life Sciences and in Social Sciences dedicated to Longevity- and Aging-associated issues.
This joint lecture series will present some of their results in a comparative Japanese German perspective. Each lecture will be held jointly by a German and a Japanese expert, giving insights into ongoing or recently completed research projects. Students in both countries are invited to interact and actively participate in the discussion by posting comments and questions during the lecture.
While being the first intercontinental joint lecture series with one of University of Colognes “Global Network Partners”, this seminar is also a pilot project introducing digital tools into international teaching cooperation.

Lecturer: Dr. Paul Silva

Course number: 14213.0137

Time/Date: Fri., 12:00-13:30

Location: 103 4.011

Credit Points: 3

In the first part of this course our main interest will be in philosophical questions about the nature of time, the identity of persons across time, and the conditions for free will. In the second part of this course our main interest will be in questions about the nature of human knowledge: what is knowledge, what are our sources of knowledge, and how–if at all–we can show that we have knowledge and deal with the problem of skepticism. Throughout the course there will be various introductory lectures on inductive and deductive logic.

Lecturer: Tatiana Lopez, Dipl. Reg.-Wiss.

Course Nr.: 15304.0037

Date: Mon, 8 - 11:30am (course will alternate with the course "Current Challenges of EU foreign and security policy")

Location: 103 S2.127

Course description will follow soon

Lecturer: Benjamin Haas, MA

Course Nr.: 15304.0034

Date: Tue., 2 - 3:30pm

Location: 103 S73

Development policies traditionally aim to improve the lives of people in so called “developing countries”. However, due to the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the world is currently renegotiating the concept of development. This seminar gives an overview about the policy field from a European perspective, including its history, theories, actors, instruments and current (critical) debates. It also includes a one-day study excursion to Bonn (the former capital of West-Germany), where students have the opportunity to discuss the topics of the seminar with different political actors and practitioners, for instance, from the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. Students learn to apply different theoretical approaches regarding the concepts of development to current practical cases and get an introductory overview about European Development Policies. No previous knowledge about the topic is required.

Lecturer: Dr. Johanna Gereke

Course Nr.: 15304.0032

Time/Date: Mon., 12 - 1:30pm

Location: 106 S13

The focus of this seminar is on the interaction between migration and society. With unprecedented numbers of immigrants reaching the European Union, the analytical study of migration and immigration has become ever more important for social scientists. This seminar will be divided into two parts: In the first part of the seminar, we will examine questions, such as: Why do people migrate across international borders? What are the different flows of migrants? Can states control “unwanted” migration? And what are the consequences of migration on origin countries? In the second part of the seminar, the focus will be on issues of integration of immigrants. We will discuss questions, such as: How do social scientists theorize and evaluate immigrant integration? How are immigrants and their children becoming part of the mainstream in the receiving countries? And how do attitudes towards immigrants form and differ among individuals and across countries?

Lecturer: Tobias Flessenkemper

Course Nr.: 15304.0033

Date: Mon., 8 - 11:30am (start Apr. 23rd)

Location: 103 S2.127

Please note: This course is held in four-hour-session and will not be held weekly. Dates will be published soon. First session is on April 23rd. 

The Western Balkans countries - Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia - are increasingly interconnected with the European Union on all levels. Croatia was the first Western Balkans country to join the EU on 1 July 2013. The others are at various stages of the integration process.

On February 6, 2018 the European Commission presented its new enlargement strategy which outlines the challenges ahead and also brought a fresh attention to the region which is increasingly vulnerable to external influences, in particular by Russia, China and Turkey.

15 years ago, the Thessaloniki European Council in  2003 declared the Western Balkans potential EU member states. The “Thessaloniki agenda” brought together EU foreign policy and enlargement. Enlargement was considered the most effective foreign policy towards the region of the Western Balkans. The process remains characterised by particular challenges for the European Union as an actor as well as the countries. These are:

1) Regional cooperation and security following the wars and crises of the 1990s - the region and the EU continue to deal with the legacies and consequences of the past (including, issues related to state recognition, disarmament, normalization of relations, bilateral disputes, confidence-building measures to border demarcation);

2) Increased conditionality and scrutiny of EU-related reforms following previous enlargement rounds -  the Western Balkans countries have to establish and maintain democracy and human rights, functioning institutions able to uphold the acquis communautaire and an economy able to compete within the common market  (Copenhagen criteria); despite being at different stages of the EU integration process, the countries of the region share similar difficulties in addressing those issues;

3) South Eastern Europe is an area of connection and transit - today the region is the link between zones of war and instability in the near East and Central and Western Europe; obvious challenges stem from the “border crisis”, which exemplifies this intertwined relationship the region has with both its South Eastern neighbourhood as well as with the EU and its member states (Balkans route); the region is also historically linked with Turkey and Russia, both of which play a political role in the countries, including in multilateral cooperation with the EU. In recent times the Balkans Silk Road of China challenges the EU model of connectivity in the region, which is being promoted also by the “Berlin process”, initiated by Germany, in 2014. 

Hence, the analysis of the Western Balkans enlargement offers an insight into several areas, inter alia:

-              the evolving enlargement policy and institutional framework, including methodologies and pre-accession assistance;

-              the development of the Commons Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) and the role of the EU in (member) state-building;

-              the interconnection between external and internal security of the EU for instance in areas such as visa, migration and border management policies as well as the renewed emphasis on fundamental rights and the rule of law;

-              the perspectives of the European Union as a whole since overtime EU enlargement to South Eastern Europe has also become linked to the question if the countries of the region eventually wish to join an ever changing EU, including Brexit;

-              the role of “other” actors and powers in Europe, on the one hand the allies of the European Union such as the US and in the future the UK and to a certain degree Turkey, and on the other hand of competitors and antagonists such as Russia and China but also in an ideological sense of ethnic nationalism, anti-liberalism and radical religious and other global movements. 

Schedule (sessions from 08h00-11h30) 

Monday, 23 April

Monday, 07 May

Monday, 21 May

Monday, 04 June

Monday, 18 June

Monday, 02 July

Monday, 16 July

Lecturer: Elias Deutscher, LL.M.

Course Nr: 15304.0030

Date/Time: Wed., 4 - 7:15pm (held from May 2nd until June 27th)

Location: 315 S234

In light of the current surge of Eurosceptic and anti-globalization movements, the EU’s role in regulating globalized markets has been the focal point of a plethora of various criticisms. On the one hand, the EU is recurrently portrayed as source of inefficient over-regulation and red tape. On the other hand, the EU is increasingly perceived as a neo-liberal catalyst of trade liberalization and deregulation, undermining the Member States’ regulatory autonomy and welfare systems. To decipher and critically assess current Eurosceptic and anti-globalization discourses, a solid understanding of how regulation of globalized markets works is key.

Therefore, this course proposes to study the role of the EU as central actor of international market regulation from a pluri-disciplinary, legal, political and economic perspective. The goal of this course is to provide the students with a solid and contextual knowledge of EU internal market and competition rules, which lie at the heart of EU economic law. This course will also equip the students with a good understanding of the development of the EU integration process, as well as of the functioning and decision-making of the EU institutions. Moreover, it will allow them to critically assess current political discourses on the EU and international trade. Relying both on legal texts and academic literature, this course will additionally provide students with important methodological tools to critically read and analyse EU legislation, case law and academic texts.

The course will unfold in four sections. A first section (4 hours) of the course will be dedicated to the basic concepts that underlie trade liberalization and regulation at global (WTO) and European (EU) level. This section will also give a brief historical overview on trade liberalization over the 20th century.

The second section will focus on the substantive EU internal market law (8 hours). In particular, it will retrace the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union in promoting EU market integration by striking down state barriers to trade through the interpretation of EU free movement rules. (The focus will lie on free movement of goods, services and establishment). It will also address the fundamental tension between trade liberalization and the regulatory autonomy of national welfare states, and will study the complementary role of negative (trade liberalization) and positive (trade regulation) integration. Moreover, this section will critically discuss the alleged democratic deficit and neo-liberal bias of the EU internal market policies.

The third section of the course will examine how EU competition law regulates private companies’ attempts to impose restraints of trade (8 hours). The course will provide the students with a basic understanding of the prohibition of anticompetitive agreements (Art. 101 TFEU) and the prohibition of abuses of a dominant market position (Art. 102 TFEU), as well as of EU merger control. Moreover, it will also address the application of EU competition rules to Member States: namely, the EU State aid rules and Art. 106 TFEU. Thus, the course will also critically discuss to what extent the application of EU competition law leaves EU Member States sufficient leeway to pursue social policies and national regulatory choices.

The fourth section will be dedicated to the external dimension of EU Economic Law (4 hours). It will explain how the EU exports its internal market and competition rules at a global level, by concluding comprehensive Free Trade Agreements with third (non-EU) countries. This section will also touch upon the current controversies surrounding TTIP and CETA.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stephan Hobe LL.M.; Banjamyn I. Scott

Course Nr.: 15304.0039

Date: Tue., 12:00 - 1:30pm (start Apr. 24th)

Location: 103 S83

This course introduces the basic principles and rules found in International Law and European Union law.

Students will be presented with reading materials and are expected to have read them before the class. This will facilitate discussion.

The structure of the lessons is interactive, where active participation is both desired and expected.

Every student will prepare a topic and present the results in front of the course (10 to 15 minutes). After the presentation, the topic at hand will be discussed among the class.

The course will be concluded with a short multiple choice exam.

Week    Date      Teacher               Topic

1             24 April Mr Scott              Introduction to Course and Law

                1 May             Public Holiday

2             8 May   Mr Scott              History and Background of Public International Law

3             15 May Prof. Hobe          Sources of International Law

               22 May            no lecture

4             29 May Mr Scott              International Court of Justice and Case Study

5             5 June  Prof. Hobe          Jurisdiction

6             12 June Prof. Hobe          History and Background to EU Law

7             19 June Mr Scott              Sources of EU Law

8             26 June Mr Scott              Institutions of the EU

9             3 July    Mr Scott              European Court of Justice and Case Study

10           10 July  Mr Scott              Presentations (International and EU Law)

Necessary law texts:      

Core reading will be provided in advance of the lecture.

Recommended law texts:           

Malcolm N. Shaw, International Law, Eighth Edition, (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

Rebecca Wallace and Olga Martin-Ortega, International Law, Seventh Edition, (Sweet & Maxwell, 2013).

Paul Craig and Grainne De Burca, EU Law: Text, Cases, and Materials, Sixth Edition, (Oxford University Press, 2015).

Lecturer: Dr. Johannes Müller

Course Nr.: 15304.0031

Time/Date: Wed., 8 - 9:30am

Location: 106 S13

Germany’s history in the second half of the 20th century was overshadowed by the disastrous outcome of World War II, both with regard to domestic policies and international affairs. The atrocities committed by Nazi-Germany left a monstrous legacy for generations of Germans to deal with. The aftermath of the defeat of the German Army by a discordant alliance set the scene for the division of Europe and the rise of the Cold War. Germany’s own trajectory from division to unification, with a history split into a Western and an Eastern narrative (still today difficult to merge into a common perspective), is as peculiar as it is emblematic for the history of Europe in this epoch. 

This introductory course, taught in English, attempts to approach German history from the outside. The course is based on broad selections of original texts and sources as provided by the German Historical Institute in Washington, D.C. (http://germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/home.cfm?language=english) and will rely predominantly on international studies (in English). German students are very welcome, if they are ready to take on an external point of view; international students are invited to bring in their own perspective on German history based on studies/monographs from their home countries.

Course Program (Overview)

1. Wed, 11 April – Introduction

2. Wed, 18 April – Unconditional Surrender – Resetting Germany and the Germans

Wed, 25 April – NO SEMINAR

3. Wed, 2 May – Troubled Allied Cooperation/Double State-Building

4. Wed, 9 May –  The West: Social Market Economy and Social Restoration 

5. Mon, 14 May – RECOVERY SESSION 

                                16:00-17:30 in COPT-Building (315) Room: S 232 

                                The East: Command Economy and Real Existing Socialism

Wed, 16 May – NO SEMINAR

Wed, 23 May – NO SEMINAR

6. Mon, 28 May – RECOVERY SESSION

                                16:00-17:30 in COPT-Building (315) Room: S 232

                                Resilience and Rebellion: 1968 and Its Aftermath

7. Wed, 30 May – “Ostpolitik” and Reform: BRD and the Willy-Brandt-Effect 

8. Wed, 6 June – The DDR from Ulbricht to Honecker

9. Wed, 13 June – Two States, Two Societies – The Germanies in the 1970s/80s

10. Wed, 20 June – “Deutschlandpolitik”

11. Wed, 27 June – The Iron Eighties and The Gorbachev Impact

12. Wed, 4 July – Revolution

13. Wed, 11 July – (Re-)Unification

14. Wed, 18 July – Conclusion(s)

Lecturer: Dr. Benjamin Naujoks

Course Nr.: 15304.0036

Time/Date: Tue., 10 - 11:30am

Location: 103 S73

Duyisibao – this is the Chinese name for the German city Duisburg, the destination of the New Silk Road from China to Western Europe. In this context, Duisburg is one example for the interdependences of the European Union in a globalized world. The seminar will question the history of Europe under a methodological approach of economic and social history. It will analyse key terms, like globalization or European Integration. Therefore, this seminar will deal with European History of the 19th and 20th centuries under particular consideration of the European Integration after 1945. Its guiding question is: What are the main parameters for trade, growth, and wealth in Europe – in a more and more globalized world?

Introductory reading

- Ivan T. Berend, An Economic History of Twentieth-Century Europe. Economic Regimes from Laissez-Faire to Globalization, Cambridge, 2016.

- John McCormick, Europeanism, Oxford, 2010.

- John Pinder/Simon Usherwood, The European Union. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, 2013.

Lecturer: Judith Berns, MA

Course Nr: 15304.0035

Time/Date: Mon 4 - 5:30pm (start Apr 9th), double session on Apr 16th/23rd from 4 - 7pm

Location: 315 S232 

Credit Points: 3

Study competence meets Intercultural competence

This course will enable students to acquire intercultural competence and studying competence. As an exchange student daily life on campus brings along a number of challenges. Depending on the cultural and academic background the given environment and academic demands on a German campus can be overwhelming and acutally hindering a students´ performance in content seminars.

Outputs of this course will be:

Studying competence

• Writing academic papers (e.g. summary, essay)
• Preparing for quizzes and exams
• Designing power point presentations
• Holding presentations
• Strategies on group- /teamwork
• Participating in discussion
• Proper communication in an academic environment
• Autonomous learning strategies

Intercultural competence

• Theory on intercultural concepts
• Training intercultural skills
• Gaining comprehensive cultural knowledge

Intercultural competence is considered a key competence in an increasing culturally diverse society. Commanding intercultural skills will be a valuable asset in today´s working world, as international exchange and business across borders becomes more and more frequent.

The seminar was especially designed for CGSP-students, drawing from past experiences and feedback from CGSP-teachers, as well as students of the program.

All core courses can also be chosen for the elective module.

For more information on the modules (basic and elective) see pages 7-9 of our brochure.

Lecturer: Prof. Daniel Buncic

Course Nr: 14659.6001

Time/Date: Mon, 2 - 3:30pm (start Apr 9th)

Location: 106 S11

Credit Points: 3

The CCLS Lecture Series offers a forum to linguists from many different areas to present findings from current research. In this way, students will have access to up-to-date work done locally at the University of Cologne, as well as to work done internationally. Topics will cover a variety of languages, methodological approaches, and theoretical perspectives (see course list for detailed information). Individual class sessions will be divided up in a lecture part and a question and answer session. Open to all interested.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Stefan Neubert

Course Nr: 14387.0004

Time/Date: Thu., 5:45 - 7:15pm (start Apr 12th)

Location: 216 S130

Credit Points: 3

The seminar will address internationally influential, important, and innovative debates concerning Cultural Studies, Postcolonial Studies, Democracy and Education.

Lecturer: Prof. Kirk Junker

Course Nr: 13980.2082

Time/Date: Wed, 8 - 9:30am (start: Apr 11th)

Location: 211 H115

Credit Points: 6

Please note: All students have to fulfill the standard requirements of the course! The course will be awared with 6CP upon successful participation!

Environmental law is a discipline of its own since approximately 1970.  Since that time, one can find laws made by the state in India, Germany, the United States and many other countries of the world.  What one should realize from this date in time is that environmental law was produced by the social events of the 1960s, which themselves were a product of social unrest.  Some of the social unrest was due to worldwide awareness that the industrial processes that enabled rapid growth in wealth, also came with great costs to the social and natural worlds.  In its first generation, environmental law thus came about as an attempt to provide specific legal tools to conserve natural resources and protect human health and the natural world.  In its second generation, through the principle of sustainable development, environmental law now also includes economic and social concerns. And it is also in this second generation of environmental law that we realize that environmental problems are worldwide and may be solved in a variety of ways by different states through law.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Heinz Antor

Course Nr: 14569.3601

Time/Date: Mon, 12-1:30pm (start: Apr 9th)

Location: 103 S91

Credit Points: 3

In this seminar we will read and discuss four of William Shakespeare’s plays and analyse the many ways in which alterity, in particular racial and ethnic otherness, is constructed and negotiated in these seminal texts from the early modern period. We will have a look at the contemporary historical and political contexts just as well as Shakespeare’s analyses of issues of human identity and their relation to notions of the other. Special attention will be given to postcolonial approaches to the Bard, but other theoretical frameworks will also be considered. Students should have read the following plays by the beginning of term: Titus Andronicus (1594), The Merchant of Venice (1598), Othello, the Moor of Venice (1603), and The Tempest (1611). I recommend the latest Arden edition, but any other unabridged version will do as well. Active participation, presentation in class, essay (schriftliche Hausarbeit)

Lecturer: Dr. Jenny Sager

Course Nr: 14227.0114

Time/Date: Thu., 4 - 5:30pm

Location: 103 S92

Credit Points: 3

This course explores the remarkable variety of ways in which Shakespeare's life and works have been adapted by contemporary film directors. The course asks what happens when Shakespeare is popularized, and when the popular is Shakespeareanized; it queries the factors that determine the definitions of and boundaries between the legitimate and illegitimate, the canonical and the authorized and the subversive, the oppositional, the scandalous and the inane. This seminar series will discuss the ways in which the plays of Shakespeare, as well as Shakespeare himself, have been interpreted and reinvented, adapted and parodied, transposed into another media, and act as a source of inspiration for film-makers worldwide.

Popularizing Shakespeare: The Taming of the Shrew (dir. Zeffirelli, 1967)

Shakespearean Musicals: West Side Story (dir. Wise and Robbins, 1961)

Shakespearean Realism: Henry V (dir. Branagh, 1989)

Postmodern Shakespeare: Romeo + Juliet (dir. Luhrmann, 1996)

Documentaries and Biopic: Looking for Richard II (dir. Pacino, 1996) and Shakespeare in Love (dir. Madden, 1998)

Teen Shakespeare: 10 Things I Hate About You (dir. Junger, 1999)

Shakespeare and the Modern Media: Coriolanus (dir. Fiennes, 2011)

This course will be assessed by a presentation and 2-3 page synopsis of your presentation. This course will be taught in the English language.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Christiane Bongartz

Course Nr:14569.2102

Time/Date: Thu., 12 - 1:30pm (start Apr. 12th)

Location: 105 Hörsaal C

Credit Points: 3

We will discuss linguistic development and the factors promoting it, highlighting the psycholinguistic similarities and differences involved in the various acquisitional settings.

Lecturer: Dr. Katja Lenz

Course Nr: 14569.2504

Time/Date: Tue., 12 - 1:30pm

Location: 911 S224

Credit Points: 3

“Throughout the world, multicultural and multilingual classrooms are becoming the rule rather than the exception” (Hornberger & McKay 2010:xv). Our course will focus on situations involving English, while not necessarily excluding other settings. We will discuss sociolinguistic issues in L1 (mothertongue) and in bilingual education in second or foreign languages. We will investigate official language acquisition policies with respect to national and regional languages, minority languages (immigrant and indigenous) and foreign languages, but may also look at individual school policies concerning language education and even language education in the family. All of these settings include official or individual choices of the languages to be acquired, methods of instruction, etc. Individual topics may include for instance sociolinguistic aspects of linguistic teacher training, uses and problems of standardised language testing in education, etc. As a basis for our discussion, our course work will also cover more general sociolinguistic concepts such as variation and change, standardisation, language planning, language maintenance, shift and death, linguistic attitudes or ideologies and the identificational function of language. In addition we will look at the role of English as a world-language and the consequences of this status for language education world-wide.

Lecturer: Dr. Göran Nieragden

Course Nr: 14578.0050

Time/Date: Tue., 8 - 9:30 am (start 17 Apr.)

Location: 216 S133

Credit Points: 3

This course will approach contemporary fiction from the US and the UK with a focus on the treatment of current political affairs, their background, aftermath, and prospected future developments. Our reading will encompass satiric, grotesque, and enraged stories on the underlying issues of regionalism, identity constructions and ‘othering’

Lecturer: Stephan Vogel

Course Nr.: 14335.0108

Time/Date: Wed., 2 - 3:30pm

Location: 211 S101

Credit Points: 6

Course info: http://www.cccp.uni-koeln.de/

Please note: All students have to fulfill the standard requirements of the course! The course will be awared with 6CP upon successful participation!

Lecturer: Dr. Hermann Halbeisen

Course Nr.: 14335.5004

Time/Date: Wed., 4 - 5:30pm - start 2 May 2018

Location: 202 IR II classroom

Credit Points: 6

'Democracy' is highly appreciated as an ideal denoting the political aspirations of people in various parts of the world. As far as the precise meaning of the term is concerned, however, a considerable spectrum of interpretations exists. One reason for this diversity is due to the fact that the concept developed over a considerable period of time and incorporated different interpretations.

In order to gain a profound understanding of the development of the idea of democracy this course introduces a number of classical and modern texts that influenced its understanding.

The concept of 'close reading' is used, i.e. analysis and discussion of the text constitute the major part of a session.

Lecturer: Prof. Dr. Raquib Ahmed

Course Nr: 14892.0075

Time/Date: Mon., 10 - 11:30 am 

Location: 915 Übungsraum 5

Credit Points: 3

Global environmental crises

•             Components of environment: lithosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and

•             Impact of natural issues on environment and human induced issues on environment

•             Global, Regional and local Issues and management: degradation of soil and

•             Climate change as a global phenomena

•             Drought, flooding, coastal hazards, global warming, sea-level rise, ozone layer

•             Potential effects of global climate change on food security and human health

•             Global environment change and social instability: context – migration and social

•             Climate Change dialogues, mitigation and adaptation strategies, related policies in

•             Role of international partnership, multi-national corporations, non-governmental

Lecturer: Dr. Elisabeth Gilbert

Course Nr: 14578.0020

Time/Date: Mon., 10 - 11:30 am 

Location: 211 H112

Credit Points: 3

What is literature, what do I need to know to be able to fully appreciate a piece of fiction, a poem or a play as a literary scholar? What do we mean when we speak about culture or specific cultures? What are the tools and techniques, the aims and approaches in literary and cultural studies? What movements and names need I know for future analyses? These are some of the topics dealt with in this course, which opens small doors to a variety of aspects of the field.