About Central Europe
Since the dramatic events of 1989 the nation-states of Central Europe have experienced varying degrees of socio-economic and political change. The experiments in promoting democratic governance and market-based economics have not been universally successful. Central European governments also have been forced to confront the implications of multiethnic societies. Ethnic tensions that had been pent up for decades were unleashed with the fall of communism, posing serious challenges for governments within the region. The issue of ethnic minority rights has generated great interest and remains very much in debate. This debate, coupled with the uncertain future of socio-economic and political reforms being questioned by many, makes Central Europe particularly interesting to study.

The Program
This program is based in four sites during the course of the semester: Tuebingen, Germany (at the University of Tuebingen); Berlin, Germany (for a week-long excursion); Cluj-Napoca, Romania (Babes-Bolyai University); and Budapest, Hungary (Central European University). The program examines issues related to ethnicity and multiculturalism and the process of socioeconomic and political transition underway in the region. Each site provides a different perspective on these issues, facilitating comparative analysis that will provide students with insight into the implications of these issues for Europe and beyond. Local university students may also participate in this program, enhancing your cross-cultural experience.

Courses
All students participating in the program will be required to take four courses:

Ethnic Relations in Multicultural Societies (1 credit)
This course examines the problems associated with ethnic diversity in Germany, Romania and Hungary. In each country, different kinds of groups, economic conditions, cultural contentions, and political mobilization can be found. For example, Germany faces challenges of national identity and citizenship that arise from immigration, unification, and globalization. Romania's historical ethnic minorities in Transylvania (Hungarians and the Roma) await successful integration and cultural protection. Due to its loss of territory in World War II, Hungary is persistently involved in the defense of its diaspora in neighboring countries. In addition to identifying different trends, this course will pay careful attention to the underlying common patterns of politics that ethnically-plural societies produce.

The Socioeconomic and Political Transformation of Central Europe (1 credit)
Why have some post-communist societies succeeded at building market systems, civil societies, and liberal-democracies and others have not? This course surveys the relevant literature on transition politics and explores a host of factors that may explain different transitional outcomes. Such factors include the legacies of communism; the role of distinct cultural zones, levels of economic development and social cleavages; the form and manner in which communism fell; the institutional choices made during the transition; and the quality of the new political class.

Civilization and Culture in Central Europe (1 credit) –A survey of the history, geography, literature, music, and popular culture of Germany, Hungary, and Romania. In addition to readings and presentations by a variety of guest speakers, group excursions will be organized to a number of relevant sites.

Fall 2008 Director’s Seminar: The Rise of a New Generation in Central Europe (1 credit)

In Central Europe, young people are moving into adulthood in a world that radically differs from what their parents experienced. While the parents grew up in totalitarian regimes, mostly confined to the boundaries of their country and to the ideas that censorship allowed exposure to, today’s youth have been living in a period of transition to democracy. This transition process has differed widely across the region and students will experience first-hand how democracy has been understood quite differently in the three countries they will visit as part of the Central Europe program. Democratic values are taught to today’s youth by adults who are still striving to unlearn undemocratic practices.

This course will provide students with insight into key issues in contemporary Central Europe as well as into the region’s future through readings and encounters with young people, their parents, and their teachers in Germany, Romania, and Hungary. Among the questions that we will explore are: Where is this young generation going? What legacy are they taking with them? What are their ambitions? What is expected of them? What makes them European, and in what ways are the similar to or different from American students?

Academic Focus
The Central Europe program will be particularly appropriate for students in economics, political science, European Studies, anthropology/sociology, history, and those interested in multicultural issues.

Accommodations
Students will be housed in a combination of student dormitories, hotels, and hostels in the various sites.

Excursions
A variety of local excursions will be arranged in each program site. These may include visits to schools, government offices, cultural sites, and other points of interest. In addition to a week-long seminar in Berlin, excursions are tentatively planned to Strasbourg, France; several locations throughout Transylvania in Romania; and sites around Budapest, Hungary.

Additional Information
For further information on application procedures, eligibility, and program costs and financial aid, HWS students should contact the Center for Global Education (Trinity Hall) and Union College students should contact Professor Bill Thomas in the International Programs Office (Humanities 211).

Please note that the information in this document is subject to change. Please contact the PGE for the most up-to-date information.

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