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About Us

Global Politics Summer School Syria 2008

We live in a world that is increasingly undergoing profound changes. Globalization is on the rise. We also face a multitude of international issues such as migration, security challenges and environmental degradation. In response to these issues and their imperative needs, the Center for Global Politics at Freie Universität Berlin and the International University offer a joint Global Politics Summer School in Syria, taking place in Damascus in June 2008.

Freie Universität (FU) Berlin  was founded in 1948 under the motto "Truth, Justice, Freedom." With roughly 408 professors, 35,500 students in approximately 90 different programs, 4,000 graduates and 1,000 doctoral candidates each year, FU Berlin is the largest of the three universities in Berlin. Its academic profile includes a broad range of disciplines in the humanities, social and natural sciences. Since 2007, FU Berlin is one of nine universities of excellence in the Federal Republic of Germany.

The university’s Center for Global Politics is designed for professionals and young leaders who wish to deepen their understanding of global challenges and their political, economic and social causes and impacts. There are two types of programs, degree and non-degree programs, as well as distance learning and on-site programs. The two distance learning M.A. programs, East European Studies Online and International Relations Online, focus on innovative ways of knowledge-building via new media and blended learning. The Global Politics Summer School China is conducted annually with Fudan University in Shanghai. The supplementary program, “German Studies Russia,” is conducted in cooperation with the Moscow State Institute for International Affairs. These unique programs explore new approaches to, and the many facets of, International Relations, including politics, economics, intercultural communication, migration, conflict management and international security.

The Center for Global Politics was founded by Prof. Klaus Segbers who holds the Chair of Political Science at the Institute for East European Studies and is Professor for International Relations at the Otto-Suhr-Institute for Political Science (OSI) at FU Berlin. His academic expertise extends to the areas of Foreign Policy Analysis and International Relations. Furthermore, he focuses on designing innovative concepts of knowledge-building and transfer, including the development of e-education and blended learning programs in international contexts.

The Arab International University (AIU) aims at being an academic center of excellence by conforming to international standards of higher education and research. Its mission is to provide a platform to convey knowledge, values and traditions in the spirit of "good neighbourliness" between the Arab world and Europe. This serves to enhance interaction and cooperation in social, cultural and economic spheres. For this purpose staff and student exchanges with European counterparts have been established and direct cooperation agreements signed. Through its objectives, the AIU seeks to foster critical thinking and a positive questioning spirit, to promote close links between teaching, research and employment, to motivate students to pursue life-long learning, and to further the dialogue of cultures, as well as, economic cooperation.

The Global Politics Summer School Syria aims at creating a network between distinguished institutions of higher education in Syria. Partners of the summer school will be:

• Damascus University  - Department of Political Science;
• Planning and Training Institute of the State Planning Commission (SPC) of the Syrian Government (SPC);
• Orient Center for International Studies (OCP).

Team - Arab International University

Dr. Jana Breska (project coordinator) studied Middle East Studies in Prague and Pilsen, Czech Republic. Her academic background also includes Management Studies. Her PhD Thesis and research focused on the European Union member states policies toward Muslim communities and immigration, and European Union/Middle East relations. She is currently working at the International Office of the Arab International University.

Mouhib Al-Noukari (technical assistant) studied Information Technology in Montpellier, France. His professional experience includes project management in a wide range of national and international contexts. He has extensive experience in the domain of data mining, knowledge management, and e-government. He is currently working as the IT Director at the Arab International University and writing his PhD Thesis in the field of data mining and knowledge management.

Team - Center for Global Politics

Kristina Klinkforth (project coordinator) studied Political Science and International Relations in Hamburg, Berlin, and Galway, Ireland. Her professional experiences include project management in a range of national and international contexts, as well as in e-learning environments. During her studies, she worked in the Federal Foreign Office as well as at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. She is currently writing her PhD Thesis in the field of Media and International Relations.

Stefan Hohenberger (technical assistant) studied Political Science. His diploma thesis dealt with the impact of information technology on labor markets and employment structures in the European Union. He has worked as technical assistant on several scientific projects and is now in charge of the technical implementation of the International Relations Online program.