The Institute for
American Studies at Leipzig University holds strong ties with the Global
Leadership Center (GLC) at Ohio University. Today, both sides benefit from a
flourishing exchange of students between Leipzig and Ohio. In his position as
the Interim Director at the GLC, Professor Brook Hailu Beshah recalls his
time in Leipzig as a student, and elaborates on the relations between the two
universities over two decades. Furthermore, Prof. Beshah reflects on the 2015’ Transatlantic
Summit of American and German students from the Global Leadership Center and
the Department of American Studies Leipzig.
 | |
| Prof. Brook Hailu Beshah |
Working
towards strengthening relations between Global Leadership Center, Ohio
University and the Leipzig University American Studies Department
By
Professor Brook Hailu Beshah, Interim Director, Global Leadership Center (GLC),
Ohio University
My visit to Leipzig in
May 2015 was like coming back home. I visited my second home town Leipzig after
18 years of absence. In September 1997, I earned my PhD here and left Leipzig
to teach in Ethiopia and work for the United Nations. Today, I am fortunate
to be in a unique position working for the GLC, Ohio University and at the same
time having strong and deep relations with my former Alma Mater Leipzig
University. How did this come? Let me explain. My first association
with Leipzig University goes back to the 1980ies. I studied here for two years working
on my masters. In the 1990’s, I returned to do my PhD at the Institute for
Communication and Media Sciences (IKMW) and at the Institute for Political
Science. As a PhD student, I had the opportunity and the privilege to develop
and teach two courses on African mass media at the IKMW.
Two decades later, I finally
got to visit Leipzig again. In 2015, I was leading a group of Ohio University
Global Leadership senior students to Leipzig. The program is part of the
collaboration we have with the Leipzig University American Studies Department. Indeed
it’s a small world. First of all - what is
the GLC? The Global Leadership Center offers a two-year undergraduate
certificate program. Goals of the GLC are inter alia to assist students developing
so called global leadership skills; appreciating diversity, how to build global partnerships,
pin pointing global opportunities, nurturing
students the
art of constructive dialogue in a globalized world; provide
intercultural and experiential learning opportunities related to the ever
globalized world, and to provide students an understanding of the process of
social change. In order to foster
those skills, our students are required to gain international experience.
Therefore, the GLC sends them abroad to work together with local students from
different universities. This year’s students were in Cambodia before travelling
to Germany. This fall, we organized a trip to Ecuador for example. (More Information available at https://www.ohio.edu/global/glc/
)
Professor
Crister Garrett, as head of the Institute for American Studies Leipzig, and his
assistants organized a two week agenda of briefings, lectures, and roundtables.
The participating students were trained and advised in the field of
international relations by experts both from within and outside the university.
Personally, I was proud to see my American and the German students working so
hard together as teams’ on transatlantic relations day in and day out for two
long weeks. During this time, they developed programs considering defense,
development, and diplomacy for three crisis shaken areas in the world, namely
Ukraine, Afghanistan, and Nigeria. Finally, they were presenting their
proposals at a Transatlantic Summit Conference. The final presentations were
being made in the presence of the guest of honor of the event US General Consul
Scott Riedmann. His professional background enriched the feedback for the
students and created a responsive atmosphere for discussions and the following
get-together.
The program did not only
overarch the student’s learning experience, but also created new friendships
and relations between the fellow students, their teachers, and the two
universities.
On an
overall scale, the relations between Ohio and Leipzig University, started in the
early 1990’s, have developed multi-faceted ties where scores of diverse faculties
engage in all kinds of different programs. I am one of their beneficiaries. Knowing
first-hand the benefits of such programs for students and researchers, I am
committed to strengthen the relations between the GLC and American Studies
Leipzig. Therefore, I look forward to bring more students from Ohio to Leipzig.
On a personal note, with
every passing year for me it makes more sense why Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
stated: “Mein Leipzig lob’ ich mir”! I quote him for many reasons. A good
example is Radio Mephisto 97.6, the first licensed university radio station in
Germany. I was happy to have been interviewed by the station which I used to
listen to a lot in my student days. (http://mephisto976.de/news/das-paris-deutschlands-49950).
Since 1995, students there are trained in media broadcasting and journalism
under real working conditions. What strikes me most is the amount of
responsibility the students take to broadcast their own program outreaching
towards Leipzig’s population of more than 550 000 people. Beneath the radio
station, I enjoyed to visit my old places of study like the “Deutsche
Nationalbibliothek”, my old dorm in Leipzig/ Lössnig, the “Mensa” and many
other places. As a proud “Leipziger”, I happily reconnected with my former
professors, teachers, classmates and friends.
Leipzig was, is and
will be called “Klein Paris” as a beautiful city beautiful full of activity. “Mein
Leipzig lob’ ich mir!” - It is this relationship that I want to cultivate as
the GLC leader. I look forward to come back with more Ohio University students
and on a personal note with my family.
Brook Hailu Beshah, Interim Director,
Global Leadership Center, Ohio University
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