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Summer Schools Seggau

Graz International Summer School Seggau 2016

The topics of the previous GUSEGG summer schools:

  • Stability, Security, and Happiness: State - Society - Religion (2021)
  • GUSEGG Research Hub (21-24 July 2020) 
  • Radical (Dis)Engagement: State - Society - Religion (2019)
  • Mediating and Mediating Change: State – Society - Religion (2018)
  • Radical Definitions: State – Society – Religion (2017)
  • Transformation, Transgressions, and Trust in Europe and the Americas (2016)
  • Shifting Perspectives: Europe and the Americas (2015)
  • Transformation and Change: Europe and Beyond (2014)
  • Collective Identities: Nationalism, Transnationalism - Europe and Beyond (2013)
  • International Summer School on the Americas (2012 und 2011)

The 11th edition of the Graz International Summer School Seggau in 2016 carried the title ‘Transformation, Transgressions, and Trust in Europe and the Americas’. Also in 2016, the Castle Campus at Schloss Seggau in Leibnitz, Austria, hosted 81 participants from 31 countries and more than 50 universities. The summer school was organized in cooperation between the University of Graz, the Diocese Graz-Seckau and the Comece (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community). Selected participants took part in the morning lectures of interdisciplinary manner as well as in the seminar modules of their choice in the afternoon.

The summer school offered the possibility of examining the current debate on transformation, transgressions, and trust in Europe and America by focusing on the current challenges to established forms of government, welfare policies and modes of participation in a radically changed global world, where migration and transnationalism play an important role. Focusing on the emphasis areas of the University of Graz – South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America – this will provide a basis for an interdisciplinary analysis in terms of opportunities provided and challenges faced in the past, present and future.

Seven seminars were offered this year, covering topics of Politics & Law, Media, Culture & Society, Ethics & Economics, State, Society & Religion, Narratives of Transgressions, Ageing, Communication, and Technology, and History and Power. Courses of academic writing were offered in first and the second week as well as a Writing Forum for Ph.D. students, and a Special Workshop in combination with a short Seminar on "Soundwriting" was organized. Students additionally participated in the scientific poster presentation and competed for the best science slam. These activities have been offered along with other attractive evening events, including discussions with GUSEGG Alumni Roberto Kalmar, and Prof. Kromp-Kolb from BOKU University Vienna.

The Public Event on July 6th brought back former participants of GUSEGG, the Alumni of the International Summer School Seggau, who shared their memories and actively participated in the discussions. The afternoon was organized under the title of "Transcending Rules: Public Opinion, Political Involvement, and Protests", and Prof. Storr (University of Graz), Prof. Kromp-Kolb (BOKU University), and Martin Hubinger (Doctoral Student) gave lectures that led to interesting discussions with Prof Petric, Prof. San Vicente Portes and Prof. Sawchuk (Summer School professors).

Presentations in research and teaching referred to focus areas of the University of Graz - South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America. Shaping profiles of young leaders of tomorrow in different areas such as political and social science, economics and the humanities was an important aim. In 2016, the project was made possible by generous financial contributions from: the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS) and the David-Herzog-Fonds, ACT – Ageing + Communication + Technologies, Scherbaum und Seebacher, Rechtsanwälte, Center for Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota, providing scholarships for participants, the Embassy of the United States of America in Austria, the European Network in Aging Studies, Industriellenvereinigung Steiermark, the Styrian Government (Land Steiermark, Wirtschaft und Forschung), Renovabis, Porticus, Stiftung Auxilium, the City of Graz (Stadt Graz), Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark, Arbeiterkammer Steiermark, Bausparkasse, Sparkassenversicherung, ALUMNI Uni Graz, and other generous supporters.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaPGA1qwduk

Graz International Summer School Seggau 2015

June 28 - July 11, 2015

The 10th edition of the Graz International Summer School Seggau in 2015 carried the title ‘Shifting Perspectives: Europe and the Americas’. The spectacular Seggau castle hosted again 81 participants from 31 countries and more than 50 universities. The summer school was organized in cooperation between the University of Graz, the Diocese Graz-Seckau and the Comece (Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community). Selected participants took part in the morning lectures of interdisciplinary manner as well as in the seminar modules of their choice in the afternoon. Seven seminars have been offered this year, covering topics of Politics & Law, Media, Culture & Society, Ethics & Economics, State, Society & Religion, Literature of Transformation, Ageing and the Life Course, and History and Power. Courses of academic writing have been offered in first and the second week as well as a prestigious Writing Forum for Ph.D. students. Students have also had an opportunity to succeed in competitions of the best scientific poster or the best science slam. These activities have been offered along with other attractive evening events, including discussions with Sjur Bergan from Council of Europe and Robert Greenan from the U.S. Embassy in Vienna, movies with discussions, country presentations and sports tournaments. Alumni Day on the 1st of July brought the Alumni of the International Summer School Seggau who were willing to come back and share their memories. The Alumni Day hosted a discussion with the Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl and Vice-Rector of the University of Graz, Peter Riedler together with the Academic Director of the summer school Roberta Maierhofer (Center for Inter-American Studies), COMECE representative Michael Kuhn and the summer school Alumni – Oana Ursulesku and Stefan Schneider. Presentations in research and teaching referred to focus areas of the University of Graz - South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America. Shaping profiles of young leaders of tomorrow in different areas such as political and social science, economics and the humanities was an important aim. In 2015, the project was made possible by generous financial contributions from: the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS) and the David-Herzog-Fonds, ACT – Ageing + Communication + Technologies, Scherbaum und Seebacher, Rechtsanwälte, Center for Austrian Studies at the University of Minnesota, providing scholarships for participants, the Embassy of the United States of America in Austria, the European Network in Aging Studies, Industriellenvereinigung Steiermark, the Styrian Government (Land Steiermark, Wirtschaft und Forschung), Renovabis, Porticus, Stiftung Auxilium, the City of Graz (Stadt Graz), Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark, Arbeiterkammer Steiermark and Gesellschaft für Kanada-Studien.

 

Link to the video HERE!

 

Graz International Summer School Seggau 2014

June 29th to July 12th

The Graz International Summer School Seggau 2014, in its ninth edition, took place from June 29th to July 12th, 2014 at its common location - the Seggau Castle, located on a hilltop above Leibnitz in southern Styria. The topic Transformation and Change: Europe and Beyond was the keystone of a diverse and challenging academic program, which was composed of morning lectures, group discussions, students' presentations, academic and creative writing workshops, a plenary discussion with high-ranking guests from the fields of diplomacy, business and the academia, and six seminar modules: Politics & Law; Media, Society & Culture; Ethics, Religion and Economics; Rhetoric of Transformation; Literature of Transformation; Aging and Demographic Change. 77 students from 26 countries and more than 40 universities participated in the summer program, under the lead of 28 international professors. The interdisciplinary cooperation of lecturers and students focused on the cultural, intellectual and historical dimensions of current European and American affairs in view of their positioning in a globalized world. Presentations in research and teaching referred to focus areas of the University of Graz - South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America. Shaping profiles of young leaders of tomorrow in different areas such as political and social science, economics and the humanities was an important aim. The Summer School is a cooperation of The Graz University, the Diocese Graz-Seckau and the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE), with Dr. Roberta Maierhofer from the Center for Inter-American Studies (C.IAS) as the academic director. In 2014, the project was made possible by generous financial contributions from: the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies (CEEPUS) and the David-Herzog-Fonds, both providing scholarships for participants, the Embassy of Canada in Austria, the Embassy of the United States of America in Austria, the European Network in Aging Studies, Forschungsschwerpunkt Kultur- und Deutungsgeschichte Europas, Idustriellenvereinigung Steiermark, the Styrian Government (Land Steiermark Abt. Kultur, Europa und Außenbeziehungen), Renovabis, the City of Graz (Stadt Graz), Stichting Communicantes and Wirtschaftskammer Steiermark.

GUSEGG - Graz International Summer School Seggau 2013

June 30 - July 13, 2013

This year, for the first time, the GUSS - Graz International Summer School, organized in its' sixth edition by the Center for Inter-American Studies at the University of Graz, was merged with the eighth SUSEGG - International Summer School Seggau, a project of the University of Graz in cooperation with the Diocese Graz-Seckau and the European Bishops' Conference (COMECE). The new name GUSEGG shows the merger of the two.

The two-week summer school took place from June 30 to July 13, 2013 and 98 students from 35 nationalities benefitted from the plenary sessions, lectures, group discussions and seminars delivered by 21 professors and lecturers. The program built on the regional focus areas of the University of Graz and of both former summer schools, South - Eastern-Europe and the Americas - and allowed for an even more interdisciplinary and challenging program for everyone. The ten seminar modules included Literature & Culture, Cultural Identities, Indigenous Identities, Urban & Regional Identities, Politics & Law, Media, Society & Culture, Economics & Power, Ethics, Religion & Leadership, Transnationalism & Migration and Cultural Narratives of Longevity.

2013 was the third and last year in which part of the summer school received funding as an ERASMUS Intensive Program (IP) focusing on the Americas. This part of the summer school was carried out in close cooperation with partner organizations from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Romania, Slovenia, .

CEEPUS, the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies co-sponsored the program with scholarships. Further generous funding came from the David-Herzog-Fonds, the Styrian Government (Land Steiermark Abt. Kultur, Europa und Außenbeziehungen), the Embassy of the United States in Austria, the Embassy of Canada in Austria, the European Net work in Aging Studies, the Gouvernement de Québec / Association international d’études québécoises (AIEQ), Renovabis, and Stichting Communicantes. The summer school was further supported by the International Association of Inter-American Studies, Graz Tourism, and GRAWE.

GUSS - International Summer School on the Americas 2012

July 15 - 29, 2012

The fifth International Summer School on the Americas 2012 was included into the umbrella concept of the Graz University Summer School – GUSS, and took place at Seggau Castle, Leibnitz, Austria from July 15th to 29th, 2012. The international program brought together 16 faculty members and guest lecturers as well as 65 students from 26 nationalities who participated and taught in seven specialized seminar modules (literature, film, identities & gender, economics, politics, indigenous studies, and history & migration). 2012 was the second year in which the summer school was part of an ERASMUS Intensive Program (IP) and thus carried out in close cooperation with partner organizations from Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, France, Romania, Slovenia, and Hungary. CEEPUS, the Central European Exchange Program for University Studies co-sponsored the program with scholarships. Further generous funding came from the U.S. Embassy in Austria, the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking countries, and the Utrecht Network Hospitality Fund. The aim of the Graz University Summer School, to integrate American, Canadian, Latin-American, Caribbean and Chicano Studies and thereby promote the concept of Inter-American Studies, was visible in the research fields of visiting scholars and students. Inter-American Studies as an interdisciplinary research field was discussed by teachers and students from various academic backgrounds. Therefore, the summer school gave a unique opportunity for these academic encounters and dialogues.

Graz University Summer School 2011: International summer school on the Americas

July 17 -31, 2011

The fourth edition of the GUSS-International Summer School, coordinated by the University of Graz’s Center for Inter-American Studies (C.IAS), took place at Seggau Castle, near Leibnitz, Austria from July 17th to July 31st, 2011. This year the International Summer School on the Americas brought together twelve faculty members and guest lecturers and 58 students of twenty-five nationalities for a two-week summer program. The seminars offered in 2011 were: Film, Literature, Identities, Economics, and Sustainability. One of the main changes to the previous years was that this fourth edition of the summer school was funded as an ERASMUS Intensive Program (IP), applied by the University of Graz. The International Summer School on the Americas was carried out in cooperation with partner institutions of higher education in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, France, Romania, Slovenia, and Hungary.

C.SAS Utrecht Network Summer School 2010 - The Americas: When One Is Not Enough

July 18 - August 1, 2010

The third CSAS/Utrecht Network Summer School attracted 45 students from all over the world. Twelve international experts, teaching 5 modules, dedicated themselves to an interdisciplinary examination of the Americas in this intensive 2-week course. The organisational team was proud to welcome a considerably increased number of participants this year, students as well as faculty, which can be attributed to the successful development of the now established field of Inter-American Studies within the Summer School.

 

Videos created by students of the Summer School 2010 can be viewed on YouTube:

C.SAS Utrecht Network Summer School 2009 - '''Nuestra América': (Re)approaching the Americas"

July 12 - 26, 2009

During the second Utrecht Network Summer School at Seggau Castle, an international group of students and staff examined a wide range of Inter-American topics. In four seminars (1 Film & Society, 2 Literature, 3 Politics: Law & Security, 4 Environment: Urban & Regional Development) students discussed the Americas from various vantage points as one hemispheric region. The aim was to stimulate the dialogue between the different nations of the Americas as well as change the European perspective of the Western hemisphere. The enthusiastic participation of students and lecturers from Europe and the Americas proves that the approach and implementation of Inter-American Studies is contemporary and academically in demand.

Videos created by students of the Summer School 2009 can be viewed on YouTube:

Summerschool 2008: "Under Deconstruction: How American are the Americas?

July 13 - 27, 2008

For the first time the Center for the Study of the Americas in cooperation with Utrecht Network organised an international summer school for Inter-American Studies. Utecht Network partner universities as well as Canadian and US American universities participated with 35 students and international staff. Five seminars with interdisciplinary lectures and intensive afternoon workshops covered a wide range of new methods of instruction. Students and lecturers worked at a redefinition of the term "America" or "American", from a US-centered towards a hemispheric perspective.

Contact

Center for Inter-American Studies
Elisabethstraße 59/II 8010 Graz
Phone:+43 (0)316 380 - 8213
Fax:+43 (0)316 380 - 9767

Mon-Fri 9am-5pm

Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.phil. M.A.

Roberta Maierhofer

Phone:+43 316 380 - 8198

Please contact me via email. Thank you!

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