Great Britain center

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The Great Britain Center (GBZ), also known as the Center for British Studies (CBS), is an interdisciplinary teaching and research institute at the Humboldt University of Berlin , which, in addition to its academic work and the “MA British Studies” program, also offers events for the public . It is the first facility of its kind in German-speaking countries.

history

It was officially opened on June 15, 1995 in the presence of the Governing Mayor and the British Ambassador and celebrated its 20th anniversary in the summer of 2015. The Great Britain Center is a thank you gift from Berlin to the friendly protecting power Great Britain . Queen Elizabeth II had already recognized the intention of establishing such an institute at Humboldt University during her visit to Berlin in 1992, and the Prince of Wales paid homage to the GBZ during his stay at the end of 1995. A place should be created for interdisciplinary, in particular cultural studies , research, teaching and public relations work to promote German-British relations.

At the same time, the landscape of the numerous regional institutes in Berlin - including z. For example, the France Center, which was founded at the Technical University of Berlin at the same time , as well as the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at the Free University of Berlin and the Center for the Modern Orient - should be supplemented. Designed to be interdisciplinary from the outset, the Great Britain Center was not assigned to any faculty but was given the status of a central institute.

Three professorships have been filled:

  1. for literature and culture of Great Britain
  2. for legal, economic and social structures in Great Britain
  3. for British history .

Course of study

In 1999, the center established the postgraduate course Master in British Studies (MBS) (today " MA British Studies"). It is aimed at German and international graduates from all disciplines. The four-semester course begins with a twelve-month program that the teachers of the center, guest lecturers from the UK and practitioners from companies and institutions of the United Kingdom to perform at the Center. In the basic program of the first semester, students are introduced to the history , legal systems , literature and art , economic and social history, the political system and social structures of Great Britain. In the second semester, there are six options based on the labor market to choose from. Students then gain professional and cultural experience on internships in Great Britain. The course concludes with a phase in which a topic from the wide range of the program is deepened in a master's thesis .

Other UK centers

Great Britain centers have now also been opened at the Zittau / Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (1999) and the University of Bamberg (2000).

literature

  • Rita Gerlach: Lord Patten visited the Great Britain Center . In: Humboldt. The AMB newspaper of November 2, 2006, p. 2.
  • Rita Gerlach: Very British, indeed. Extra page for the 10th anniversary of the GBZ . In: Humboldt. The AMB newspaper of June 9, 2005, p. 3.
  • Stefanie Pütz: Understand British idiosyncrasies. The “Master in British Studies” postgraduate course aims to impart intercultural competence . In: Der Tagesspiegel from November 23, 1999.
  • Birgit Riege: Successful approaches. The Great Britain Center at Humboldt University celebrates its 10th anniversary today . In: Berliner Zeitung of June 29, 2005.
  • Tilmann Warnecke: Studying with a job guarantee. Career check: which graduates from Berlin and Brandenburg are particularly in demand . In: Der Tagesspiegel from October 9, 2005, p. K1.
  • Peter Weber: The word “regional studies” is taboo . In: Berliner Morgenpost from November 8, 1999.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Center of France
  2. ^ John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies
  3. ↑ Center for the Modern Orient

Web links