The Harvard
Center for European Studies Berlin

The CES Berlin Dialogues program was conceptualized originally as a series of public debates at which scholars, journalists, and decision-makers could discuss contemporary political, social, and cultural topics from both an American and a European perspective. More recently, our sessions have expanded to include problems faced by all modern societies.

In the past six years, the Dialogues have brought many fresh topics to Berlin, as well as speakers who in most cases are new to a European audience. Our themes are social/political: generational change, power, religion, class and society; and cultural: such as film, literature and gender. In summer 2006, the Harvard Berlin office relocated to the campus of the Hertie School of Governance Berlin. The Hertie School is Germany's first professional school for public policy, founded in fall 2005.




The flagship of CES Berlin's activities are the Berlin Dialogues, open discussion focused on the most pressing issues about politics and culture today. Topics this year include “Truth Commissions, Transitional Justice, Victims and Perpetrators,” “Femmes Fatales: Japanese Bathing Beauties, Berlin’s Flappers, and America’s Fast Girls,” “The GDR as Historical Fiction: Literature and Film,” and “The Global Discourse on Gender and Sexuality: Where Are We Now?”. The series continue to foster debate on American and European topics against a global background. The Berlin office is initiating a discussion group for American PhD students in Berlin. And we offer an interactive website that provides important useful information for scholars preparing to do research in the city, as well as a taste of the contemporary life of Berlin.

Contact Names: Abby Collins (acollins@fas.harvard.edu), Sabrina Dax (dax@fas.harvard.edu) and Karolina May-Chu (karolina.maychu@yahoo.com)
Contact Email: ces-ber@fas.harvard.edu
Contact Phone: +49/30/212.312.138
Website: http://www.ces-berlin.fas.harvard.edu




The CES Berlin Dialogues take place during the Berlin academic term, at the Hertie School of Governance Berlin and at the Wissenschaftszentrum (WZB), one of the largest social science institutes in Europe. Sessions are open to the public through registration. To receive announcements of the Berlin sessions, e-mail Sabrina Dax at dax@fas.harvard.edu.




Funding is provided the Hertie Stiftung, the Hertie School of Governance Berlin and the Harvard University Center for European Studies. Additional support is provided by the Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung.




Navigate on “CityLog” and “Links” in this site to locate information about research institutions in Berlin and beyond, as well as to find helpful information about settling in the city. You will also discover our “Berlin Stories” feature, a series of interviews with Germans and Americans who live in or pass through Berlin and Cambridge.