40th Anniversary – Tuesday June 3

Posted on June 26, 2025 by gablera

Tuesday started with a visit of the University of Bremen Law Faculty, which recently moved into their new building Forum am Domshof in the city center. Two professors and former judge President Jones got a chance to have a chat about their specialties and the different legal systems of our two countries.

*from left to right:* Prof. Dr. Patrick C. Leyens, Dickinson College President John E. Jones III, Dr. Janine Ludwig (Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program), Prof. Dr. Sönke Florian Gerhold, Samantha Brandauer (Associate Provost and Executive Director of the CGSE at Dickinson) ©Samantha Brandauer

Afterwards, the newest Dickinson Chair on the University of Bremen campus was inaugurated. Exactly ten years after the unveiling of the first three “Dickinson Chairs” on campus, this is the first chair at the new Forum at Domshof campus. The “Dickinson Chairs” in Bremen symbolize the enduring partnership between the institutions.

Dr. Marejke Baethge-Assenkamp (Director of the International Office at University of Bremen) and Dickinson College President John E. Jones III unveiling the newest Dickinson Chair ©Janine Ludwig

*from left to right:* Prof. Dr. Patrick C. Leyens, Dr. Marejke Baethge-Assenkamp, Dr. Annette Lang, Dr. Janine Ludwig, President John E. Jones III, Samantha Brandauer, Prof. Dr. Sönke Florian Gerhold ©Samantha Brandauer

In the afternoon, President Jones and his wife Beth were given an exclusive tour at the late medieval Town Hall, together with Consul General Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg) and former College President Bill Durden and his wife Elke, among others

*from left to right:* Dr. Annette Lang, Consul General Jason Chue, Elke Durden, Bill Durden, College President John E. Jones, Samantha Brandauer ©Antonia Gabler

*from left to right:* Beth Jones, John E. Jones, Dr. Annette Lang, Jason Chue, Samantha Brandauer, Elke Durden ©Antonia Gabler

The exclusive tour was given by Dr. Annette Lang (Head of Division International Cooperation and Development Cooperation at the Senate Chancellery of Bremen and former head of the International Office at University of Bremen).

walking through *the Upper Hall*, Bremen’s most beautiful and prestigious banqueting hall ©Antonia Gabler

The ballroom, the largest room in the New Town Hall, with its large panorama of Bremen on the south side. ©Antonia Gabler

During the visit at the town hall, the group also had a special meeting with Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte who warmly expressed his personal dedication to the transatlantic partnership.

Mayor Andreas Bovenschulte and Consul General Jason Chue. ©Deborah Steinborn

Dickinson College Public Lecture

In the evening, the sixth Dickinson College Public Lecture took place at the Schütting, the16th-century house of the Chamber of Commerce at the market square of Bremen. Almost 100 people attended the festive event.

*back row, from left to right:* Samantha Brandauer (Associate Provost and Executive Director of the CGSE at Dickinson), Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht (Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Bremen), Ulf-Brün Drechsel (President of the Carl Schurz German-American Club), Dr. Harald Wilms (Secretary of the Carl Schurz German-American Club)
*front row, from left to right:* Dr. Janine Ludwig (Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program), Dickinson College President John E. Jones III, Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen), Dr. Mandy Boehnke (University of Bremen Vice President for International Affairs, Academic Qualification, and Diversity), Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg) ©Matej Meza

The evening began with greetings by Eduard Dubbers-Albrecht (Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce Bremen) and Ulf-Brün Drechsel (President of the Carl Schurz German-American Club), followed by welcome addresses delivered by Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen) and Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg).

Then, Dr. Ludwig spoke with President Jones about the new US Administration. At the end of the insightful interview, the guests had the possibility to ask questions to President Jones, and many seized this opportunity.

Dr. Janine Ludwig and President John E. Jones
© Antonia Gabler

The event was concluded with a reception during which students & alumni engaged in stimulating conversations with experienced transatlanticists & representatives and made many new contacts.

The talk was followed by a reception ©Matej Meza

Dickinson College Public Lecture – an event organized by our program, in cooperation with the University of Bremen and its International Office, the Carl Schulz German-American Club, and the Amerikazentrum Hamburg, represented by Sarah Altmann.

40th Anniversary – Monday June 2

Posted on June 23, 2025 by gablera

Monday morning started with a short visit to the Dickinson Room on campus, before President Jones and his wife received a special tour through the Bremen Drop Tower, at Uni Bremen’s ZARM institute.

*back row, from left to right:* Prof. Dr. Marc Avila (Director of ZARM), Dr. Mandy Boehnke (University of Bremen Vice President for International Affairs, Academic Qualification, and Diversity), Dr. Janine Ludwig (Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program)
*front row, from left to right:* Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen), Dickinson College President John E. Jones III, Beth Jones (wife of John E. Jones III)
©Matej Meza

ZARM is an institute within the faculty of Production Engineering, and the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity. More than 100 scientists conduct cutting-edge research using experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to explore fundamental scientific questions as well as to develop innovative technologies for space missions and microgravity experiments.

*Two doctoral students explain their own fascinating innovation, which will hopefully be used in a space mission in 2040.*
©Matej Meza

President Jones asks Prof. Avila about details of ZARM’s contribution to the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA’s mission Hayabusa (2003-2010) which – for the first time in history – retrieved samples from an asteroid.
©Matej Meza

The ZARM Drop Tower enables short-term microgravity experiments. A capsule can be dropped and has a free fall in zero gravity. ZARM cooperates, among others, with NASA. This drop tower is unique in Europe.

*Looking inside the GraviTower Bremen Pro, a completely new type of microgravity laboratory*. ©Matej Meza

Alumni Reception

After a joint lunch at Bellini, it was time to head to the SFG Building on the University Campus, where the Alumni Reception took place.

We welcomed more than 70 people in total: 55 to 60 alumni from Dickinson and the University of Bremen, current Dickinson-in-Germany students, current and former Bremen partners and program officials as well as friends of the program attend the event in person. Several former Dickinson-in-Bremen students traveled to Bremen for the celebrations from other parts of Germany, where they now live; one flew in from the United States.

Alumni, current students, current and former partners and program officials as well as friends of the program attended the event in person. ©Matej Meza

An additional 22 people joined us virtually from around the world and did not let the, in some cases, very early times due to time differences dissuade them from celebrating with us.

We also welcomed many guests of honor: Prof. Jürgen Timm and his wife, former rector of the university, Klaus Wedemeier, former mayor of Bremen, Bill Durden and his wife Elke, former president of Dickinson, and the current president John E. Jones and his wife Beth. Besides, former program directors and coordinators, many teachers of Uni Bremen and from Dickinson’s German Departments, and people involved in the International Office or the Rectorate who have supported the program.

The celebrations started with five short welcome speeches by current and former directors and college/university presidents.

Dr. Janine Ludwig (Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program) ©Matej Meza

Prof. Jürgen Timm (former Rector of the University of Bremen) sporting the T-Shirt from the 10th Anniversary ©Matej Meza

Prof. Rainer Stollmann (former Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program) ©Matej Meza

former Dickinson College President Bill Durden ’71 ©Matej Meza

Dickinson College President John E. Jones III ’77 P’11 ©Matej Meza

Afterwards, we (re)connected and engaged in conversation with alumni who are “live” in Bremen and alumni who joined us virtually. Alumni shared anecdotes and their favorite moments of their time in Bremen or at Dickinson, and we cherished the special moments and life-long connections that were formed during this formative period.

The range of alumni attending the event covered the entire program history, with both the very first student participating in the exchange in 1985 and our current Dickinson-in-Bremen students, as well as the University of Bremen students that have just returned days ago from their exchange year at Dickinson, being present.

Current Dickinson-in-Bremen students and the new Bremen-at-Dickinson students for the upcoming academic year connecting ©Matej Meza

Afterwards, we held our coffee and cake reception outside in the backyard, while we started the virtual screening of our anniversary movie inside and for our guests in the zoom. The approximately 30min long movie presented a beautiful bag of memories with pictures, videos and impressions from student adventures over the years.

During a delicious coffee and cake reception, people (re)connected further, shared their experiences and relived favorite memories from their time in the program. ©Matej Meza

After around three hours we ended our very successful first day of the program anniversary celebrations.

William G. and Elke Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program 40th Anniversary – Sunday June 1

Posted on June 19, 2025 by gablera

From June 1^st until June 4^th the William G. and Elke Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program celebrated its 40^th program anniversary with various events in Bremen, Northern Germany.

Special guests Dickinson College President John E. Jones III ’77 P’11 and his wife Beth Jones P’11 as well as former Dickinson College President Bill Durden ’71 and his wife Elke Durden, after whom the program was renamed in 2014 to honor their tireless support, came to Bremen to take part in the celebrations.

Sunday, June 1

President Jones and his wife spent a day exploring Bremen together with Bill and Elke Durden and Dr. Janine Ludwig, the Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program since 2009.

They strolled through the historic city center and the Schnoor, Bremen’s oldest district with small, colorful houses and narrow alleyways. And, of course, they visited the famous Bremen Town Musicians.

President Jones and his wife Beth with the Bremen Town Musicians, Bremen’s most well-known landmark. Touching the donkey’s shiny front legs or snout is meant to bring good luck. ©Janine Ludwig

In the afternoon, they did a boat tour on the river Weser, which among other things took them next to the site of the former Kellogg’s factory.

Site of the former Kellogg’s factory, the only German production plant of the cereal manufacturer. ©Janine Ludwig

The day was rounded off with a dinner at the “Ratskeller,” a traditional restaurant below the medieval town hall.

6th Dickinson College Public Lecture as part of our 40th Program Anniversary – first impressions

Posted on June 5, 2025 by gablera

40 years of the William G. and Elke Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program

Thank you to all our guests and everyone who took part in the three-day celebrations. We are so grateful for our Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program Community, Friends and Supporters all around the world. ❤️

Janine Ludwig interviewing President John E. Jones III on the new US administration

Dickinson College Public Lecture – an event organized by our program, in cooperation with the University of Bremen, the Carl Schulz German-American Club, and the Amerikazentrum Hamburg. Welcome addresses delivered by Prof. Dr. Jutta Günther (Rector of the University of Bremen) and Jason Chue (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Hamburg).

More will follow soon!

Bremen Study Abroad Program

Dickinson College

Monthly Archives: June 2025