On May 15, 2017, the Carl Schurz German-American Club Bremen and Dickinson College invited members of the University of Bremen and citizens to the Fourth Dickinson College Public Lecture on:

“Trumped-up Good Relations? – A Russian Perspective on the USA Today”

with Dr. Irina Filippova

When Donald Trump was elected as the 45^th President of the United States of America on November 8^th, 2016, many were shocked – but others may have harbored faint hopes as well. Since Trump had already announced his intention to improve American relations with the Russian Federation, many Russian citizens might have expected a new thaw between the two nuclear powers. But events and debates in the USA over the last few months have left an ambivalent impression: Amid allegations that Russia attempted to influence the US presidential election, President Trump’s team is also under attack from his own party for its members’ relationships with Russian contacts, and with his recent decision to order an air strike in Syria, Trump appears to be adding to the chill.

All pictures: © private

This raises the question of what Russians think of and expect from the USA right now. And more importantly, will future generations improve relations or further entrench the status quo? Irina Filippova, Director of the Dickinson-in-Russia Program at the Russian State University for the Humanities in Moscow (RGGU), provided us with some answers. She had collected statements from colleagues at the RGGU, from the press, from Muscovites, and from Dickinson students currently studying in Moscow. Rather than presenting a political analysis of what can only be described as an uncertain status quo, she gave us a first-hand insight into public opinion in Russia, and the mindset and sentiments of so-called “ordinary people” there.

First, she offered a brief overview of the checkered history of Russian-American relations from the 16th century to today. It started with a meeting of Russian Tsar Peter the Great and William Penn – the founder of the Pennsylvania Colony – as a first diplomatic meeting of the two countries in 1698. From the selling of Alaska in 1867 to the Russian revolution in 1917, to the Allies in World War II and the enemies of the Cold War to the recent crises in Crimea and the Ukraine, the relations between the countries have overall deteriorated. Today, there seems to be even a reduced ability to understand each other on the lowest levels of political communication, a striking lack of knowledge and amount of miscommunication, even down to the language basis.

Dr. Filippova introduced different Russian polling agencies and showed several polls from October 2016 to April 2017 – that clearly indicated how there were some hopes for an improvement in political relations and some support for Donald Trump, but how those have decreased dramatically within those 6 months. Filippova complemented this development with translated headlines from Russian newspapers and pointed cartoons. She rounded up her findings with statements from knowledgeable academics from RGGU. Her personal poll among Russian students and Muscovites of ages around the 40 showed that, unfortunately, the younger people seemed generally less interested in politics than the older ones and that both groups have come to rather disappointed, pessimistic views on the future relations between the United States and Russia.

However, a final flicker of hope appeared in statements from Dickinson students currently studying in the Moscow program: With remarkable clarity and reflectiveness, they explained how important it is to them, besides all clear differences, to engage in discourse, to be confronted with opposing views from Russian students and to learn about their perspective. Those Dickinson students believe in and prove the importance of intensive study abroad programs as Dickinson offers them – they keep communication alive against all odds and train future competent global citizens who hopefully manage to improve political situations in the future.

See the poster here: Dickinson College Public Lecture 2017 Poster

Neil van Siclen opening the lecture

Janine Ludwig introducing Irina Filippova

Filippova showing newspaper headlines

Celebrating a great lecture

“And they celebrated for three days and three nights.” This is not only typical for fairy-tale endings when the prince and his bride are happily married, but it also happens in the city of the famous “Bremen Town Musicians” when an American college and a German university commemorate 30 years of a wonderful and strong partnership.

In order to duly celebrate the anniversary of their exchange program, Dickinson College sent a delegation to the University of Bremen in early June which included President Nancy Roseman, Vice President Joyce Bylander, Director of Education Abroad Samantha Brandauer as well as Sarah McGaughey and Jerry Philogene, professors of German and American Studies respectively. They were warmly welcomed by their partners at Uni Bremen and by our Bremen Program staff (Academic Director Janine Ludwig and Program Coordinator Verena Mertz) who had organized several festive events in that first week of June.

Signing of the Renewed Cooperation Agreement, June 3rd

President Roseman and Rector Scholz-Reiter (right) © H. Rehling, Uni Bremen

On June 3rd, 2015, Nancy A. Roseman, President of Dickinson College, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Bernd Scholz-Reiter, Rector of the University of Bremen, are happy to sign a renewed cooperation contract that extends the fruitful collaboration for another 5 years into the future.

The Third Dickinson College Public Lecture, June 3rd

In the evening of that day, the third annual Dickinson College Public Lecture was delivered in the prestigious venue “Stadtwaage” to an audience of about 100 attendees from the University and the city of Bremen.

Joyce Bylander (left) and Yasemin Karakaşoğlu © H. Rehling, Uni Bremen

After Rector Scholz-Reiter and President Roseman welcomed the audience, Prof. Dr. Karakaşoğlu, Vice Rector for Intercultural and International Affairs at the University of Bremen, introduced her colleague, VP and Dean of Student Life Joyce Bylander who gave a speech on “Delivering on the Promise of Diversity in Higher Education.” The topic and the lecture strongly resonated with the Bremen audience who participated in a lively discussion after the talk and during the following reception.

Dickinson Graduate Geo Nikolov ‘14, now a Masters student in Málaga, Spain, with an audience question

President Roseman with current Dickinson in Bremen students Ezra, Katie, Cassie, George, Adrienne, Madison, Santiago (fr. top left to down right) as well as Director Ludwig and Coordinator Mertz (far right, 3rd + 2nd row). © Harald Rehling

The Dickinson Lecture is regularly organized by Dr. Janine Ludwig, Academic Director of the Durden Dickinson in Bremen Program, and Neil van Siclen, President of the Carl Schurz German-American Club Bremen (CSDAC).

Former Rector Müller and Pres. Roseman

Fr. left to right: Dr. Janine Ludwig, VP Joyce Bylander, President Nancy Roseman © H. Rehling

Alumni Meeting With Unveiling of “Dickinson Chairs,” June 4th, 2015

Alumni meeting in Bremen. © Harald Rehling, Uni Bremen

Aside from current and former professors and staff who are or were involved in the program, more than 30 former students came from all over Germany and even from other European countries to the alumni meeting on Thursday afternoon. The altogether 60 attendees watched a delightful and funny picture presentation given by Matthias Ziegfeld, the very first Bremen student who studied at Dickinson College in 1984-85.

Vice Rector Karakaşoğlu, President Roseman, Mr. Sodemann from Community e.V., and former Rector Müller (from left to right), unveiling the first “Dickinson Chairs.” © Harald Rehling, Uni Bremen

Later, in the most beautiful sunny weather and over the traditional German “coffee and cake,” they rejoiced in memories of their time at Dickinson and the Uni Bremen. It was amazing to hear from many how the abroad experience has stimulated and influenced their lives. Eventually, the champagne bottles demanded to be opened for the ceremonious unveiling of the first three “Dickinson Chairs.” This Uni Bremen fundraising initiative honors the 30 years of cooperation by setting up Dickinson-like Adirondack Chairs on their campus which are donated by various sponsors. 10 such sponsors – including Pres. Roseman for Dickinson College and former Pres. Durden as well as former Uni Bremen Rector Wilfried Müller – had already pledged a donation before the campaign was even officially launched.

Festive Dinner, June 4th

Front, right: Erika Harjes-Badawi, former head of the IO at Uni Bremen, behind her: professors Hartmut Koehler, Lothar Probst, left: Neil van Siclen, Dickinson students. © Verena Mertz

The day was concluded by a celebratory dinner in the restaurant “Meierei” to which Dickinson College invited so many of the colleagues and friends who have made vital contributions to the program over the last decades.

Other events included a tour through Bremen’s historical center and UNESCO world heritage site, a dinner in the medieval quarter “Schnoor,” a visit to the University of Bremen’s Drop Tower (the laboratory of ZARM and the only laboratory of this kind in Europe). In addition, in many work meetings members of both institutions forged plans for future projects to further intensify this great cooperation.