As part of the course "European Art from Renaissance to Present" the CGSP took a trip to Brussels. After a two hour journey with the ICE from Cologne we arrived in Brussels. First we had a guided tour in the "Royal Museum of Fine Arts" about the "Old masters".  Afterwards the students had time to explore the city on theirown.

Despite a delayed arrival due to some major "train trouble", we still spent a great day in Brussels. While we missed our expert-guided-tour at the Parliament, we were able to work out an alternative program. After treating ourselves to some famous Belgian Fries, we enjoyed multimedia-guided tours of the House of European History and/or the Parliament. After that we still had enough time left to stroll through the historic streets of downtown Brussels. 

The course "Intercultural Issues in Academia" did an excursion to one of the smaller Christmas Markets in town. The destination was the very special Christmas Market at "Herbrand´s" in Ehrenfeld, which is combining the traditional German atmosphere of a Christmas Market with international contributions. Besides Glühwein and Bratwurst, they offered numerous other delicacies from all over the world. Another highlight was the live performance by a Kölsch band. 

Students from the US, Japan, Canada, Russia, Brazil, Italy and Bulgaria jointly attempted to master the German style of Bowling. Along with some snacks and great chats we enjoyed a very fun evening!

Students enjoyed a view behind the scenes of the German radio station "Deutsche Welle" in Bonn. 

Students of the course "Back to the Future. The 1970´s - When Globalization Hit Europe" had the chance to visit the Synagogue of Cologne and learn about its past and present. 

A huge thank you to all who participated in our first excursion of the new semester! Our trip to the Haus der Geschichte in Bonn was fun and informative from beginning to end, in addition to being a perfect opportunity to get to know one another. After touring the museum together, it was wonderful to hear everyone’s personal association with specific elements of German history. We are looking forward to seeing everyone again at our next get-together in December. Until then, enjoy the photos from Bonn and have a great start in the new semester!

What better way to study for the upcoming exams than to experience that which you’ve learned hands on? This is exactly what students of Mr. Haas’ “Introduction to European Development, Policy, Discourse, and Practice” course were invited to do on Monday in an engaging and delightful class excursion to Bonn.

The morning was spent touring the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, a cabinet-level ministry encouraging economic development within Germany and in other countries through international cooperation and partnerships. Located in the former German Chancellery, students also enjoyed the opportunity to visit the former cabinet hall, where some of the most important decisions in Germany were made until the late 90s. Afterwards there was a visit to Engagement Global, a non-profit organization that operates as a service for development initiatives. Here students experienced first hand the importance of such initiatives through interactive activities and games. The final stop of the day, the UN campus in Bonn, was also certainly one to remember. After a lecture about current UN ventures in Bonn, students were invited to the 29th floor of the famous “Langer Eugen” UN facility for an expansive view of the entire city. All in all, it was a thought-provoking, insightful, and worthwhile day spent in Germany’s former capital city!
 

A fun and informative visit to the capital of Europe! The summer 2019 trip to Brussels included a visit to the House of European History, a snack in the city, as well as time to explore, all accompanied by great weather! Here are a few photos to share some impressions from the excursion.