Press releases of Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF)

Challenges to democracy, solidarity, and Europe can be worrisome; yet such moments also reveal the strength of a civil society that remains hopeful and agile. With Europa Week, the university aims to open up a space for constructive discussion. For one week, not only EUF students and staff but also local Flensburg residents are invited to share and reflect on their hopes and fears for Europe, to jointly explore possible paths to action, to strengthen their social cohesion, and to deepen their own understanding of democracy.

The program centers on constructive engagement with current challenges. It offers a range of perspectives, with the emphasis on encouraging personal agency and a hopeful outlook. In addition to numerous smaller events, the university invites Flensburg residents to attend the panel discussion “Between Hope and Fear" on May 6 at 6:00 p.m. in the foyer of the Helsinki building (HEL) on the Flensburg campus. Panelists Professor Dr. Christiane Reinecke, Professor Dr. Matthias Schmelzer, Associate Professor Dr. Tobias Nanz, Professor Dr.Thomas Szanto, and student representatives will take questions from the audience and join forces to identify the options for effective action towards a positive present and future for all members of society.  In the days leading up to the event, members of the university community can take part in a poster campaign to share their fears, hopes, and ideas for shaping the future. The goal is to build a shared pool of ideas for constructive development.

This tenth annual Europa Week is being held in cooperation with the research project Hope and Despair, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The German-Danish project creates cross-border spaces for addressing issues related to WWII. As part of Europa Week, the project has invited author Michael Jensen to give a reading from his crime novel Totenland on May 7 at 7:00 p.m. at the Heinrich Sauermann House on Museumsberg. Jensen’s trilogy weaves historical fact with fiction, always circling around the question: What would I have done?

Wednesday's program will also move out onto the city streets. At 5:00 p.m. on May 7, the university’s Institute for Aesthetic and Cultural Practice will stage a cover performance of Patti Smith’s People Have the Power at Flensburg Harbor (Hafenspitze). Everyone in town is invited to attend. The pro-European performance will spotlight solidarity, tolerance, and the vision of a united Europe.

Europa Week was launched in 2014 by Europa-Universität Flensburg, which offers a wide range of Europe-related research projects, collaborations, partnerships, and programs. The weeklong event foregrounds the university’s identity as a “Europa-Universität” — a university of and for Europe. The full list of events on campus and in the city can be found at: https://www.uni-flensburg.de?56942