Wind & Transience: Music to lyrics by Thomas Bernhard
in cooperation with the Austrian Cultural Forum
Invitation (PDF)
Decarbonization Stratgies in Germany and Israel
in cooperation with the Heinrich Boell Foundation Israel
The Conference on Decarbonization in Germany and Israel – first one of its kind at the University of Haifa and the biggest Conference held by the Institute until now – was organized by the Haifa Center for German and European Studies after being initiated by Jozsef Kadar, PhD Candidate at the Institute. The result was an international, academic conference, which included a welcome, three panels as well as a lunch reception. After the lunch reception, the welcome speeches were held by Dr. Anna Janus (Head of the Economic Department at the German Embassy), Dr. Steffen Hagemann (Head of Office at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Israel), Katharina Konarek (HCGES University of Haifa) and Prof. Benjamin Bental (HCGES, University of Haifa). The broad spectrum of introduction speeches allowed a first insight into the topic of Decarbonization in Germany and Israel.
Following these opening remarks, the first panel was held on the topic of “Climate change and society”. The panelists included Prof. Sabine von Mering (Brandeis University), Dr. Amit Tubi (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem) and József Kádár (HCGES). It was chaired by Prof. Deborah Shmueli (University of Haifa). Regarding the climate change and its relation to the society Prof. Sabine von Mering emphasized the discrepancy between what the government does, what scientists recommend and what people want. Dr. Amit Tubi talked about how to maximize synergies and minimize tradeoffs while developing points on how to get a national climate strategy despite all discrepancies. József Kádár also stressed the collaboration of the civil society and the government and how those two have to act together to reach the global goal of 1.5 degree.
The second panel discussed concrete decarbonization strategies in Germany and Israel and was chaired by Prof. Benjamin Bental. The two Panelists were Omer Tamir (EcoTraders, Israel) and Dr. Heiko Thomas (Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies, Germany). While Omer Tamir covered the strategies in Israel, Heiko Thomas concentrated on strategies in Germany. Omer Tamir saw the solution of the problem to develop congruent national strategies in the proper development of urban areas. He especially trusted on the voice of young people to get to a point where government and citizenry reinforce one another. Followed by a question round the conference held a coffee break to discuss the first inputs.
Hereafter, the third and last panel allowed an insight on the future and therefore discussed “Decarbonization Strategies for the 21st Century”. The panelists included Gil Proaktor (Ministry of Environmental Protection), Dr. David Dunetz (Heschel Center for Sustainablity) and Diana Suesser (Israel Public Policy Institute and Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies). It was chaired by Katharina Konarek (HCGES). Gil Proaktor concentrated on the Strategy of the Ministry itself. Dr. David Dunetz then emphasized that all future plans regarding decarbonization have to follow a just and equal transmission – because at last everyone is affected, and that´s why not only experts should negotiate this topic. Last but not least Diana Suesser discussed her own research on this topic and therefore presented a comparative view on Germany and Israel regarding future trends. After a last discussion and question round the conference was closed.
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Conference Program (PDF)
Populism
- The Status of Liberal Democracy in Comperative Perspective
Public Lecture Series
Dr. Stijin van Kessel - Populism in Europe- An Introduction to a Contentious Theme
July 4, 18:30-19:30, Lorry Lokey City Campus, HaNamal 16, University of Haifa
Prof. Krzysztof Ruchniewicz - Die Debatte in Polen ueber das Gesetz zu Holocaust-Aussagen und die Reparationen
July 7, 18:00-19:00, Lorry Lokey City Campus, HaNamal 16, University of Haifa
Dr. Astrid Seville - The Challenge of Populism - Liberal Democracy in Self-Defence
July 8, 18:30-19:30, Lorry Lokey City Campus, HaNamal 16, University of Haifa
International Conference - Social Solidarity in the European Union?
Addressing the Challenges of Populism
June 13, 14:30-18:30, Campus HaNamal, Room 63, University of Haifa
POSTER
German Movie Evening
May 28, 17.00-19:30, Library Auditorium, University of Haifa
We will watch the movie "Almanya" in German with English subtitles.
Admission is free.
POSTER
European Parliament Elections - Discussion and live stream of the election results
May 26, 19:00-22:00, Teapool Cafe, Masada Street 1, Haifa
German Movie Evening
April 30, 17.30-20:00, Library Auditorium, University of Haifa
We will watch the movie "Friendship!" in German with English subtitles.
Admission is free.
POSTER
German Movie Day
April 10, 17:00-20:00, Library Auditorium, University of Haifa
We will watch the movie "Emil und die Detektive" in German with English subtitles.
Admission is free.
POSTER
International Conference: Perspectives on Terrorism and Migration in Germany, Europe and Israel: From Discourse to Policy
Haifa, March 24, 13:30-18:30, Ofer Observatory, Eshkol Tower, University of Haifa
Jerusalem, March 25-26, whole day, Mount Scopus
PROGRAM
Watch the conference on youtube
International Conference: Religion and Politics in Contemporary Society
October 17 and 18, 2018 - University of Haifa
Contemporary Societies all over the world are currently witnessing the reemergence of religious actors, claims and slogans into the political and social sphere. Together with Prof. Regina Pollack from the University of Vienna and Prof. Daniel Statman, the HCGES is organizing a two days international conference discussing the rise of religion and religious self-identification in contemporary societies.
POSTER
PROGRAM
International Conference: The Bicentennial of Marx´s Birth
May 23th and 24th, 2018 - University of Haifa
Euope Day 2018
International Conference on "Parallel Societies" in multi-ethnic and multi-identitarian societies-
Living together, living apart in Germany, Europe and Israel
May 9th-10th, 2018 - Safdie Auditorium, Multi-Purpose-Building, University of Haifa
From May 9-10, 2018, a conference on the term and issues of „Parallel Societies“, hosted by Prof. Stefan Ihrig from the HCGES and Prof. Ton Nijhuis from the Duitsland Instituut Amsterdam, took place at the Safdie Auditorium at the University of Haifa. The conference included lectures by well-established Israeli and European social scientists as well as by DAAD Young Researchers from Europe and the United States. In addition to this, DAAD Young Researchers from all over the world had the opportunity to participate in the conference by introducing their research issues in form of posters and to discuss and get into contact with Israeli and European professors and lecturers.
Exhibition: The Legal Treatment of Nazi Crimes in Hessen during Post War
Opening: Thursday, 2nd of November 2017, infront of the Hecht Museum
Movie Screeing of "Watani - My Homeland"
Thursday, 25th of May, 2017, Dormitory Club, University of Haifa, 17:30-19:00
As part of "The Global Refugee Crisis: What is at Stake?" seminar there will be a movie screening of "Watani - My Homeland". You can find more information here.
Seminar with Dr. Khalid Ghanayim
Topic: Honor Killings in the Arab Society and Culture in Israel
Date: 25th of May, 2017
Time: 16:00 - 18:00
Venue: Ofer Observatory, Eshkol Tower, University of Haifa
Lanugage: Hebrew
Block seminar with Prof. Dr. Robert Kappel
2 credits (6 meetings of 4 hours each) - Dates: June 02/06, 07/06, 09/6, 14/6, 16/6, 21/6.
Content: Global Power Shifts and the New Global World Order
You can find more information about Prof. Dr. Robert Kappel here.
Registration through: Adi Vexler (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.)
The Global Refugee Crisis: What is at Stake?
Joint block seminar - The Haifa Center for German and European Studies - CGES Berkeley
Dates:
Friday: May 12th 08:30 - 19:00
Sunday: May 14th, 21th, 28th 16:00 - 20:00
Wednesday: May 17th, 24th 09:00 - 20:00
including 3 field trips to Tel Aviv, Holot and Majd Al Shams
The course will survey the most salient issues presented by the current refugee crisis, providing an overview of the global crisis, the crisis from the perspective of the refugees themselves, the impact of the crisis in Israel, Europe, and Germany, causes of the global surge in refugees today, a case study of conflict in Syria, and potential solutions to the crisis as a whole. The course will be taught by Prof. Beverley Crawford Ames (UC Berkeley), teaching assistant Katharina Konarek (University of Haifa) and a number of special guest lecturers.
You can find more information and a program here as wel as a short summary.
International Conference:
Janurary 12 - 13, 2017 • University of Haifa
Program schedule (pdf)
Follow the conference through twitter
More information here
See also an article about the conference on "FES connect" and a summarizing publication by Dr. Alfred Pfaller: "A road-map to a Good Society"
Conferences Academic Year 2015/2016
June 21 - 22, 2016, • University of Haifa
June 9, 2016 • Library Auditorium
With this exhibition at the University of Haifa, the Haifa Center for German and European Studies (HCGES) in cooperation with the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Israel honored the legacy of the statesman Konrad Adenauer and his utmost importance on German national and on the international level. But most of all, it emphasized the first Federal Chancellor’s role for the development of the “wonder”-ful partnership between Germany and Israel today. The exhibition has been shown at the University of Haifa during the entire academic year 2015-2016 and was closed on the occasion of the visit and in the presence of the German Ambassador to Israel Dr. Clemens von Goetze.
International Conference: A Player or just a Payer? The work of the German political foundations abroad
June 1 - 3, 2016 • Ruhr University of Bochum, Germany
At the beginning of June 2016, the HCGES in cooperation with the Bucerius Institute and the Ruhr University of Bochum supported the international conference dealing with “A Player and not just a Payer?” The Work of German Political Foundations abroad with a special focus in Israel and the Palestinian Territories. This conference was held in Bochum (Germany) and conducted by our PhD student Katharina Konarek. It dealt with the questions: What role do the German political foundations play in the international arena? What impact do they have on the German foreign policy? Are they think tanks, independent political actors or an instrument of the foreign office? How do they influence the political landscape in the countries they are working in? How did and do they influence the development of German-Israeli relations? Israeli, German and Palestinian academics and experts from the field discussed these questions intensely. The main contributions will be published in a conference volume.
With the following link you have access to the conference report:
„A Player and not just a Payer?“Photos
Homepage of the conference
Prof. Dietmar Goltschnigg: Karl Kraus im Urteil literarischer und publizistischer Kritik
May 25, 2016 • Rishoney HaCarmel Home, Mapu 5, Haifa

Karl Kraus im Urteil literarischer und publizistischer Kritik" by Dietmar Goltschnigg is a scholarly publication that documents the broad and diverse resonance of the eloquent satirist Kraus from the beginning to the contemporary era. The lecture of Prof. Dietmar Goltschnigg in German language took place in Haifa and was a cooperation between the Haifa Center for German and European Studies, the Austrian Cultural Forum, the Bucerius Institute, the Central Committee for Jews from Austria in Israel and the Association of Israelis from Central European origin.
International Conference: The 100-Year Anniversary of Skyes-Picot Agreement. Centenary refletioncs and contemporary relevance
May 18 - 19, 2016 • University of Haifa
Conference Program (in English)
Conference Program (in Hebrew)
Workshop: "New Gatekeeper in a Globalized World? The Israel Transparency Bill"
March 16, 2016 • Dormitory Club
Minister of Justice Ayelet Shaked of the Jewish Home Party scored a personal and electoral victory when she released what she calls the "Transparency Law," a proposed piece of legislation intended to require Israeli nongovernmental organizations to reveal to the public whether they receive financial support from foreign states. It was hardly by chance that Shaked chose to include the word “transparency” when coming up with a name for her new law. Borrowed from the social protest movement, the term has the positive connotation of orderly government among the public. The workshop aimed at discussing different aspects and viewpoints regarding legal and political aspects of international organization supporting Israeli NGOs.
Visit of Scholarship Holders of the Hans-Böckler-Foundation, Germany
March 16, 2016 • University of Haifa
The scholarship holders attended the workshop “New Gatekeeper in a Globalized World? The Israeli Transparency Bill”, and had a campus tour to receive a global overview about the academic life at the University of Haifa. Katharina Konarek (HCGES) held an information session and informed about study possibilities, internships and the HCGES activities. Besides, the students met with Rakefet Rosental and scholarship holders of the Jewish-Arab-Center. The visit ended with a small briefing about the economic relations between Israel, Germany and the Palestinian Territories.
Dr. Herbert Lappe: "The Holocaust Remembrance in East Germany"
March 15, 2016 • Senate Room, Eshkol Tower, Floor 29th
The memory of the holocaust in the GDR had been inconsistent: On one hand it was well known, on the other hand people knew nearly nothing about Jews, their history in Germany and the background of antisemitism. Furthermore, most Germans were victimized in terms of the Nazi regime. First the lecture showed the visible dealing with the holocaust and the less obvious gaps. Afterwards, these phenomena were explained, considering the “anti-fascist state” and its dictatorship. At the end the lecture presented activities of remembering the holocaust that were not connected of the Communist Party and the government.
Workshop: German History and Culture
January 25, 2016 • University of Haifa
The annual workshop of young researchers in the field of German history and culture has taken place at the HCGES this year. This annual workshop offers young Israeli M.A. or PhD students the opportunity to present their research to a small academic community and to receive feedback on their work. The HCGES is conducting the workshop together with six other institutions: the Bucerius Institute (University of Haifa), the Center for German Studies (The Hebrew University of Jerusalem), the Leo Beck Institute (Jerusalem, the Minerva Institute, the Koebner Center and the Franz Rosenzweig Center (all: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem).
Movie: Firelines
January 19, 2016 • University of Haifa
The event took place in cooperation with the Dean of students.
Seminar: Bildung und Friedenspädagogik in Israel (General education and peace education in Israel)
15th -16th January 2016 • University of Haifa
Workshop: Syrian Refugees in Europe. Causes and Consequences of a Foretold Crises
January 12, 2016 • Eshkol Tower Floor 29, Senate Room
Panel 1: Failed Conflict Prevention? Causes and Develompents in Syrian Civil War
Panel 2: Seeking refuge in Europe - Law and Transition
Panel 3: Long Term Perspectives on the Crises
DAAD Graduate Workshop: German and European Studies as Area Studies – an Academic Discipline
December 13 - 19, 2015 • University of Haifa
International Conference: The Relevance of Regions and Area Studies in a Globalized World
December 14 - 16, 2015 • The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The HCGES was a partner in convening an international conference, which took place in Jerusalem. Active participants from the HCGES included Prof. Eli Salzberger, Dr. Ayelet Banai, Katharina Konarek and the M.A. Students of the Center together with the participants of the DAAD graduate workshop, which took place in Haifa subsequently.
Visit of the “Pressenetzwerk für Jugendthemen”, Germany
November 18, 2015 • University of Haifa
Visit of the “Jusos”/ young socialists of the German socialist party (SPD), South Hesse
November 13, 2015 • University of Haifa
Minister Wolfgang Tiefensee: Regional Identities in a Digital, Globalized Society
October 27 • Room 3021, Law Faculty

Visit of the “Juso” Bundesvorstand / leading committee of the young socialists of the German Socialist Party (SPD) in Germany
October 27, 2015• University of Haifa
Opening Konrad-Adenauer-Exhibition
In the framework of the 50th Anniversary of German-Israeli Diplomati
