Graz International Summer School to Deepen the Understanding of European and International Affairs, July 2-15 2017, Austria

Publish Date: Nov 25, 2016

Deadline: Feb 27, 2017

Event Dates: from Jul 02, 2017 12:00 to Jul 15, 2017 12:00

About

The Graz International Summer School Seggau is designed for internationally oriented, highly motivated students from all disciplines, who wish to deepen their understanding of current European and international affairs by studying and discussing global developments and challenges within the context of transformation processes and demographic change reflecting aspects of individual, social, political, religious, cultural, literary, regional, economic, cohort and national identities.

6 Good reasons To Apply

  • 2-week summer university with a campus atmosphere at Seggau Castle
  • 6 ECTS credits (for participation and seminar paper)
  • Lectures, panel discussions and 7 parallel seminar modules (small groups)
  • Discussions and networking opportunities with international lecturers and guests
  • All-inclusive-package (tuition, meals, accommodation, extra-curricular program and field trips)
  • Develop skills in Public Speaking, Academic Writing, and Critical Thinking

General Information

Radical Definitions: State – Society – Religion

Definitions of concepts such as state, society, and religion have been non-contested pillars of the “European project” with its optimism and belief that the challenges of our times can be met with a self-confident declaration of common values. However, contention concerning the European project with its goal of stronger and cohesive economies, politically stable institutions, and multicultural societies supportive of religious expressions and generally resistant to exclusion, has diminished the faith in common European values.

Instead of cohesion and communality, a re-negotiation of definitions of state, society, and religion is taking place, sometimes simply by popular vote and political maneuvering, as the Brexit example shows. Feelings of fatigue, despondency, and resignation have replaced the upbeat definition of Europe, and consequently put into question the very foundations of the European Union. Instead of greater economic, political integration, and open border policies, individual states are reclaiming the rhetoric of national identity and national self-interest.

Faced with unprecedented demographic changes and national and international challenges, political decisions need to be based on radical definitions in order to accept the responsibility of the power to describe, explain, and understand the ambivalences of the terms used. The topic of “State – Society – Religion” in juxtaposition with radical definitions thus offers an in-depth analysis in a world of vagueness and babble, and validates intellectual endeavors as a radical commitment to academic and political engagement. This engagement is, however, not abstract, but very concrete in its re-definition of state, society, and religion. Such negotiations lead to an understanding of the dynamics and structures that govern our societies and us as individuals. Facts and figures are then comprehended as cultural representations of material and social realities.

The radical nature of these definitions lies in the fact that the summer school will provide more questions than answers, and will allow us to investigate the different approaches to the definitions of state, society, and religion and their interconnectedness. Focusing on the emphasis areas of the University of Graz – South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America – this will provide a basis for an interdisciplinary analysis in terms of opportunities provided and challenges we have been facing in the past, preparing us for the present and future.

Target Group

The Graz International Summer School Seggau is designed for internationally oriented, highly motivated students from all disciplines, who wish to deepen their understanding of current European and international affairs by studying and discussing global developments and challenges within the context of transformation processes and demographic change reflecting aspects of individual, social, political, religious, cultural, literary, regional, economic, cohort and national identities.

Project Organisation

The University of Graz organizes the summer school in cooperation with the Commission of the Bishops‘ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and the Diocese Graz-Seckau. The Office of International Relations of the University of Graz acts as the coordinating unit. Prof. Roberta Maierhofer (Center for Inter-American Studies) is the academic director.

Summer School Director: Roberta Maierhofer, Center for Inter-American Studies

Representative of the Diocese Graz-Seckau: Peter Rosegger
Representative of the Comece: Michael Kuhn
Contact at the University of Graz: Eva-Maria Trinkaus and Ulrike Grassberger (teachers and students)

Aims And Objectives

  • Interdisciplinary co-operation of teachers and students on the cultural, intellectual and historical dimensions of current European and International affairs in view of their positioning in a globalized world.
  • Presentation in research and teaching of focus areas of the University of Graz – South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America.
  • Development and education of young leaders of tomorrow in the fields of politics, administration, business, science, culture and religion.

Venue

The venue of the summer school is ‘Seggau Castle’ located 45 km south of Graz, Austria.

How The Summer School Works

Students will deal with the relevance and effect on global affairs of Europe/EU (emphasis on South Eastern Europe) and beyond by attending the offered morning and evening lectures, panel discussions, and participating in one of the following seminar modules in the afternoon:

  • Seminar 01 - Politics & Law
  • Seminar 02 - Media, Society & Culture
  • Seminar 03 - Economics and Ethics
  • Seminar 04 - Narratives of State, Society, and Religion
  • Seminar 05 - Aging, Communication, and Technology

Activities/Excursion

Besides the morning lectures and the seminars in the afternoon, students will go on a one-day excursion to Graz, the capital of the province of Styria. This one-day trip to Graz will include a visit to the University of Graz, a reception at the City Hall, as well as, a guided city tour. Students will also have time to stroll around and explore the unique city of Graz by themselves. More information will be provided during the first week of the summer school.

There will also be an optional excursion to Maribor, another European Cultural Capital, and the second biggest city of Slovenia, where students will have the chance to get in touch with local students and professors for a mutual exchange. The Maribor excursion is an additional program point, organized by the GUSEGG Team, but fees are not covered for this excursion.

There is an outdoor swimming pool at the venue; you can also play volleyball or football at the green, or play table tennis. Furthermore, we will organize movie nights, a karaoke evening and you will have a wine tasting at the Seggau Castle, which is famous for its excellent local wine. You may also want to walk down to the city of “Leibnitz”, about a quarter of an hour per foot from Seggau Castle.

Certificate/ECTS

Participants will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the summer school. Please note that this only confirms the participation and cannot be used for credit transfer.

Students who wish to receive the 6 ECTS credits are required to participate in the full program AND to write a seminar paper. Instructions about the procedure will be distributed throughout the course of the summer school. Once students have received a positive grade, transcripts will be sent to them. These transcripts can be used to obtain credit at the home institution.

Application

Application Process

If you want to apply for the Graz International Summer School Seggau 2017 "Radical Definitions: State-Society-Religion", please follow the instructions below step by step.

Request Access Code/Link To The Application Database Via E-Mail

You need to register with the Summer School organizers first. For that purpose please send an email to gusegg(at)uni-graz.at containing:

  • your primary email address you check on a regular basis,
  • your full name (first and last name),
  • full name and address of your home university in the original language AND in English.

Fill In The Online Application Form

Once we have received all the necessary information from you (requested in step one above), we will then send you a link and an access code to the database where you have to fill in the application form (for further details, please see the guide:  "How to complete the online registration" accessible via original web page). The online application will open at the end of November, 2016. Since you have to provide numerous documents (please see step 3 below) you can start collecting them.

Print The Application Form, Enclose The Required Documents And Send Us Your Application By Post

You need to print the application form (the result of step 2 above) and enclose it to all your other documents (required documents: see the list below) and send it by post to our office.

Please Note: Students who wish to apply for the Graz International Summer School Seggau 2017 are required to send the following documents in English or German. Diplomas and transcripts in any language other than German or English have to be accompanied by a translation validated by the home university.

Please include the following documents in your application (Please DO NOT staple any of these documents together):

  • 1 original of the completed Online Application Form (printout from the data-base - automatically generated PDF)
  • 1 original and one copy of your proof of enrollment at your home university
  • 1 copy of your Diploma(s) and/or Transcript(s) from your university:
    - undergraduate students: transcripts of all bachelor’s courses completed so far;
    - graduate students: bachelor’s diploma, transcripts of both bachelor’s and master’s courses completed so far, confirmation from the admissions office of your home university that you are currently enrolled on master level or fulfil all requirements to be enrolled on master level
    - post-graduate students: bachelor’s and master’s diploma as well as transcripts of bachelor’s and master’s program and transcript of all doctoral courses completed so far; confirmation from the admissions office of your home university that you are currently enrolled on doctoral level or fulfil all requirements to be enrolled on doctoral level
  • 1 copy of your Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • A short essay (about one page, written by yourself) on your motivation to attend Graz International Summer School Seggau 2017 and why the topic of the lectures and the seminar model is of interest to you. Please also state, why you want to attend the seminar of your choice.
  • 2 original letters of recommendation which have to be written AND signed by different university teachers (you have to send the original of these letters! No copies and no letters via email!)
  • 1 copy of the relevant pages of your passport (page with picture and data and pages with valid visa, if you already have one)

Your application will NOT be considered unless you send all required documents (see above)! Please state your valid and current email address and telephone number since the organizing office will confirm the receipt of every single application. Do NOT send the application form or any of the documents via email!

Applications will NOT BE ACCEPTED via email! Incomplete applications WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED, so make sure you have filled in the forms correctly and attached all the necessary documents (see above)!

Deadline

  • Deadline: February 28th, 2017 (RECEIVING DATE!)

Applications have to be received by February 28th, 2017. Make sure your application arrives in time at our office. Applications received after this deadline will not be accepted!!

Selection

Students will be informed about the selection until end of March 2017.

We will inform you directly via email - so please make sure you state your correct email address in the application form!

Fees And Payment

Fees

The total student participation fee is € 1.500,00 covering course costs, tuition, room & board (double or triple rooms, 3 meals per day) for the entire two weeks, and the excursion to Graz. Please check the list below as various scholarship schemes are available that you might qualify for. Even though you might not have the financial means to participate, do not hesitate to apply! Funding and scholarships will be available!

There are special arrangements for students

  • from the following CEEPUS Partner Institutions in the Network CIII-AT-0503-03-1617 Inter-American Studies: University of Veliko Tarnovo, Plovdiv University, Palacky University, University of Zagreb, University of Pecs, Karoli Gaspar University of the Reformed Church, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, University of Belgrade, Comenius University in Bratislava, University of Novi Sad, University of Ljubljana. (contact your local CEEPUS coordinator or Xaver Hergenröther xaver.hergenroether(at)uni-graz.at)
  • from the following CEEPUS Partner Countries FREEMOVER applications are possible: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo
  • from the University of Graz (including Uni Graz Erasmus students in the summer term of 2017)  --> Participation fee: € 500,00

The University of Graz offers a further scholarship for academic excellence, that certain students might qualify for.
--> Participation fee: € 700,00

Please note that if your home institution/country is mentioned in more than one scholarship scheme, you can still only be awarded one of the scholarships (the higher one, you pay less). No double funding is available.

We are constantly working on finding funds for future participants. Information about scholarship schemes will be updated regularly.

Payments

After the selection process, accepted students will receive further information regarding payment (bank account number etc.) via email. Bank transactions have to be completed by April 10th, 2017! Under no circumstances will students be admitted to the program if the tuition fee has not been paid in full.

Please keep in mind that in case of international money transfers banks may charge service fees which have to be covered in full by the students. The University of Graz will not assume any charges for students’ money transfers and the summer school fee has to be received in full.

For more information please click on "Further official information" below.


This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:

http://international.uni-graz.at/en/stud/int-focus/summerschools/gusegg-summerschool/

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Disciplines

European Studies

Humanities

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Social Sciences

Eligible Countries

International

Host Countries

Austria

Event Types

Seminars