Europa-Universität Flensburg Paves the Way for Closer Collaboration with the University of Cambridge
Europa-Universität Flensburg seeks to deepen its collaboration with the University of Cambridge. At an international conference in Cambridge, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Glassmann, Vice President for Europe and International Affairs, and Dr. Vittorio Montemaggi, Director of the Von Hügel Institute, discussed potential forms of institutional collaboration with the leadership of the Wasatia Graduate School, including Prof. Dr. Ralf Wüstenberg, Dr. Zeina Barakat, and Prof. Dr. Udo Steinbach (Maecenata Foundation).
Research collaboration on issues of justice and reconciliation
"The primary focus is on research collaboration regarding justice and reconciliation, political ethics, and interreligious dialogue as represented by the European Wasatia Graduate School for Peace and Conflict Resolution," noted Glassmann after the conference, which took place from September 5-8 at the Von Hügel Institute (VHI) of the University of Cambridge's St Edmund’s College in partnership with the European Wasatia Graduate School of EUF. "With Prof. Dr. Ralf Wüstenberg, we have a renowned scholar and Senior Research Associate at the Von Hügel Institute of the University of Cambridge," he added. "He boasts extensive contacts and a robust research network. We are keen on expanding this collaboration institutionally."
An open form of exchange between Flensburg and Cambridge
Central to their vision is to offer researchers, especially early-stage academics, opportunities for interdisciplinary exchange on their respective research projects across both institutions. For instance, Ph.D. candidates could use their time either at EUF or St Edmund’s College to connect with international experts in their fields. The objective is to foster an open form of interaction, enabling scholars to delve deeper into their research areas in a conducive academic environment without rigid disciplinary constraints.
International conference "Conflict Resolution and Interreligious Encounter"
A case in point was the very conference that occasioned the vice president's visit. Ph.D. students from the Wasatia Doctoral Program at EUF attended the "Conflict Resolution and Interreligious Encounter" conference at St Edmund’s College's Von Hügel Institute (VHI). Supported by BMBF and in cooperation with the Maecenata Foundation, this doctoral program brings together Israeli, Palestinian, Albanian, Irish, and German doctoral students, as well as EUF professors. In Cambridge, they exchanged views on religion and conflict issues with Jewish, Muslim, and Christian professors from the Divinity Faculty. "The focal point was the theme of interreligious tolerance, emphasized by Cambridge's preferred dialogue model of scriptural reasoning. The aim of this model is to methodically train participants in empathetic interpretation of the three holy scriptures: Hebrew Bible, Quran, and New Testament," explained Dr. Zeina Barakat, co-organizer of the conference.
