Class of 2016

The 2nd International IPS Summer School German Politics took place from July 18th to July 26th, 2016 with 26 participants from more than 15 countries all around the world, among them Marocco, Mexico, India, Greece, Italy and China. They learned about about all aspects of German Politics, ranging from contemporary history, political culture, the representative and the legistlative process to German Foreign Policy and Germany and the European Union. During the social programme, the group visited the Residence and the Fortress Marienberg in Würzburg as well as the City of Nuremberg.

Hints for future participants

We asked the participants of the Class of 2016: Do you have any comments or pieces of information that you like to share with future participants? Here are their responses:

I would like to very highly recommend the summer school to all political science/social science students. I came for having an experience of a summer school in German Politics and instead I had one of the most wonderful academic and recreational experiences of my life. Not only the summer school coordinators were very hospitable, welcoming, and friendly, we even were invited to a student association’s BBQ. I hope to see you all in Würzburg again!
It was a unique experience to get to know German politics in depth. The lectures were very interesting and we were informed about current issues from a new perspective.
The live experience of talking to a Mayor and having discussions with experts helped us analyze the problems prevailing or the situation surrounding the city/country in a much better way. Meeting and interacting with people from all over the world gives you a very different experience like knowing about their cultures, their country’s perspective over ongoing issues (for instance, this year the refugee crisis) etc. Staying together for a week or so with different people gives you memories for a lifetime. So the summer school was really amazing!
To be true, I must say that I am totally overwhelmed by this summer school. Living in a fantastic hotel (the best hotel in Würzburg, most probably), having free bus, tram, and food tickets made our week worthwhile. Apart from these things, discussions, trips, and lectures made us see the German political system more closely. Thereafter being a part of international student group – people came from Iran, China, Turkey, Slovakia, Mexico, etc. – not only formed a cool group, but also helped a lot in having good discussions with the arguments from different parts of the world. In one word I would say “superb”.
It was an honor to be a part of this summer school. Hearing about German politics with a group of people with different cultures was an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. My sincere thanks to Mr. Stefan Schwaneck for this wonderful organization. I would also like to thank Mr. Lukas Lemm and Ms. Lisa Vogt for their support and help. Thanks to Dr. Thomas Leuerer for his eye-opening lectures.
I would like to mention and stress that this summer school was great!

The whole summer school was very well organized from the very beginning. There was a right balance between lessons and free time, I feel like I really enjoyed the whole week and it gave me a lot.
I strongly recommend this summer school. Participation fee is relatively low while 5 ECTS credit points are offered. I really appreciate this summer school’s style “work hard and play hard.” Four lectures every weekday with exciting but tiring travel in the weekend from 8 am to 8 pm.
The summer school program on German politics was very informative, interactive, and vivacious. I recommend students all around the world to join, at least once in your lifetime, to get to know people and their perspectives of the world and learn to live or integrate with people from other parts of the globe.

A big thank you for the opportunity to take part in this summer school. Everything was perfectly organized. The speakers were determined to teach us everything possible for the short time they had. The trips were also of joy. Moreover, they also had an important education benefit for me since I learned a lot about the medieval and Nazi periods in Germany. The organizers were always helpful and had a lot of patience and made us feel comfortable. My only suggestion for improvement is that the summer school should be longer, so that there is more time for trips and lectures. Overall, I really enjoyed my stay in Würzburg.
I highly recommend the “Summer School German Politics” to everyone who is interested in current issues on Germany’s political stage and German politics in general. The participants can receive authentic opinions of experts in their fields of interest. Also the city of Würzburg is a nice place to stay and enjoy its historical meaning and rights.
The summer school on “German Politics” held by the University of Würzburg offers a great combination of strong academic profile of the lectures and a comfortable and pleasant stay in the city of Würzburg and its neighborhood. Definitely recommended to anyone who is willing to make his holiday time something special!
Smart thing to do.

You can also download a brief overview over how our guest evaluated their participation in the Summer School German Politics 2016: Download Evaluation 2016