In three further lectures as part of the Studium Generale programme, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is addressing the current debate on refugees in Europe
Kleve/Kamp-Lintfort, 18 November 2015: As part of the Studium Generale’s supplementary programme, Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences is addressing the current refugee situation with three additional lectures. The special lecture series begins on 23 November 2015 in Kleve with a presentation by Prof. Dr Alexander Brand on the portrayal of the refugee situation in the media. On 26 November 2015 in Kamp-Lintfort, Prof. Dr Klaus Hegemann will explore the question: ‘Economic refugee or war refugee?’. Finally, the lecture by Prof. Dr Dani Kranz on 7 December 2015 will focus on people immigrating to Germany from Israel.
Of floods, overcrowded boats and strained solidarity: How the media report on refugees
‘On waves of refugees, overcrowded boats and strained solidarity: How the media report on refugees’ is the first lecture in the Studium Generale Special series by Prof. Dr Alexander Brand, Professor of Political Science specialising in International Relations at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, on Monday 23 November 2015 at 6.00 pm on the Kleve campus of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Marie-Curie-Str. 1, in the Lecture Theatre Centre (Building 1), 1st floor, Room 01 01 006,
How do the media report on the topics of ‘flight’ and ‘refugees as active agents’? What descriptions and metaphors do they use, and why? Do certain images (floods, streams, overcrowded boats, etc.) have an impact? Which takes the lead: media coverage, political public relations or public opinion? These and other questions will be explored in Prof. Brand’s lecture, with a view to critically examining our thinking on flight and refugees. Rather than singling out ‘the’ media as scapegoats or attributing blame to them for this or that public sentiment, the aim is, amongst other things, to demonstrate what media coverage and the perspectives it adopts teach us about ourselves and our perceptions. The lecture draws on key findings from studies in communication and media studies. However, the focus is on current debates and controversies surrounding the reporting on refugees in Germany and Europe.
Economic refugee or war refugee – prosperity and growth against a backdrop of fairness and justice
‘Economic refugee or war refugee?’ is a distinction often cited, which Prof. Dr Klaus Hegemann, Professor of General Business Administration at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, will discuss on Thursday, 26 November 2015 at 6.00 pm on the Kamp-Lintfort campus of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Building 1, ground floor, Room 215, Friedrich-Heinrich-Allee 25 in Kamp-Lintfort.
The lecture is part of the Studium Generale special series on the current refugee debate. “Help for war refugees? Of course – but please, a swift rejection of economic migrants?” Economic migrants are rapidly becoming the “scapegoats of the asylum debate” (FAZ, 8 September 2015). But what is the difference between these refugees, and why does public acceptance vary so greatly? Terms need to be clarified – what constitutes war, including from the perspective of peace research – and what are the causes and
motives for fleeing? Finally, building on this, we shall critically examine the extent to which the question of distinction is justified, or whether a debate on prosperity and growth should be held first.
Towards New Horizons – Israeli Immigrants in Germany
The lecture ‘Towards new horizons – Israeli immigrants in Germany’ by sociologist Prof. Dr Dani Kranz, Professor of Sociology and Methods of Empirical Social Research at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, focuses on Israeli immigrants in Germany. on Monday, 7 December 2015 at 6.00 pm on the Kleve campus of Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Marie-Curie-Str. 1, in the Lecture Theatre Centre (Building 1), 1st floor, Room 01 01 006.
In her lecture ‘Towards New Horizons – Israeli Immigrants in Germany’, Prof. Dr Dani Kranz, Professor of Sociology and Empirical Methods, examines a rather unexpected migration phenomenon. In her lecture, she explores the question of what motivates Israeli citizens to immigrate to Germany. Are these people who, for example, set up a start-up in Germany and are reorienting their careers, or are they Israeli citizens seeking political distance from their homeland? Prof. Kranz lives, works and conducts research in Germany and Israel. Her research focuses, amongst other things, on migration, Israeli studies and the politics of memory. Specifically, she examines the migration of Israeli Jews to Germany, the migration of non-Jews from the Global North to Israel, and the fields of labour market and migration policy.
The lectures in the Studium Generale programme at Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences are free of charge for members of the public.
