Germany

WHY STUDY INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS IN GERMANY?

As you travel throughout Germany and across national borders, you will spend time in cities such as Berlin, Brussels, and Luxembourg. Your Experiment group will arrive in Frankfurt, a global hub for commerce, culture, and education.

Discover western Germany through a 10-day homestay, where you’ll participate in everyday life and attend school with local students.

Journey to Luxembourg, set at the ‘border triangle’ of Germany, France, and Luxembourg, to see where the Schengen Agreement was signed. Then continue to Brussels, Belgium, the seat of the Nobel Peace Prize–winning European Union (E.U.), where you will visit the European Commission and explore the E.U.’s institutional structure.

Your program will wrap up in Berlin, Germany’s capital and bustling cultural center. You will begin with a tour of the city’s important sites, including the Bundestag (Germany’s parliament). You’ll also attend a workshop on the structure of the E.U., including governance policies and processes.

LEARN BY DOING

The Experiment’s programs are designed to build skills that will help you succeed. In Germany, you will learn:

TECHNICAL SKILLS

• German language and history
• Knowledge of how European Union institutions and governance structures, and awareness of EU challenges and policy issues
• Competence in international relations concepts  
• Networking with diverse stakeholders (e.g., host families, peers, institutional representatives) 

INTERPERSONAL SKILLS

• Intercultural communication
• Problem-solving and self-confidence
• Adaptability and autonomy
• Relationship-building and teamwork
• Critical thinking, open-mindedness, and empathy

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

• There is a lot of travel throughout the region, requiring 5- to 8-hour train/bus trips. Be prepared to carry your luggage up and down stairs and to lift it into overhead storage compartments.
• Cities are increasingly vegetarian/vegan-friendly.
• Students will have many opportunities to engage with community leaders and local experts to learn about international relations and global diplomacy. These meetings may require a certain dress code based on specific site visits. More details will be included in the packing list.
• Access to the internet is limited and internet speeds and connectivity vary.
• The diverse personal and social identities of participants may, in part, shape their experience abroad. In-country partners will discuss cultural norms and the local context during orientation. All students will have a safe space within the program spaces and with the local staff and group leaders.
• The Experiment program structure is rooted in experiential learning and cohort-based learning. The participant group experience is a major source of learning for Experimenters and is facilitated by trained Experiment group leaders.