Six Good Reasons to Apply
- 2-week summer university with a campus atmosphere at Seggau Castle
- Open to all students in the Master's programme English and American Studies (regular and Joint Programme)
- Credits can be recognised for participation and a 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
About
"GUSEGG - 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.
With a complete European integration in mind, the summer school contributes to a better understanding on a European as well as international level. Thematic seminars in the respective fields allow students to strengthen their understanding of complex issues in their study areas. Cross-cultural teaming and transferable skills workshops add an important aspect to the summer school and give students the opportunity to acquire additional skills that will allow them to succeed on the international labour market and become cross-culturally competent experts.
The target groups for the summer school are highly motivated students following their studies at master level within the Joint Degree programmes or any other programme allowing for the recognition of the summer school courses within their study programme.The summer school is affiliated with the Joint Programme, thus Joint Programme students can have 6 ECTS recognised towarsd their mobility semester. Students of the regular track also have the opportunity to have credits recognised.
Summer School 2023: Conflict, Challenge, and Change: State – Society – Religion
GUSEGG 2023 will offer a discussion on how conflict, challenge, and change determine our lives as individuals and as a society. Our times are marked by various conflicts and antagonisms arising from challenging circumstances: climate change, war, inequality, poverty, hunger, pandemics. The problems faced today are conceived of in different ways: as unexpected tragedies, as predictable outcomes of past behavior, as the result of systematic and structural processes, or as the consequence of individual actions or even chance. It is a constant challenge to attempt to resolve tensions and antagonisms without multiplying and escalating them. If conflict is a challenge and a question, change is the answer.
However, dialogue between the past and the present must continue as the basis of a democratic ideal, as silence as an alternative would not signal the end of all conflicts, but the end of a democratic way of dealing with them. Therefore, creative transformation processes are necessary to meet the various challenges faced. Thus, GUSEGG 2023 will present research on how conflict, challenge, and change are addressed socially, politically, culturally, and economically, and what this means for states, societies, and religions.
In order to develop strategies and methods to meet the challenges of our times, this summer school suggests engaging in academic contemplation and interdisciplinary exchange. Such investigations offer us the opportunity of developing disruptive intellectual approaches and ideas, as we can gain insights into the many forces that make us believe that the challenges we face are essential, natural, or inevitable. Therefore, the suggested analysis offers us not only an understanding of our own positions on an individual, a regional, national, and global level, but also the possibility of moving from a passive position to active involvement in addressing conflict, challenge, and change, and offer insights into the dynamics and structures that govern us and shape as individuals and groups. Focusing on the emphasis areas of the University of Graz – South Eastern Europe and North, Central and South America – this program will offer a basis for discussing global and continental challenges as well as opportunities that such academic engagement provides.