The Israel and Golda Koschitzky Centre for Jewish Studies at York University and CCGES are pleased to present an event to launch the book Nazi Germany:  Canadian Responses on Tuesday, June 5th at 7 pm on the 7th floor of the York Research Tower (building #95 on the map found here). Four authors who have contributed to this volume will be present including:

• Prof. Doris Bergen (University of Toronto)
• Prof. Richard Menkis (University of British Columbia)
• Prof. Harold Troper (University of Toronto)
• Prof. Michael Brown (York University).

The book is a project of the National Task Force on Holocaust Education, Remembrance, and Research and is published by McGill-Queen’s University Press with the support of the Government of Canada and the B’nai Brith Foundation.

All are welcome.

Diedrich Diederichsen

CCGES and the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery are pleased to present a public lecture by Diedrich Diedrichsen, one of Germany’s leading intellectuals and a professor at the Institute for Art History and Cultural Studies at Vienna’s Academy of Fine Arts, on Thursday, May 10th from 7:00 to 9:00 pm in the Debates Room at Hart House, University of Toronto. Entitled “Life on Display: How Sculpture and Its Opposite Converge”, the lecture will be the inaugural event of the international conference “Tainted Goods: Contemporary Sculpture and the Critique of Display Cultures in Germany and Europe” which has been organized by Prof. Dan Adler (Visual Arts, York University) and Barbara Fischer (Curatorial Studies,  University of Toronto).

All are welcome and the lecture will be followed by a reception.

The “Tainted Goods” conference will bring together Canadian and European scholars, theorists, and curators of contemporary art for a day of presentations and discussion at York University’s Nat Taylor Cinema on Friday, May 11, 2012. Information on the conference including the program, paper abstracts and how to register to attend, can be found on the project website: http://taintedgoods.info.yorku.ca/

CCGES is pleased to be presenting this conference which will bring together Canadian and European scholars, theorists, and curators of contemporary art. The event will be made up of two parts, the first of which is a keynote lecture by Prof. Diedrich Diederichsen  on the evening of Thursday, May 10th at historic Hart House, located on the downtown St. George campus of the University of Toronto. The second element will be a one-day conference to be held at York University on Friday, May 11th.

This conference is being convened by Prof. Daniel Adler (Visual Arts/Canadian Centre for German and European Studies at York University) and Barbara Fischer (Director, Visual Studies: Curatorial Studies and Executive Director/Chief Curator of the Justina M. Barnicke Gallery, University of Toronto). (CONTINUE READING)

CCGES co-presented a public roundtable on the theme “Future Models of Urban Mobility” at the German Consulate General Toronto (2 on Friday, March 23rd as part of the international workshop “Models of Mobility: Systemic Differences, Path Dependencies, Economic, Social and Environmental Impact”.

The roundtable was moderated by Gerda Wekerle (Professor and Planning Program Coordinator, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University) and panelists examined a number of key issues facing cities of the future including:

• How do we design smarter urban transport that is
accessible and sustainable?
• How can we enhance mobility while reducing congestion and
pollution?
• How can the city of Toronto learn from best practices in other
comparable regions?

Panelists will include:

• Adrian Corry (BMW Group Designworks USA)
• Ken Greenberg (Architect and Urban Designer)
• Leslie Woo (Metrolinx)
• John Lorinc (Urban Affairs Journalist and Author).

This event was made possible through the support of the German Historical Institute (Washington D.C.), BMW Group Canada, German Consulate General Toronto, the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Professional Studies at York,  the CITY Institute at York University, and the Schulich School of Business.

During the 2011-12 academic year, CCGES faculty affiliates Ulrich Best (Geography) and Dagmar Soennecken (Public Policy and Administration) have overseen the 17th Annual Glendon International Studies Symposium at York University’s Glendon College. This project brings together a group of Glendon students for a directed-reading course, symposium and study tour which focus on one specific country and region, in this case, Germany.

On Saturday, March 31st, 2012, the students will be hosting a one-day conference which they have organized around the theme of Prospects and Challenges for Contemporary Germany. (CONTINUE READING)