Freie Universität Berlin

This live panel discussion was recorded on November 18, 2021, as the final part of our series "Berlin Talks", a cooperation of international short-term study programs FU-BEST (European Studies) and FUBiS (International Summer and Winter University) at Freie Universität Berlin.

The “gender factor” has received some attention in discussions and analyses of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not always consistently or fully publicly. There are a variety of themes that the panel discussion will consider. What gender-based developments in the care professions (nursing, care, support, etc.) can be identified before and during the pandemic (working conditions, "system relevance", appreciation, etc.)? How can we evaluate the role of the media and communication during the pandemic: has there been any kind of gender bias? When we look at issues of political leadership during the pandemic, do we encounter gender factors in public crisis management in Germany and beyond? What has been the impact of the pandemic on gender roles and relationships – have opportunities opened up to new developments or might there be a relapse into old habits and patterns? When we turn to the practical and psychological handling of the pandemic, are there gender differences at work here? For example, men vs. women as risk groups, with differing "vulnerabilities"? And when we consider the thematic area of home office, job / working world, family, household, and childcare: what are the consequences during this pandemic time for the distribution of roles between women and men?

Panel members:

• Dr. Dirk Verheyen (moderator): Academic director, FU-BEST.
• Dr. Regina Frey: political scientist and policy advisor for the implementation of gender equality strategies. Head of the Gender-Institute for gender equality research in Berlin (www.gender.de).
• Prof. Dr. Holger Bonin: Research Director of the IZA Institute of Labor Economics in Bonn & Professor of Labor Market and Social Policy at the University of Kassel.
• Dr. Kai-Uwe Müller: Head of the FIS Junior Research Group Time Policy at the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW Berlin).

This live panel discussion was recorded on June 17, 2021, as part of our ongoing series "Berlin Talks", a cooperation of international short-term study programs FU-BEST (European Studies) and FUBiS (International Summer and Winter University) at Freie Universität Berlin.
It is frequently argued that “the world is a village”. As this “village” moves into the future, what roles can and do younger generations play, through their professional careers, as activists, as community leaders, as creative thinkers? The panel for this event features six younger-generation representatives from this “global village”, whose work, activism, and thinking touch on the topic of global governance, multilateralism, and the multifaceted role of younger generations in international affairs.

Panel members:

• Dr. Dirk Verheyen (moderator): Academic director, FU-BEST.
• Sophie Daud: Chief Executive Officer of the Future Leaders Network; 2021 Chair of the Y7, the official youth engagement group for the G7 Leaders' Summit.
• Radha Kulkarni: Works at the intersection of finance, strategy, and policy with experience across the private sector, non-profits, and government and multilateral organizations; active in Young UN – Agents for Change.
• Aniqah Zowmi: Community engagement and gender equality specialist at the Ontario Council for International Cooperation; chair of Girls Action Foundation; director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Leading Change Canada; Regional Focal Point for the United Nations Major Group of Children and Youth.
• Nils Feller: Member of the Young Global Changers Working Group on Global Governance; active in the Youth Alliance for Multilateralism.
• Nasrat Khalid: Founder of Awal, an international development company harnessing technology and innovation to improve the lives of those in underdeveloped or underrepresented countries; active in the initiative Young Global Changers.

This live panel discussion was recorded on February 18, 2021, as part of our ongoing series "Berlin Talks", a cooperation of international short-term study programs FU-BEST (European Studies) and FUBiS (International Summer and Winter University) at Freie Universität Berlin.

The notion or concept of “sustainability”, applied primarily to ecological matters, is not new perhaps, but it has truly acquired widespread usage or application in recent decades, often well beyond ecological or environmental discourse in a narrower sense. Literally used, the word might refer to the ability to exist constantly, to a proper balance of species (esp. humanity) and the resources in its environment. More concretely, it can refer to the necessity of making only such use of natural, renewable resources that people can continue to rely on their yields in the long term. Has the proliferating use of the term sustainability become too inflationary, turning the concept into a buzzword with possibly reduced utility? How can this term be usefully defined and applied? How can it serve as a meaningful guiding principle? Berlin Talks offered a panel discussion focused on these and other questions and considerations, providing perspectives ranging from a more local, institutional context (a university), to the pursuit of business, the perspective of politics and policy-making, and citizen involvement spanning the spectrum from local to European activism.

Panel members:

• Dr. Dirk Verheyen (moderator): Academic director, FU-BEST
• Nora Große: Project Coordinator Sustainability in Teaching in the Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management at Freie Universität Berlin
• Patrizia Heidegger: Director for Global Policies and Sustainability, European Environmental Bureau in Brussels
• Heike Mewes: FU-BEST instructor of the course “Green Business”
• Dr. Andrzej Ancygier: FU-BEST and FUBiS instructor on environmental politics and policy

This live panel discussion was recorded on November 19, 2020, as part of our ongoing series "Berlin Talks", a cooperation of international short-term study programs FU-BEST (European Studies) and FUBiS (International Summer and Winter University) at Freie Universität Berlin.

The five panel members for this edition of "Berlin Talks" entitled "U.S. Elections 2020: Reflecting on the Domestic and International Dimensions and Implications" reflected on the political, economic, and societal background and consequences of the elections, as well as their consequences for U.S. foreign and security policy.

Panel members:

• Dr. Dirk Verheyen (Moderator): Academic Director, FU-BEST Program
• Katrin Bennhold: Berlin Bureau of "The New York Times"
• Prof. Dr. Lora Anne Viola: John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at Freie Universität Berlin; research emphasis on North American foreign and security policy
• Prof. Dr. Christian Lammert: John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at Freie Universität Berlin; research emphasis on North American political systems
• Dr. Klaus Scharioth: Retired German diplomat (Ambassador in Washington DC, 2006-2011)
• Prof. Dr. Max Steinhardt: John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies at Freie Universität Berlin; research emphasis on the economy of North America