German Advising Contact Information With Office Hours From Tuesday, December 17 - Friday, December 20

You can reach the German advisors through a general email: germanadvising@umich.edu

We have two advisors for German undergraduates:

* Mary Rodena-Krasan (MLB 3128; mkrasan@umich.edu)

Her office hours this week are:

Tuesday, December 17: 10-3 p.m.,

Thursday, December 19: 10-3 p.m.,

and by appointment.

Mary's Link for Office Hours: https://umich.zoom.us/j/92765512004

* Karl-Georg Federhofer (MLB 3422; kallimz@umich.edu)
My office hours this week are:

Tuesday, December 17: 8-9:30, 3-5 p.m.,

Wednesday, December 18: 1-5 p.m. (via Zoom only),

Thursday, December 19: 9-12, 1-5 p.m.,

Friday, December 20: 9-12, 1-5 p.m.,

and by appointment.

My Zoom Link for Office Hours: https://umich.zoom.us/j/909147087

It is best to schedule appointments, which you have to do by 4 p.m. on the previous day. You can schedule appointments with us here: https://myadvising.lsa.umich.edu/appointments/offices/GERM

If you would like to get in contact with a peer mentor in our Department, please write to: germanmentors@umich.edu

'The Last Laugh' - Director: F.W. Murnau, 1924: Tuesday, December 31, 3 p.m., Detroit Film Theatre, 5200 Woodward Avenue

The splendidly uniformed, aging doorman at a grand Berlin hotel, portrayed by the legendary Emil Jannings, is devastated by his demotion to washroom attendant. His shame is so profound that he cannot bring himself to tell his family or neighbors. He even goes so far as to steal his old uniform to wear to his daughter’s wedding.

Made during Germany’s “Golden Age” of filmmaking, F.W. Murnau’s 'The Last Laugh' introduced innovative camera techniques that enhanced the power of visual storytelling. The film was hailed as state-of-the-art cinema during the silent era.

The unexpected ending, as suggested by the title, remains as richly satisfying as ever. The film is shown in a new 2K restoration, accompanied by an original live score performed by Little Bang Theory.

“A masterpiece of the German silent cinema… it has never looked as dazzling.” –Dave Kehr, The New York Times

Website: https://dia.org/events/last-laugh-live-score-little-bang-theory

Students and Parents From German-Speaking Countries Sought for Linguistics Honors Thesis Survey: Tuesday, December 31 (Survey Deadline)

If you have German-speaking parents, please consider helping June, who is in the process of writing an Honors Thesis in Linguistics. You and your parents should fill out a survey. Participants will earn a $10 gift card. The deadline to complete the survey is Tuesday, December 31. 

If you are interested in participating, contact June via email (jhark@umich.edu).

Intern Abroad Information Session - CGIS Programs: Friday, January 10, 12-1 p.m., and Wednesday, January 15, 4-5 p.m., Remote

Curious about interning abroad this summer? Join our upcoming info session on CGIS' International Internship Program! Learn about financial aid, academics, costs, and get a sneak peek into each of six unique internship offerings. Whether you're planning for the future or ready to jump in, this session has everything you need to know to make your international internship experience a reality. Don’t miss out!

https://lsa.umich.edu/scholarships/news-events/all-events.detail.html/128515-21861071.html

UROP International at Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen - Summer 2025: Friday, January 10 (Application Deadline)

UROP International is designed for students from North American universities who wish to gain research experience by conducting research projects at the RWTH Aachen University. It takes place during a ten-week research summer school between the middle of May and the end of July.

UROP International consists of three components: a research project at one of RWTH Aachen's research institutes or labs is at the core.

Additionally, students are offered a comprehensive accompanying program: an intensive German course and workshops on intercultural learning, scientific methods, and research practice to prepare them for their respective research project.

Furthermore, the international guests participate in a number of leisure activities to gain a look at German history and culture and meet German and international students at RWTH. Regular get-togethers, excursions in the region, institute visits, and much more, form the framework of the students' stay in Aachen.

The program’s duration is ten weeks. The first week is dedicated to a Fit for UROP workshop, introducing participants to research and culture, as well as to an intercultural training, which allows the students to gain an initial impression of German culture and informs about intercultural differences. Moreover, the first week is used to settle organizational issues and to make students familiar with RWTH Aachen University and with life in Aachen. Each student is assigned a RWTH student, who serves as a buddy and mentor during the first steps in Aachen.

From the second week to the end of the program, students work on their research project full time. The German language course starts during the first week and ends at the end of the eighth week. It takes place twice a week in the morning.

The program is supplemented by numerous leisure activities and excursions with the buddies. All communication is in English.

Students will receive a certificate for both their research project and the language class upon successful completion of the program, marked by the submission of a report and participation in the closing UROP Symposium, where students present project results as part of a research conference. A total of 60 students can participate annually in UROP International.

This program is open to all LSA students but is not administered through the University of Michigan. You will be eligible to receive German 351 credits (Fall 2025). Talk to a German advisor about language credits.

Website: https://tinyurl.com/vdf8rbzr

Academic Year in Freiburg 2025-2026 - Information Session: Wednesday, January 15 4 p.m., MLB 3308 (Conference Room, Middle Aisle)

If you consider studying abroad in Freiburg next year where you will receive regular University of Michigan credits (without paying Michigan tuition), we invite you to come to an information session on Wednesday, January 15, 3 p.m., MLB 3308.

A 2023-2024 participant will be present to answer your questions, and you may meet next year's Academic Director.

Mary and I will be able to answer administrative questions.

ThinkSwiss Research Scholarships 2025: Wednesday, January 15 (Application Deadline)

ThinkSwiss is a scholarship program managed by the Science Office at the Embassy of Switzerland in Washington, D.C. The program is funded by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and is supported by the Embassy of Switzerland in Ottawa, Canada. The aim of the program is to promote research opportunities in Switzerland for American and Canadian students and to foster exchange between Swiss, U.S., and Canadian universities and research institutions.

Eligibility Requirements
To apply for a ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship you must:
* Currently be enrolled at an accredited U.S. or Canadian university/college,
* Be a graduate student or an undergraduate student who will have completed their sophomore year by the time the research stay in Switzerland begins, and
* Provide a written confirmation from a professor at a Swiss university that they will accept you for a research stay in their group.

In order to apply, please fill out the online contact form on https://thinkswiss.org/apply-now/ and upload all supporting documents in PDF format by January 15, 2025. 

Each application must contain:
* The completed application online form
* A research project outline (e.g. an overview of the tasks and milestones of your project that you agreed on with your host professor, max. 2 pages)
* A letter of motivation/explanation of why you should be awarded the ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship, why you would make an excellent “student ambassador” in the future, and why you choose Switzerland as your research destination (please keep this within 2 pages)
* A CV (no more than two pages)
* A copy of your current university transcripts and diplomas (if applicable)
* A letter of acceptance from the host professor and/or hosting institution in Switzerland (this letter should highlight the relevance of your research)
* A letter of recommendation from a current professor who can attest to the applicant’s abilities

The ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship provides a prorated amount according to the length of your stay: a monthly scholarship of CHF 1,800 (approx. USD 1,800) for a period of two to three months (CHF 5,400 maximum). Please note that this amount covers only a portion of the average student’s living expenses and that you will be asked to prove sufficient financial means to the Swiss Cantonal authorities before a visa can be issued.

Website: https://thinkswiss.org/apply-now/

US Teaching Assistantship Program (for English) in Austria 2025-2026: Wednesday, January 15 (Application Deadline)

Description of Position:
As a US teaching assistant in Austria, you will work in one or two Austrian secondary schools, teaching 13 hours every week. Specific duties differ from school to school, but in general you can expect to:* Team-teach with English teachers working at your school(s)* Prepare engaging lesson plans focused on topics in collaboration with teachers* Facilitate one-on-one and group discussions* Help students prepare for upcoming English exams* Talk to your classes about US culture and current events* Plan activities to get your students actively speaking the language

Given that teaching assistants are placed at schools in Austrian communities large and small, each teaching assistant job in Austria is a truly unique experience. However, no matter where your assignment takes you, the ability to negotiate cultural differences and to solve day-to-day problems will be a significant asset—both in the classroom and in everyday life. Previous teaching experience is beneficial but not a requirement.

If you have at least an undergraduate degree (or are currently in your final year), have a working knowledge of German (“intermediate mid” or above based on ACTFL guidelines), and are interested in a career in education, Fulbright Austria encourages you to apply online to teach English in Austria.

As a teaching assistant in Austria, you will earn a monthly gross salary of around €1,944. Once deductions are made for your compulsory health and accident insurance and for Austrian income taxes, you end up with a net monthly salary of approximately €1,575 (about $1,730). Your monthly salary will be the only money you receive in connection with your English teaching job in Austria.

Website: https://www.fulbright.at/programs/in-austria/teaching-assistants/grant-details/us-teaching-assistant-program

Tamar Menashe (Emory University), "Jewish Women as Litigants Before a German Imperial Supreme Court": Thursday, January 30, 1-2:30 p.m., Institute for the Humanities, 202 S Thayer, Room 2022

In 1495, Germany’s Imperial Chamber Court (Reichskammergericht) was founded as the institution that oversaw the adoption of Roman law as Germany’s imperial civil law. In 1511, a Jewish woman named Elena, who sued her husband and his lover for violating Jewish law (halakha), became the first Jewish litigant before this new tribunal, opening the doors of the highest level of the imperial legal system to many Jews who would follow suit. Focusing on the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, this lecture will explore the experiences of Jewish women who traversed legal and religious boundaries to litigate before this supreme imperial court and other competing imperial courts. This talk will consider previously untapped court cases from this period as invaluable sources for illuminating the lives of these women, the ways in which they navigated Jewish, imperial, and local laws, and how their litigation helped fashion Jews’ legal standing in the eyes of imperial jurists.

Tamar Menashe is the Jay and Leslie Cohen assistant professor in Emory University’s history department and the Tam institute for Jewish Studies. Menashe’s work focuses on the intersections of the law with gender, culture, and Christian-Jewish relations, primarily in the German Lands in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. She holds a BA from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and MA, Mphil and PhD from Columbia University (2022). Her dissertation “The Imperial Supreme Court and Jews in Cross-Confessional Legal Cultures in Germany, 1495–1690” won the 2022 Fritz Stern Dissertation Prize for the best doctoral dissertation on a topic in German history written at a North American university. She is currently revising her dissertation for a publication as a book titled People of the Law: Jewish Litigation and Minority Belonging in Early Modern Germany. Prior to joining the Emory faculty in 2023, Menashe was a Fellow at the Katz Center for Advanced Judaic Studies at the University of Pennsylvania. She was the 2023 Preyer scholar of the American Society for Legal history and the 2023-2024 Gerald Westheimer Early Career Fellow at the Leo Baeck Institute New York-Berlin.

Website: https://events.umich.edu/event/129592

AATG Study Abroad Scholarship for College Students (Spring/Summer 2025 Programs): Saturday, February 1 (Application Deadline)

The brand-new AATG Study Abroad Scholarship for College Students supports full-time undergraduate students on their study abroad journey. Scholarships of up to $1250 are awarded in the Spring and Fall to support study abroad travel during different times of the academic year or during the summer.

The Spring/Summer application deadline is February 1, 2025, for programs commencing in the first half of the calendar year (January-July) of 2025. Recipients will be notified in early March.

The application deadline for programs commencing in the second half of the calendar year (August-December) is July 1, 2025. Recipients will be notified in late July.

This program is supported by donations to the AATG.

Website: https://www.aatg.org/study-abroad-grant

International Internships with IES Abroad: Saturday, February 1 (Application Deadline)

IES Abroad provides independent, hands-on learning opportunities through a variety of internship offerings. Rather than scroll through countless listings and submit application after application, work with IES’s career services team to discuss your career goals and IES will guarantee you a placement in the field of your choice.

Career fields vary by internship site. Some popular fields include:
Arts, Business, Climate Change, Communications, Computer Science, Education, Fashion, Health (non-clinical), International Relations, IT, Journalism, Law, Marketing, Public Health, Technology, Tourism. & more!

Michigan students may apply to any of the following locations:
* Australia: Sydney
* Austria: Vienna
* Chile: Santiago
* Germany: Berlin
* Italy: Milan
* South Africa: Cape Town
* United Kingdom: London

German majors/minors interning in Vienna or Berlin will be eligible to apply for funding from the German Department.

Website: https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=12289

Academic Year in Freiburg 2025-2026: Saturday, February 1 (Application Deadline)

The best way to get to know Germany really well is to live there for an extended time.

By studying in Freiburg for a year, you can practically earn all credits required for a German major and may possibly get distribution credits and credits towards a second major; and you will live in one of the most attractive and desired places in Germany. This program is open to all University of Michigan undergraduate students.

Eligibility:
* Minimum 3.0 GPA
* Good academic standing
* Sophomore, Junior, or Senior standing by Fall 2025
* Completion of German 232 or equivalent prior to September 2025

Tuition for this year-long program is covered by a program fee (currently $7,700/term), and students receive University of Michigan in-residence credit for the courses they take during the Academic Year in Freiburg. Students will not pay University of Michigan tuition during the year abroad. Additional costs include travel, room, and board. The latter two are considerably cheaper than housing in Ann Arbor is. You will live in a single in a student dorm in Freiburg.

Students remain eligible for financial aid. In addition, the German Department will reduce the program fee for all applicants by up to $1,000 this year. Further funding opportunities are available from the department as well; to inquire, please contact germandept@umich.edu.

For more information, see the AYF website at https://www.ayf.uni-freiburg.de/

You can find out more on Instagram.

Here is the link to the application website from CGIS (Center for Global and Intercultural Study): https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=10247

International Programs in Engineering - Engineering Laboratory Experience at TUB in Berlin, Germany: Thursday, February 6 (Application Deadline)

This program at the Technische Universität Berlin TUB helps students gain insight into German culture, engineering and industry. The program combines intensive German language training with ENGR 350: International Laboratory Experience for Engineers. Participants will join a TUB research laboratory and work on a small project team led by German graduate students. Lab work is complemented by visits to relevant scientific and industrial sites near Berlin. Students earn academic credit for their engineering degrees and establish useful connections for future internships or employment. This program has also earned the seal of quality from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The credits for this program will count towards a German minor.

Summer 2025 Details:
* Program Dates: May 10 - June 21
* Program Cost: SU25 TBD (SU24 $5,260)
* Housing Options: Off-Campus Apartments
* Application Deadline: February 6

Website: https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=10101

International Internships with Sage Corps: Saturday, March 1 (Application Deadline)

Sage Corps sends college students to work with startups. Work full-time alongside CEOs, CMOs, and CTOs to build real solutions to real problems. They provide opportunities for specializations including, but not limited to, business strategy, data analytics, graphic design, marketing, software development, and UI/UX design.

Career fields will vary by internship site. Please follow this link for a list of internship career fields by location.

Michigan students may apply to any of the following locations:
* Amsterdam
* Barcelona
* Berlin
* Dublin
* Lisbon
* Madrid
* Milan
* Paris
* Sydney

German majors/minors interning in Berlin will be eligible to apply for funding from the German Department.

Website: https://mcompass.umich.edu/_portal/tds-program-brochure?programid=12286