Center for German and European Studies

Mission

The mission of the Center for German and European Studies (CGES) is to support interdisciplinary teaching and research on contemporary Germany and Europe at Brandeis, and to reach out to broader communities on the social, political and cultural issues facing Germany and Europe today.

CGES was founded in 1997 by a generous gift from the German government and Brandeis University, and dedicated in May 1998 by Chancellor Helmut Kohl. 

Events

The Center hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including luncheon talks, panels, cultural events and readings. We invite you to sign up for our Newsletter to receive information about our events.

CGES Online -- CGES will also continue to offer virtual events. The CGES Online series covers current developments of international relevance focused on Germany and Europe. Find details about virtual events on our News and Events page. We also post event announcements on our Facebook and Instagram accounts and invite you to follow us on social media.

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2024 Visiting Research Scholar

Photo Credit: Lena Feye

Luisa Neubauer is a youth climate justice activist and lead organizer of the German "Fridays for Future" climate movement. For over five years now, Luisa and Fridays for Future have brought hundreds of thousands of people to the streets. In 2022 TIME Magazine included her among the "100Next" leaders. In „Neubauer vs. Germany“ she and others won a landmark constitutional court ruling against the German government (then led by Angela Merkel) in 2021, forcing the government to improve its climate law. She and others are now suing the (new) German government again. She has published three best-selling books on the climate crisis. One of them is  available in English: Beginning to End the Climate Crisis. A History of Our Future, published by Brandeis University Press in 2023. Her Ted Talks on climate action have been watched more than 4 Million times. Luisa Neubauer is currently completing a Masters degree in Geography. She is the host of the award-winning Podcast "1,5 Degrees". A Visiting Research Scholar at the Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University this fall, she normally lives in Berlin. 

Grants and Scholarships

A number of grants and scholarships are available to support research and travel to Germany and Europe. Please view the grants and scholarships page to see if your trip to Germany, or a German speaking country, qualifies and for application details.

Sister Centers