The Transatlantic Students Symposium
From March 21 to March 24, prof. Mark Stefanovich hosted a group of students and professors from the US, Germany, and Poland as part of the 13th Transatlantic Students Symposium.
Prof. Mark Stefanovich
The symposium is an annual program that brings students from the humanities and social sciences together to discuss contemporary issues, visit sites of culture, historical and political interest, and present their research papers. The theme for the 2015 symposium is “Crisis of Mission: Transatlantic (Mis)Understandings of European Integration.”
As part of the program, students and professors from Oregon State University (Public Policy, Diversity and Cultural Engagement), Humboldt University Berlin (American Studies Program) and the University of Warsaw (American Studies Program) came to Bulgaria.
Prof. Stefanovitch and two students from the Political Science Club, Yoana Savova and Adrijan Delale, facilitated trips to Plovdiv, Sofia, and the Rila Monastery, as well as a discussion on Energy and Politics in Southeastern Europe at AUBG.
The discussion took place in the BAC Auditorium on Monday, March 23. Savova and Dalale had prepared a presentation that discussed the importance of energy in geopolitics, pipeline projects, and energy as a weapon in the arsenal of politics. After the presentation they initiated a discussion about the current situation, the consequences and the future. The participants expressed their opinions on how they see the conflict evolving in the short run and in the long run, and how the geopolitical conflict will affect intermediary countries. The importance of the pipeline politics and the possible formation of new political block was also a matter of discussion.
Raffael Pozorski during the discussion
Raffael Pozorski, a student from Germany, said that it was his first time participating in the symposium. “The discussion was very productive, lots of different perspectives,” he said. “It was a very enriching experience.”
On Wednesday, March 25, prof. Stefanovich and the guests left for Berlin, where the symposium will continue.
Stay tuned for additional information on the symposium, what happened in Berlin, and comments prof. Stefanovich.
