Fall Course Opening

On the morning of November 1, 2010, the Fall Course “Global Politics and Urban Dynamics” jointly organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Free University of Berlin with funding from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) officially opened.This is the first short-term course jointly organized by the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (directly the Faculty of International Studies) and the Free University of Berlin (directly the Center for Global Political Studies), taking place from November 1 to 13, 2010. The course includes a number of main contents such as new approaches and methods in international political research, the policy-making process and regional integration of the EU and East Asia, global urban areas and the security role of Vietnam in regional politics. In addition to class hours, students also participate in extracurricular activities such as visiting the Imperial Citadel, the German Embassy, ​​the Office of the European Commission Delegation in Hanoi, the Vietnam-Germany Cooperation Center and Ha Long Bay. According to Professor Klaus Segbers, Director of the Center, we no longer live in a world decided only by nation states. New, potential actors such as international organizations, NGOs, transnational corporations, globalized urban areas and even terrorist networks have influenced international politics. In that context, according to Associate Professor, Dr. Pham Quang Minh, Dean of the Faculty of International Studies, we all must be aware of these challenges and have the responsibility to build a better future. The Fall Course held these days is even more meaningful when Vietnam, as ASEAN Chair, has just successfully organized the 17th ASEAN Summit and the East Asia Summit, discussing many important issues related to security, stability and development of the region. At the reception on the occasion of the opening of the Course, Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Van Kim, on behalf of the school's leaders, emphasized that the Fall Course was organized at an unforgettable historical moment, when Hanoi had just turned 1,000 years old, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities was celebrating its 65th anniversary, the people of the two countries were celebrating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the Faculty of International Studies was also marking its 15th year of development. Speaking at the reception, Mr. Rolf Schulze, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Federal Republic of Germany to Vietnam, highly appreciated the idea of ​​organizing the Fall Course of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Free University of Berlin, considering it a practical activity contributing to the development of friendly relations between the people of the two countries. On behalf of DAAD, Ms. Hannanore Bossman, Chief Representative of the Hanoi Office, expressed her support for academic exchange activities between Vietnam and Germany and hoped that similar activities would be strengthened in the future. The course was attended by 25 students from the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Federal Republic of Germany and Vietnam. The Autumn Course is one of the activities within the framework of “Germany in Vietnam 2010” (Deutschland in Vietnam 2010) to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Federal Republic of Germany and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.