New Academic Year 2018/19
With the start of the new academic year 2018/19, our president Prof. Dr. med. Dr. hc mult. Hans-Dieter Klingemann welcomed the students and opened the new facilities with a speech. Hereby, we want to thank him for his contribution.
Below you can read the speech given by Prof. dr. Dr. hc mult. Hans-Dieter Klingemann:
A warm welcome from the President. Those who are entering the third semester or the fifth semester want to adjust to a new environment. You may miss the flavor of Heinrich-Heine-Strasse. However, I would rather come to Salzufer 6, especially the spacious studios, workshops and computer labs. Not to speak.
A very special welcome to our Free Movers, Erasmus Students and the 86 New Full Time Students. We know that you have many options to choose your university. We are proud that you have come to Berlin International. Be assured that we offer a first class professional education. Berliners and non-Berliners alike to explore this wonderful city.
3.7 million people live in the urban area at the banks of the Spree and Havel rivers. Berlin is a green city. Forests, parks, gardens as well as canals and lakes. So Berlin is a city of politics, of culture, media and science. It is the German capital and many universities, orchestras and museums of global reputation. The UNESCO has named it a city of design.
The cultural context wants to experience and has to be unique. The Berlin Statistical Bureau tells us that more than 18 percent of the Berlin population are foreign nationals. Of those more than 100,000 come from Turkey, followed by about 47000 Poles. Mainly as a consequence of the massive immigration in the years since 2015 the number of new Berliners is growing.
In addition to the groups of foreign nationals about 13 percent of the Berliners have a so-called migration background. That means they are migrants or descendants of migrants who obtained German citizenship. Most of these are very conscious of their cultural heritage and hold in high esteem. This means the probability to meet Berliners with foreign roots and different cultural experiences is about 40 percent.
These differences in nationality and ethnicity are also reflected in the variety of languages and religious affiliations. Christian mosques to pray in, more than 80 mosques, 11 synagogues and 2 Buddhist temples. However, the agnostic part of the Berlin population has the upper hand. 60 percent of Berliners do not belong to a registered religious denomination.
In this multi-national, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural context you are well tolerated and put yourself in the shoes of the proverbial 'other'. If you are confronted with something not familiar try to find out what it is and what it means. Ask questions. Cultural diversity can be a source of great richness.
However, remember that all big waves of immigration - as the one we experience in our days - have invariably caused anxiety and xenophobia. Thus, you may encounter outright hostility just as a consequence of being perceived as a stranger. Try to keep calm.
Be aware that Germany has a constitution that charters its basic norms and values. Part 1 of the Basic Law defines the norms and values that are non-negotiable and respected by everyone-citizen and non-citizen alike. These norms include basic political and social rights as well as the inviolability of human dignity and equality before the law.
At Berlin International we believe that cultural competence - the capacity to bridge cultural boundaries - is a precondition to navigate in today's globalized world. And the best way to learn and develop cultural competence is in your day-to-day life.
Our staff is well aware that the acquisition of cultural competence is high on our university's agenda. Your teachers are coming from different corners of the world as Denmark, Germany, India, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey.
What is true for our staff is true for our students. Currently Berlin International hosts 252 students. They come from 66 countries. 26 percent hold a German passport, followed by 11 percent who are Turkish citizens. The rest comes from all four corners of the globe. This composition of our student body guarantees intercultural encounters. It offers the unique opportunity to study together and learn something new in the social sphere, something fascinating and inspiring.
Give it a try. Enjoy Berlin as well as your studies and participate in our university's affairs. If you do - I am certain - you want to go to Salzufer Campus into a happy place.