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Democracy Seminar

Democracy Seminar

The Democracy Seminar is a collaborative online publication project of the Transregional Center for Democratic Studies (TCDS) at The New School for Social Research (NSSR) and the European Democracy Institute at Bard College Berlin (BCB). Its aim is to foster wide-ranging conversations and reach readers beyond academia.

It publishes short think pieces by a global network of scholars and intellectuals, representing a diversity of perspectives and experiences across the democratic left, right, and center. These contributions address a broad range of topics, including academic freedom, freedom of the press, and freedom of political expression; economic inequality; gender and racial justice; the challenges of migration and the rise of xenophobia; economic and media globalization; political polarization; and the emergence of distinctive forms of authoritarianism and their alternatives.

The Democracy Seminar seeks to cultivate a critical understanding of the pressing issues of our time and explore possible solutions—hoping that democrats around the world can learn from one another and open new windows for thinking and acting together.

Europapodcast

Europapodcast

The Europapodcast is a conversation-based format dedicated to European politics, society, and democracy. It brings together voices from politics, academia, public administration, civil society, and education to discuss how Europe works in practice and where it falls short.

Rather than focusing on abstract debates, the podcast highlights concrete experiences, decision-making processes, and real-world challenges of European governance. Guests share insights into how European policies are shaped, how institutions operate, and how democratic participation can be strengthened at the local, national, and European levels.

The Europapodcast aims to make European affairs accessible, nuanced, and grounded in reality. It addresses listeners who see Europe not only as a political project, but as a lived democratic space that requires continuous engagement, reflection, and debate.

Europapodcast

Christoph F. Siekermann is a political scientist working at the intersection of European politics, democracy education, and digital communication. He studied Political Science at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and holds a Master’s degree in Social Sciences from Humboldt University of Berlin.

He has served as Chief of Staff to a member of the Berlin House of Representatives and led public affairs for a German federal association, working on policy and advocacy at national and European levels. He currently works as a freelance project manager on European and digital initiatives, including for the European Academy Berlin, where he develops new formats and organizational structures, and collaborates with the Berlin State Agency for Civic Education and Europe Direct Berlin on European political education and public dialogue.

As a co-host of the Europapodcast, he translates complex European debates into accessible perspectives. He is also a board member of Europa-Union Berlin and is well connected across European, federal, and regional networks.

Manuel Knapp holds a master's degree in European Studies and a bachelor's degree in Economics and History (Basel). His professional career has provided him with extensive knowledge and practical experience in political (European) communication, political education, and public diplomacy. As Director of Studies at the European Academy Berlin, Manuel brings people from Europe and with Europe into dialogue. 

He is a member of the European Commission's EU expert network “Team Europe Germany,” where he provides information on current European political issues. He contributes his knowledge and practical experience as a research fellow at the Centre international de formation européenne (cife). Manuel expresses his passion for Europe and democracy in the Europapodcast, which he launched in 2019. 

In his freetime Manuel is the state chairman of the non-partisan Europa-Union Berlin. For his extensive commitment to Europe, he was nominated for the Blue Bear of the State of Berlin in 2020 and 2021.

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Bard College Berlin, A Liberal Arts University gGmbH

Mailing address: Platanenstrasse 24, 13156 Berlin, Germany
Phone: +49 30 43733 0
Fax: +49 30 43733 100
Email: [email protected] 
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Bard College Berlin is institutionally accredited at the national level in Germany by the Wissenschaftsrat.

In the United States, Bard College Berlin is accredited through
Bard College by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Qualifying students receive both a German BA and an American BA. 
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