BCB Civic Engagement initiates programs, fosters sustained partnerships, and supports and connects the BCB campus community to local and international networks as they address societal, political, or environmental challenges. Community engagement is crucial to our mission of fostering an open society. In their private as well as professional lives, BCB students, faculty, and staff actively engage with our neighborhood, with the city of Berlin, and with communities worldwide. We recognize the strength of networks and communities and seek to build on that strength. We welcome collaborations with new and diverse partners, across academia, the public, private, and nonprofit sectors to share knowledge and expertise on the basis of equal partnership and dialogue.
FOCUS talk on elections in Eastern Europe
FOCUS! Talk Series
FOCUS is a student-led talk series in collaboration with the Civic Engagement office that explores global issues on a local scale. This event series as a space outside of the classroom where students can talk about topics of concern, especially those that don’t make the headlines of international news.
Mariia Krychevska, the organizer of the student-led series, says "Every event is very well attended, and I think that's because students are interested in the first-hand experiences of their peers. We have previously held events on queer rights in Russia, neurodiversity in the Middle East, marriage migration from Ukraine, and comparing elections in Eastern Europe. FOCUS is a place for authenticity, curiosity, and connection."
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International Weeks Against RacismThe International Weeks against Racism in Pankow are organized by a broad network, including various actors from civil society, administration, and district libraries. As part of the network, BCB joins the borough of Pankow for the annual Weeks Against Racism and contributes by organizing events on campus or participating in joint activities in the neighborhood. While many strive to oppose and eliminate prejudice throughout the year, the annual event brings special attention to opposing racism in our neighborhood.
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Kiezrunde NiederschönhausenKiezrunde Niederschönhausen is a local network of committed citizens, businesses, artists and representatives of organizations, associations, initiatives and the district office of Berlin-Niederschönhausen. For over 10 years, the network has organized festivals, cultural events and lectures on specific topics, and offers several working groups for people to join. The Civic Engagement initiative at Bard College Berlin has joined the network and the monthly meetings that take place at different locations in Niederschönhausen.
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Karow Language ProjectA refugee accommodation in Karow, outer Pankow, is currently accommodating a few hundred people who are forced to move around Europe as refugees. In 2022, a language exchange project, the Karow Sprachcafé, was formed as a student-led initiative to help practice basic English and German skills and to connect with people based at the Karow accommodation for refugees. If you wnat to volunteer: Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Georgian, Russian, or Turkish language skills are a plus!
