Bard College Berlin News
Bard College Berlin dedicates Waldstraße 15 as “Julie Johnson Kidd Hall” as tribute to her vision and legacy
“Julie is no ordinary philanthropist,” Managing Director Dr. Florian Becker stated in his opening address. “She has thought deeply about education and the liberal arts… And in 1999, she took the courageous step of founding a liberal arts college in Berlin, right on the line that had divided Europe and the globe for 54 years. For twelve years, Julie and her Endeavor Foundation single-handedly shaped, nourished, and supported the college.”
“We believe that a multidisciplinary liberal arts education is essential for building a freer, more just world,” stated Kimberly Marteau Emerson, Chair of the Board of Governors of Bard College Berlin. “If ever there were a time that the world needed liberal arts education, it is now. Here in a city that once symbolized division, Bard College Berlin stands for dialogue, discovery, and for hope, just as Julie Kidd imagined.”
Also in attendance was the mayor of Berlin-Pankow, Dr. Cordelia Koch, who recognized Johnson Kidd’s passionate and enduring support of liberal arts and higher education, particularly important in the Pankow neighborhood to which Bard College Berlin belongs. “Pankow played an important role in the peaceful revolution of the GDR in 1989… To this day the peaceful revolution reminds us that democratic societies need citizens who are committed and take education seriously,” Dr. Koch attested. “Naming the building after Julie Johnson Kidd is therefore more than a formal gesture—It is an expression of your and our recognition of a person who has helped to shape and support the fundamental values on which our educational work is based.”
To further discuss the importance of the liberal arts in the world today, Prof. Dr. Kerry Bystrom moderated a joint panel discussion with students, faculty members, and alumni. Faraz Sadiq ‘25 and Miyu Sasaki ‘25 provided their perspectives as current students, Prof. Dr. Geoff Lehman and Dr. Nassim Abi Ghanem joined as faculty panelists, and Aya Ibrahim ‘15 returned to campus to join the discussion as an alumna.
“I feel part of a tradition,” Sadiq stated. “Some years ago I learned that liberal arts as a tradition was founded in ancient Greece... I think that realization that we are just tiny specks on this continuum of a very rich tradition is something that is truly important, and I feel very privileged to be a part of it.”
Ibrahim shared that her BA in Humanities, Arts, and Social Thought at Bard College Berlin was funded in entirety by Julie Johnson Kidd and the Endeavor Foundation. She credited this generous scholarship and BCB’s liberal arts curriculum as allowing her to begin a successful career in journalism without formal journalistic training, relying rather on the critical thinking and writing skills gained at BCB.
“None of us would be here without Julie Johnson Kidd—I have to say that that applies for me in particular,” Ibrahim noted. “I was a student at this college, but I was also an Endeavor Scholar… This morning, I found the scholarship letter that I got fifteen years ago which started this whole journey for me.” Addressing Johnson Kidd, she stated, “I just want to say thank you, because I never would have been able to have this education, and in many ways, I never would have been able to have this life, if it wasn’t for that vision.”
The panelists shared their insights on the importance of liberal arts education not only in academic and professional avenues, but also in the interpersonal relationships forged with one another in the special environment of Bard College Berlin. By listening with an open mind to classmates from vastly different parts of the world and learning to live with roommates that may “steal your avocados”—as Ibrahim shared from her time as a student—living and learning together as a community dedicated to shared values creates relationships and personal skills that last a lifetime.
Many of the values of liberal arts and Bard College Berlin in particular, as discussed by the panelists, were echoed in Julie Johnson Kidd’s remarks, which concluded the dedication ceremony. While Johnson Kidd herself was unable to be present in Berlin, Ashley Kidd delivered her address to the audience, underlining her passion for the liberal arts and personal connection to BCB.
“We are all facing great and unexpected challenges to a humanistic approach to life and I believe that those who are connected to this college have the opportunity to look at the world’s problems with both a broad and deep perspective,” shared Johnson Kidd. “Hard work is not enough, however, without a deep understanding of the interconnectedness of ideas, fields of study, nations, and people of all backgrounds and circumstances. The nature of study and community life at BCB is based on this principle—that we all rise or fall together—and we will surely fall without the recognition of this interconnectedness and without the ability to think critically, which is what a BCB education fosters.”
By: Sophia Paudel, Bard College Berlin Communications
Post Date: 05-21-2025