Bard College Berlin News
Civic Engagement Microgrants Awarded to Three Student-Led Projects
The microgrant has already facilitated an event organized by Mariia Krychevska ’26 called “Reconfiguring Space and Time: Migration, Memory, Ecology in Europe’s East,” held in late April. The day-long conference explored the intersections of forced migration, urban spaces, and ecological change in post-Soviet cities. With panels, lectures, and student presentations, the event aimed to address the need, as Mariia puts it, “to make thinking about Eastern Europe accessible,” countering the region’s frequent sidelining in Western discourse.
Ina Constantin ’26 and Hana Trencanova ’26 are using their grant to host a two-part workshop on “Documenting Police Abuse on University Campuses” on May 4 and 11. The project is aimed at students across Berlin, offering “ foundational knowledge and practical tools for investigative research.” Led by human-rights investigators Marija Ristic and Fred Abrahams, in partnership with Amnesty International’s Digital Verification Corps, the sessions will guide students in capturing, verifying, and archiving evidence of policing at pro-Palestine protests in Berlin.
A third project, “Walk the Talk: Sole Justice,” organized by Ismail Sekyanzi ’26 and Zo Hailu ’26, invites participants to customize their worn sneakers while engaging in discussions on consumer culture and sustainability. The project, they explain, is “an opportunity to move beyond passive consumerism into active engagement.” Their Walk the Talk: Sole Justice workshop is scheduled to take place at Monopol on May 10, 2025.
These three projects highlight the global impact of Bard College Berlin’s students, as well as the college’s commitment to supporting and amplifying the civic-minded ideas of its community.
Post Date: 05-09-2025