Skip to main content.
Skip to main content.
Bard BerlinBard Berlin
BCB
  • About sub-menuAbout Us
    About BCB

    Discover Bard
    College Berlin

    Learn More
    • About Bard College Berlin
      • At a Glance
      • History
      • Governance
      • Accreditation
      • OSUN
      • Employment
    • Discover
      • People
      • Apply
      • Donate
      • COVID-19 Safety
      • Search
    • Networks
      • Open Society
        University Network
        (OSUN)
  • Academics sub-menuAcademics
    BCB Academics

    Bard College Berlin offers high-quality small-group teaching in the humanities and social sciences.

    • Degree Programs
      • BA in Economics, Politics,
        and Social Thought
      • BA in Humanities,
        the Arts,and Social Thought
      • BA in Artistic Practice
        and Society
      • Concentrations
      • Core Curriculum
      • German Studies Program
    • Semester and
      One-Year Programs

      • Academy Year Program
      • Project Year Program
      • Arts and Society in Berlin
      • LAB: Liberal Arts Berlin
      • Begin in Berlin
      • Study Abroad
      • Erasmus and Exchange Agreements
    • More Information
      • Courses
      • Internships
      • Certificates
      • Language and Thinking Program
      • Summer Programs
      • Academic Services
  • Admissions sub-menuAdmissions
    BCB Admissions

    Bard College Berlin accepts applications for first-year and transfer admission to its BA degree programs. Students can also apply for one-year programs, such as the Academy Year and Project Year.

    Apply Now
    • Applying to BCB
      • How to Apply
      • Discover BCB
      • Connect with Us
      • Ask a Student
      • Admissions Team
    • Financing Your Studies
      • Tuition and Fees
      • Financial Aid
      • Scholarships
      • Payment Options
  • Student Life sub-menuStudent Life
    Student Life

    The student body at Bard College Berlin is small yet highly international.

    More About Students
    • Campus Life
      • Housing
      • Facilities
    • Services and Resources
      • BCB Orientation
      • Career Services
      • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
      • Gender-Based Misconduct
      • Health & Counseling
      • Internships
      • Student Organizations & Activities
      • Study Abroad
    • For Students
      • Registrar's Office
      • Academic Calendar
      • Student Handbook
      • Jobs & Opportunities
      • Finances
      • Fellowship Opportunities
  • Civic Engagement sub-menuCivic Engagement
    Civic Engagement

    Through Fellowships, conferences, events and community initiatives, the college encourages students to organize and lead their own volunteer projects and to connect with activists around the world.

    Learn More
    • Engagement Programs
      • Program for International Education
        and Social Change (PIESC)
      • Student-Led Projects
      • Community Engagement
      • Institutional Engagement
  • COVID-19
  • News sub-menuNews + Events
    BCB News
    • Newsroom
      • Events
      • Video Archive
      • Bard College Berlin in the Media

    Keep up to date with the latest campus news, learn more about upcoming events, read press articles featuring Bard College Berlin, and explore our photo and video archives.

    Learn More
  • Donate
  • Search

Alumni/ae

People Menu
  • Overview
  • Faculty
  • Former Faculty and Guest Instructors
  • Administration and Staff
  • Students
  • Alumni/ae
Over the last decade, many young adults have attended a summer course or completed an Academy Year or Project Year at the college. In 2012, students in the first BA cohort graduated. Future graduates will join a network of alumni/ae who are studying and working around the world. After graduation, alumni/ae remain connected, professionally and personally, to the college and to their friends and professors.
Staying in touch with the alumni/ae community

Staying in touch with the alumni/ae community

  • If you want to join the main alumni/ae mailing list and receive updates on alumni affairs and events, please send an email with the subject “Subscribe” to [email protected]. 
  • Join the alumni opportunities mailing list to get info on various job/study opportunities hand-picked by faculty, staff and fellow alumni/ae - send an email to [email protected]
Join the alumni/ae community on LinkedIn
Join the alumni/ae group on Facebook

  • Alumni Group in Berlin
    • Berlin-based alumni/ae can join an email group to receive invitations to campus events and to local alumni/ae events; to subscribe please send an email with the message “Subscribe” to [email protected].
  • Staying in touch with the college
    • Subscribe to our newsletter (page footer)
    • Subscribe to our student-run blog 
    • Follow BCB on social media: 
      • Facebook
      • Twitter
      • Instagram
      • YouTube
  • Alumni News
    • Ahmad Denno ‘22 organizes “Art for Survivals” charity art exhibition to benefit Syrian earthquake relief efforts
    • Eed Be Eed e.V. will exhibit “Art For Survivals,” a fundraising exhibition to benefit relief organizations in northwest Syria following a series of devastating earthquakes. Eed Be Eed is collaborating with approximately 30 artists to organize the sale of paintings, photographs, and handicrafts made by people in Syria. All proceeds will go towards supporting earthquake relief efforts. Eed Be Eed was co-founded by Bard College Berlin alumnus Ahmad Denno ‘22, who currently serves as Executive Manager. 

      Speaking to the importance of the event, Ahmad says, “In such disasters and crises, the power of civic engagement appears through everyone's solidarity to help those affected with any available resources. And this charity exhibition is evidence of that.” 

      The Eed Be Eed mission states, “Eed be Eed, which means 'hand in hand' in Arabic, was founded in September 2016 by a group of both locals and refugees. Our mission is to build bridges of communication between newcomers and German society… We empower artists and journalists by creating accessible spaces to express their creativity and amplify their community-based voices.” 

      The exhibition will take place March 3-5, 2023 from 2:00-8:00 pm at MOOS Space, Moosdorfstrasse 7-9, 12435 Berlin. More event details can be found on the event’s Facebook page.
      Photo: Photo by Nour Alabras 
      Meta: Subject(s): Human Rights,Community Engagement,Alumni/ae |
    • Erick Moreno Superlano '22 and BCB faculty Dr. Ayşe Çavdar featured on recent episodes of Spatial Delight
    • The latest episode of Spatial Delight — a podcast created by BCB professor of migration studies Agata Lisiak — is written and hosted by Erick Moreno Superlano (’22). In this Spanish-language episode titled “Geometrías del Poder,” Erick talks about the concept of power geometries developed by British geographer Doreen Massey, and how it was adopted by Hugo Chávez as one of the five engines of the Bolivarian revolution. Massey regarded Venezuela’s communal councils as a promising experiment to imbue people with more political power. Erick talks to María Eugenia Freitez (activist, researcher, and writer) and Reinaldo Iturriza (activist, writer, and Venezuela’s former Minister of Popular Power for Communes and Social Protection) to evaluate how successful this political initiative has been. 

      An earlier episode, titled “Cities for the Many Not the Few, features a conversation with BCB faculty Dr. Ayşe Çavdar about mass housing projects in Turkey. That episode looks at different struggles to make cities more livable – and more just – for the many, not the few. How do we agree on what’s best for our cities? How do we create open, inclusive, enjoyable spaces? Who takes charge? We need carefully designed infrastructure to make cities livable for all, and urban design itself is also a hugely political issue. Besides their conversation with Çavdar, Lisiak and her co-host for this episode, urban scholar Dr. Anna Richter, speak to geographer Prof. Ash Amin (Cambridge University) about urban commons and social empowerment and to urban scholar Dr. Carmel Christy K J (University of Delhi) about the intersections of social and environmental justice in the port city of Kochi in the Indian state of Kerala. 

      Spatial Delight is a ten-part podcast about the politics of space inspired by British geographer Doreen Massey. It is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation and hosted by the Sociological Review Foundation. Erick’s episode was co-funded by the Experimental Humanities Collaborative Network.

      You can listen to Spatial Delight on any podcast app or here. 

      Meta: Subject(s): Faculty,Bard College Berlin,Alumni/ae | Institutes(s): Bard College Berlin |
    • Aziza Izamova (‘21) interviewed about her path to a PhD program at Harvard
    • Aziza Izamova (‘21) was recently interviewed by the Center for Innovation, Technology and Strategy about her path to pursuing graduate education at Harvard University. Aziza shares about discovering her passion for art history, and the perseverance and support that helped her achieve academic success. She provides valuable insights on the importance of personal motivation and being open to new experiences. 

      Aziza graduated from Bard College Berlin with a BA in Humanities, the Arts and Social Thought, and is now a PhD student in the History of Art and Architecture department at Harvard University. The following interview has been translated from the original Russian, and some edits have been made for clarity and context. 

      The Path to Harvard after 18 Rejections
      My interest in art history started at Bard College Berlin, where I did my BA. When I moved to Germany to study art history, I did not know anything about the subject, and was not aware of future professional prospects that this field of study may open and how it can help to improve the world. At university, I took an art history course that changed my life: Vision and Perspective with Geoff Lehman. Geoff’s class introduced me to the field of art history, and then I took a course with Aya Soika that showed me the opportunities for future research: Expressionism, Bauhaus and beyond: German Art and National Identity in the 20th Century. Geoff and Aya, and so many other faculty members at BCB were very supportive of my research and career interests. Aya curated an exhibition that piqued my interest in the field, and which encouraged me to continue studying art history by looking into ways I can contribute and integrate my background, my past and the history of my home country into my studies.


      What challenges did you face in your choice of study field?
      I applied for the BA program a year after I had completed high school, since I was preparing for various exams, including IELTS, during my gap year. I applied to eighteen American universities, but did not get accepted to any of them due to lack of grants and financial aid. I was ready to give up, but I decided to look into universities in Germany. Bard College Berlin, the university I got accepted to and which offered me financial aid, proved to be the best university for me and met my study interests.

      How did you overcome these challenges?
      When I saw that I did not get accepted to any of the universities in the US that I applied to, I became discouraged. But I had my family and friends by my side who supported me. Of course, in the first place, these studies were necessary for me, so I had a strong personal motivation. At the same time, though, I wanted my parents to be proud of me. These are the things that helped me to persevere and search for other options, to do the best I can with the possibilities offered to me, and not to think back to what could have been. 

      How did your parents react to your choice?
      In the beginning, it was difficult for me to explain to my parents and family what I am studying. It was difficult to explain what profession I was studying for, and what I could do with this degree. However, when I started work on my final thesis, I understood I was no longer doing this for my own personal interest, but that I had a mission, which is the study of the history of Central Asia, and that this mission will be of use not only to me, but also to future generations in Uzbekistan, and to students who are perhaps also interested in studying the art history of this region. I wanted to pave the path for this, and when my parents realized this, they supported me fully.

      What is the source of your motivation? 
      I think I find motivation in the moment when I realize something interests me. I am not afraid of studying something new, and stepping out of my comfort zone. This satisfaction of studying something new and succeeding at it is the main motivation for me to continue.

      What advice would you give to those who are just starting their career?
      I think, again, without the support of my friends and family, and of my professors at university, I would not have been able to apply to graduate school anywhere, or even think that I could apply to universities such as Harvard. I would encourage anyone not to be afraid to ask for advice, help, and guidance from their professors, mentors or friends. I would also encourage you not to be afraid to try out something new, because you can never know what area of study could interest you if you had the chance to find out more about it. There are so many things in the world which you do not yet know about, so do not hesitate to step into this unknown. And those who are interested in the field of art history or in the humanities in general, but are uncertain about their future with such a degree, I would encourage to continue reading, studying, and cultivating their interest and passion, and trust that this would lead to outcomes and accomplishments that you may never have envisioned before.

      Watch the full interview in the original Russian on YouTube. 

      Meta: Subject(s): Bard College Berlin,Alumni/ae | Institutes(s): Bard College Berlin |
    • Agata Lisiak, Professor of Migration Studies, Produces and Hosts New Podcast Spatial Delight Inspired by British Geographer Doreen Massey
    • Agata Lisiak, Professor of Migration Studies, is the producer, host, and writer of Spatial Delight, a new podcast inspired by British social scientist and geographer Doreen Massey. The podcast, released in ten parts (eight in English, two in Spanish) seeks to inspire listeners to think about space and place as full of power and to imagine political alternatives to neoliberalism.

      In an interview with The Sociological Review, professor Lisiak said: 
      “While it is rooted in rigorous research, the podcast aims to present complex academic ideas in an approachable way and engage audiences in a lively conversation. [...] For Massey, any place – including her London neighbourhood of Kilburn – is never just one thing, but rather ‘a meeting-place, of jostling, potentially conflicting, trajectories’. As she wrote, ‘It is (or ought to be) impossible even to begin thinking about Kilburn High Road without bringing into play half the world and a considerable amount of British imperialist history.’ And that, as she insisted, provokes in us a global sense of place.”

      Spatial Delight is hosted by the Sociological Review and funded by the Volkswagen Stiftung. In addition to Agata Lisiak, several other members of the BCB community were involved in the project. From the BCB teaching side, Janina Schabing (video making) assisted with the production and Florian Duijsens (Academic Director of the Internship Program) with the script editing. BCB alumni who contributed to the project were Adèle Martin ‘22 (production assistant), Reece Cox (visiting student ‘17) (sound producer), Bose Sarmiento ’21 (illustrator and host of a Spanish episode) and Erick Moreno Superlano ’22 (host of an episode on Venezuela, also in Spanish).

      Spatial Delight premiered on October 28 and can be found on all major podcast streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and RSS. Click here to access the full list of streaming possibilities.

      Meta:
    • In conversation with artist Sam Zamrik (HAST ‘21), Wunderblock award recipient and author of Ich bin nicht 
    • BCB alum Sam Zamrik has been making headlines as an up-and-coming member of Berlin’s art scene. Zamrik, a Queer Syrian poet and political educator, is the inaugural recipient of the Wunderblock Award, a €10,000 grant issued by the Wunderblock Foundation established by artist Katharina Grosse. In a press release for the award, the foundation says, “Through their baroque, sometimes laconic images, Sam Zamrik finds expression for war and flight, for uprootedness and loneliness, for feeling non-existent and having no voice.”

      Zamrik’s first published volume of poetry, Ich bin nicht (I am not), will be released by Hanser Berlin on October 15, 2022, in English and German. Ich bin nicht explores themes of belonging and unbelonging, from Damascus to Berlin and beyond. Accompanying the launch, Zamrik will perform readings from the book at the Archäologie des Verlusts Festival at the Roter Salon of Volksbühne on Saturday, October 15 at 8pm. To purchase tickets for this event, click here. To pre-order a copy of Ich bin nicht, visit Sam’s website.

      Additionally, Zamrik’s lyrical work will be featured in New Songs from the Earth which will premiere at the Neuköllner Oper on October 15, 2022. New Songs from the Earth seeks to “capture contemporary experiences, images and feelings about the concept of ‘Mother Earth’ in a musical-scenic mosaic that quotes the original music and continues it in new compositions – symphonic and chamber music, with vocals and also purely instrumental.” More information (including where to buy tickets) can be found here.

      Bard College Berlin reached out to Sam to ask them a few questions about art, culture, identity, and exploration.

      What about your personal and intellectual background informs your work? 
      I am queer, I come from a very poor and uneducated family, I grew up under a dictatorship regime, and I suffer from chronic mental illness, but I also came to have access to a university education and can speak three languages. Most importantly, however, I have always been an outsider. Each of these things plays a huge role in my work today and informs it every step of the way. For instance, I prefer to give workshops on topics that are relevant for the underrepresented, such as the series of workshops I conducted at the Haus der Kulturen der Welt on the topic of asylum and exile, or the creative writing workshops I co-led for disenfranchised refugee high school students in Brandenburg. Moreover, all of these influences converge in my poetry, which I like to believe is positive representation of outsiders like me. I like to craft poems that lend themselves to close reading, but I think that's a lot to ask of the reader, as the content is largely autofiction, so I rely heavily on political theory, philosophy, narratology, and linguistics in order to appeal to the reader, retain their engagement, and deliver my message while also keeping the poems accessible and free of (too much) jargon. 

      Could you speak to Berlin as a creative, educational, or artistic space? 
      Though it can be unforgiving at times, Berlin is a patchwork of so many communities and worlds and that lends itself to creation, learning, and art, because Berlin itself teaches, creates, and makes art. One can learn a lot about politics, history, architecture, art, ethnology, post-colonialism, and so much more just by walking between its many Bezirke. Graffiti and other street art meets Renaissance and Romantic painting in the streets; 10 languages buzz together in a lively human loudness on any given train ride; one can walk by buildings that survived catastrophe and others that continue to cause it; home and exile coexist on the same street; the global south reproduces its localities in every part of the city and wears a North Face jacket. I can only wax poetic about Berlin, because Berlin itself is like poetry, and whatever you think of poetry will certainly apply to Berlin as well.

      How do you think interdisciplinarity in the classroom fosters creativity outside of the classroom?
      Interdisciplinarity opens multiple entry points into any given topic and a broader, more varied perspective on each discipline that one wants to look into, as well as a sure footing when embarking on practical applications. It also delimits a person's capacity to work on a project by providing experience (even if only theoretical) in multiple mediums, which in turn frees up creative energy and allows significant possibilities for practical creation. In other words, interdisciplinarity gives a person multiple tool sets that are readily available for both creative and practical processes.

      How do you find—or make—opportunities in line with your interests?
      As an outsider even among outsiders, I can't say that I was successful in finding opportunities in line with my interests, but certain opportunities definitely presented themselves to me during multiple phases of my life which I had to cease and tailor to fit. At Bard Berlin for instance, I found that a lot of my interests were at times too niche for a lot of people, so I had to rephrase and rework them in ways that facilitated building bridges between myself and others. To that end, the old adage "Know your audience" is paramount. A weird, albeit good example from my time at Bard, is my life-long interest in the occult. Naturally, it did not go over very well with many people, but couching it in more tangible, more relevant terms and weaving it into politics and philosophy essays seemed to do the trick, and it even began to pique the interest of some people who had previously rolled their eyes every time the topic was brought up, which allowed me to discuss it more freely both inside and outside class. Similarly in my professional life, I had to muster up the courage to make space for myself by learning how to present and pitch things to people in order to create opportunities not previously available to me. So I would say I make opportunities line up with my interests by getting to know who I am talking to and what might interest them as well, then by creating symbiotic, give-and-take relationships that I am ready to accommodate and are ready to accommodate me, with sufficient room for mutual, consensual compromise. 

      Bard College Berlin thanks Sam Zamrik for their thoughtful, eloquent response and their contributions to cultural discourse both in Berlin and across international boundaries.
      Photo: Sam Zamrik, photographed by Paula Wrinkler.
      Meta:

Alumni Profiles

  • Erick Moreno Superlano
    Venezuela
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '22
    Currently: Master's in Migration Studies at Oxford University, UK


    "The class discussions were the best part for me. They were enriching and really taught me how to think critically about others' ideas and also question my own."
     
  • Aziza Izamova
    Uzbekistan
    BA in Humanities, the Arts and Social Thought '21
    Currently: PhD student in History of Art and Architecture at Harvard University


    "Studying at BCB means not only taking wonderful and challenging classes but also interacting with the city and student community."
  • Xiaojing (Soledad) Li
    China
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '20
    Currently: Master's in Digital Science at Université de Paris


    "It is not easy to make this sudden transition from arts to tech. I held doubts on my own at first. But BCB helped me believe in myself and taught me that it was never too late to start learning."
  • Clara Canales
    Chile/Netherlands
    BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought '19
    Currently: Expansion Associate at a green transit tech firm 


    "BCB provided me with a strong theoretical framework with which to analyze current issues. When faced with a question, I am able to relate it to greater themes."
     
  • Margarethe Hattingh
    South Africa
    BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought '19
    Currently: Master's in Banking and Finance, University of Vienna 


    "At BCB there is no escaping the opportunity to think independently. It’s required in virtually every class, and it’s what makes the entire program so enriching."
     
  • Michal Stroka
    Czech Republic
    BA in Economics, Politics, and Social Thought '18
    Currently: Project Manager in business development


    "The liberal arts approach broadened my understanding and awareness of where and how economics fits within our societies. "

     
  • Nathan French
    USA
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '18

    Currently: Euromaster in French and Francophone Studies, Humboldt University Berlin

    "Bard College Berlin helped me gain the confidence to think and speak for myself. I ask myself what I value and what I don’t value, instead of being a victim of popular opinion."
  • Philip Euteneuer
    Germany
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '17
    Currently: works in cultural mediation at the Akademie der Künste, Berlin


    "Studying at BCB also meant starting to learn how to live, grow up and be a responsible, well-adjusted citizen."

     
  • Talia Kracauer
    USA
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '17
    Currently: Has her own theater company based in London


    At BCB "you have the opportunity to get one of the most personalized educational experiences I can imagine."

     
  • Aya Ibrahim
    Egypt
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '15
    Currently: Reporter in the flagship English language news department of Deutsche Welle, Berlin


    "The thinking beyond the obvious and literal that this kind of education instills in you is an absolute advantage in today's world."
  • Maria Khan
    Pakistan
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '15
    Currently: Assistant Professor - Department of Literature, Bard High School Early College


    "As demanding as it might have been, writing essays helped me understand myself better and develop a way for expressing my thoughts."
     
  • Aurelia Cojocaru 
    Moldova
    BA in Humanities, the Arts, and Social Thought '14
    Currently PhD student, University of California, Berkeley


    "Many of us came with an idea or a goal and saw it growing or going in new directions during the program—this is the reason why diversity has always been a key feature."
  • Denise Kripper
    Argentina
    AY ’08/09, ISU ’09
    Currently: Assistant Professor at Lake Forest College, Chicago


    "From the deans and professors, to the staff and students, we all formed a tight-knit community where students' interests were fostered and their critical viewpoints challenged."
     
  • Cristina Groeger
    USA
    PY '08/09
    Assistant Professor of History, Lake Forest College, Illinois, USA


    "Aided by the small size and the young age of the program, Bard College Berlin is an institution in which every individual matters and has a great deal of influence in shaping the learning environment."
  • Hannes Klöpper
    Germany
    AY '06/07
    Currently CEO of HelloBetter


    "[A liberal arts education] offers you the opportunity to engage some of the big questions in life. As a person, and as a member of society, you do encounter these questions time and again, throughout the rest of your life."
     
  • Natalia Irina Roman
    Romania
    PY ‘06/07 & installation year ‘07/08
    Currently: German & Romanian Installation Artist, City Researcher and Curator


    "ECLA* was for me a place for imagination and self-discovery. A place both in Berlin and an oasis of its own, both school and community of people, both challenge and room for own initiative."
  • Yana Zabanova
    Russia
    AY '05/06
    Currently Research Analyst at the European Stability Initiative


    "I loved how saturated with new experiences and discoveries my life at ECLA* was. I also enjoyed being part of the tight-knit, diverse community."

Alumni Resources

  • Alumni News on the Student Blog Die Bärliner
  • Career Services
More Information

More Information

  • Academics
  • Courses
  • Governance
  • News

  • Quick Links
    Apply Now
    Inquire
    Download Brochure (PDF)
BCB Logo, Address, and Links

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] 
[email protected]

Directions | Contact Us | Impressum | Cookie Policy | Data Policy

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. 
© 2023 Bard College Berlin, A Liberal Arts University gGmbH
Wordpress Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
YouTube