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Prof. Dr. Martin Beck
- I feel at home… where friends are.
- “Typically” German that I can’t do without even abroad? Bundesliga!
- Help against homesickness... German poems and currently Nietzsche.
- My favorite place in Odense is… “Brandts Klædefabrik” – a former factory site with cafés, cultural centers, a cinema, restaurants and knick-knack shops.
- The most exciting city in the world for me is... New York, that's what everyone says.
- What have I always wanted to say to students? Fail. Try again. Fail better” (according to Samuel Beckett).
- When I think back to my own student days, I think of...
- Libraries with lots of people
- Love letters written on gray environmental protection paper and
- my desperate and pointless attempts to convince my Swabian, lower-middle-class environment that studying is really hard work.
Prof. Dr. Martin Beck holds a chair in contemporary Middle East studies at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense. The “Arab Spring”, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and international oil policy are some of the topics that the Swabian native deals with here.
“I came to Denmark because of the job. There's a lot to be offended by here, but there's also a lot that's impressive. For example, hardly anyone here is not in professional life and you have to go into great lengths to explain 'German' concepts such as housewife, spouse splitting or childcare allowance.
In addition, everyone in Denmark is on first name terms, only the Queen would be an exception. Nobody calls you by your academic title here. When I started about two years ago, a well-meaning colleague took me aside and tried to gently explain to me that I would hardly hear the word 'professor' here. We both laughed a lot.
Compared to German universities, the level of internationality in Denmark is high. In the technical and scientific subjects, as well as at my center, all events take place in English.
The supervision of theses is better regulated: Before students start their bachelor's or master's theses, they sign a contract with their lecturer, which guarantees the students intensive supervision and the lecturer a reduction in the teaching load.
German students also feel at home here. You don't pay tuition fees as an EU citizen, but the cost of living is significantly higher than in Germany.
I had my first guest lectureship when I was in my early 30s, back in the USA. After that I spent two more years abroad - in Palestine and Jordan. Of course you also pay a price. If I had a family, for example, it probably wouldn't work like that. But the big advantage is that you perceive things more intensively abroad because you experience that a lot of what you think is 'natural' coming from Germany is actually culturally determined.”
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlich
- I feel at home… where I am understood.
- “Typically” German that I can’t do without even abroad? Actually not much, maybe bread and daily newspapers – the classics.
- Help against homesickness... Skype and roulades with dumplings and red cabbage.
- My favorite places in Montreal are… the “Mile End” – a lively and colorful district – and the large mountain park, where you can still go cross-country skiing at night in winter.
- The most exciting city in the world for me? I was recently in Istanbul. The energy and diversity were fascinating.
- What have I always wanted to say to students? Studying is an opportunity to get to the bottom of things.
- When I think back to my own student days, I think of...
- Section course in medical studies,
- Jiu Jitsu in university sports and
- Archive studies in the Hessian State Archives Marburg.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schlich is dedicated to the history of medicine. A small subject that led him to stations such as Marburg, Freiburg, Cambridge (England) and finally to McGill University in Montreal, Canada. From a historical perspective, he looks at, among other things, modern surgery over the last 200 years.
“McGill is a research university, which means there are a relatively large number of students at master’s and doctoral levels. Everything is very international – from the students to the professors.
The 'etiquette' in the interaction between the student body and teaching staff is somewhat different here than in Germany. Students often behave like students and are treated as 'kids' rather than adults. For example, they insist on being addressed by their first names and addressing teachers as 'professor'. A little more symmetry would be nice.
If you're thinking about spending a semester abroad in Canada, the tuition fees are moderate compared to the USA. The amount depends on the level at which you are studying, whether undergraduate, master or PhD. Rents have risen sharply in Montreal, but are still lower than in comparable North American and European cities. The cost of living is comparable to that in Germany.
What do I like about Montreal? The cultural diversity: Many immigrants from all over the world, bilingualism in everyday urban life, a lot of artistic productivity from underground to 'high culture'. In addition, the 'Canadian wilderness' is not far away and there are five months of winter sports."
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Prof. Dr. Martin Beck I feel at home… where friends are. “Typically” German that I can’t do without even abroad? Bundesliga! Help against homesickness... German poems and currently Nietzsche. My favorite place in Odense is… “Brandts Klædefabrik” – a former factory site with cafés, cultural centers, a cinema, restaurants and knick-knack shops. The most exciting city for me
