Official start of new Master/MBA Program
The ?Master/MBA of International Business and Economics (MIBE) ? China Focus?, ICGS? new dual degree program in cooperation with the University of Hamburg and Fudan University Shanghai, was officially started with an outstanding opening ceremony on October 12, 2004 at the new China MBA Center c/o NewLivingHome in Hamburg Lokstedt. Among others, welcome speeches were given by Jörg Dräger, PhD, Senator for Science and Research, Jingsheng Ma, Chinese Consul General in Hamburg, Prof. Wilhelm Pfähler, the Hamburg Program Director as well as the Vice Presidents of both Hamburg and Fudan Universities, Prof. Dr. Karl-Werner Hansmann and Prof. Dr. Zukang Zheng. Musical support was provided by Mona Li, a traditional Chinese harp player, whose three pieces were greeted with enthusiastic applause by the audience.
The 35 enrolled students from more than ten different countries had already started their first trimester of the program a week before with introductory courses in economics, statistics and mathematics. Prior to this Pre-Term week, the newly-arrived students were offered several activities, such as downtown walking tours, library tours and a Kick-Off-Work Workshop on Intercultural Communication and Management in order to get to know their fellow students and to become accustomed more easily to their new surroundings. Registration at local district offices, visa applications, opening a bank account and other formalities formed part of the extended service of the Student Affairs department at ICGS.
The international participants will spend the first two trimesters of the program in Hamburg and the third at Fudan University in Shanghai. Within the next 12 months, lecturers from the internationally recognized School of Management, Fudan University, from the faculties of Economics and Business Administration and Oriental Studies at the University of Hamburg and from the Institute of Asian Affairs will help the students to become immersed in modern economic theory, management practices and the political and cultural background of Greater China. Patricia Bencek/ICGS (bencek@icgs.de); Programminformationen: Dr. Nina Smidt (smidt@icgs.de)

Autumn School 2004 in European Cultural Studies
When the third ICGS Autumn School in German and European Studies started on October 11, one could easily have called it ?Winter School?, considering the rather cold temperatures outside. This, however, did not detain the ICGS students from engaging in hot discussions about European culture initiated by their trainer, Ms. Inke du Bois, who had already taught one module of the last Spring School on European history. The one-week certificate seminar treated questions such as ?does a European culture actually exist?? and if so, ?which are its main characteristics??. Certainly, the different cultures assimilated within the European Community still show some relevant unique traits, but what exactly are these cultural differences, and how many of them can be regarded as mere stereotypes? The ICGS students from 7 different countries, such as the United States, Mexico, Rumania, Ukraine, Ghana, Albania and Germany, had ample opportunities to discuss similarities and differences between their own and the European cultures during the various activities of the School, including role plays, group works and simulation games. In their final exam the participants had to interpret some of the cultural models and scientific approaches they had learned in this intensive and challenging week. ICGS? German and European Studies Program was established in 2002 and consists of four modules: Cultural Studies, Economics & Management, Law & Politics and Comparative History. Anja Soltau/ICGS (soltau@icgs.de); Programminformationen: Dr. Nina Smidt (smidt@icgs.de)

Graduation in Intercultural Studies and Life Sciences
Two ICGS students recently graduated in their interdisciplinary study programs. In September 2004, Oksana Cheh from Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, excellently finished her ICGS study program ?Intercultural Studies?. The M.A. in Educational Research awarded to her by ICGS and the University of Hamburg enables Oksana to continue her studies within the framework of a PhD program. With her extraordinary commitment and discipline, Olga did not only receive an overall grading of ?very good? for her academic achievements but also managed to start a family during her time in Hamburg.
Damian Tom-Dery from Tamale, Ghana, received his Master of Science in Biology on October 8, 2004. Focusing on ecology and applied botany, he started a field research project in forest plantations of the Ashanti region in Ghana together with the Institute for World Forestry of the Federal Research Centre for Forestry and Forest Products in collaboration with DuPaul Wood Treatment Ltd., Ghana. This long-term research examines the regeneration potential of indigenous tree species from forest fragments in exotic tree plantations in Ghana. Currently, Damian and Prof. Dr. Jörg Ganzhorn (University of Hamburg, Faculty of Biology) are writing an article on the subject for a science journal. Damian will further pursue his academic interests by applying for scholarships to enrol in PhD studies at the University of Hamburg.
ICGS congratulates them on their hard-earned and well-deserved degrees and wishes them all the best for their future career. Patricia Bencek/ICGS (bencek@icgs.de)

Graduation in Intercultural Studies for two ICGS students
On July 13, the ICGS students Joana Duarte (Portugal) and Olga Visbal (Columbia) successfully finished their study program ?Intercultural Studies? at ICGS and the University of Hamburg with the official receipt of their graduation certificates. With an M.A. in Educational Sciences, Joana and Olga are now planning to pursue their research interests by enrolling in PhD studies at the University of Hamburg. At the graduation ceremony, their supervisor and program director of the ICGS degree program ?Intercultural Studies?, Prof. Dr. Rosemarie Mielke, underscored Joana?s and Olga?s extraordinary engagement and commitment with regard to their academic work. This was confirmed by Dr. Udo Thelen, executive director of ICGS, who also mentioned Joana?s and Olga?s successful participation in the German-Israeli workshop on ?Education, Multiculturalism and the Empowerment of Minority Groups:
The Israeli and German Experiences?. This cooperation project between the Universities of Hamburg and Haifa started in September 2003 and has included two international workshops, one in Hamburg and one in Haifa, as well as a joint publication of the workshop outcomes. Together with the full participation in ICGS? four German and European Studies Schools on Economics, Politics, History and Culture of the EU, Joana and Olga can look back on three challenging years which have qualified them to become professional and multilingual researchers who will surely embark on a promising academic career. The ICGS team wishes them every success with their future projects and hopes to keep in good contact!
Anja Soltau / ICGS; soltau@icgs.de (Photo: Dr. Udo Thelen, Olga Visbal, Joana Duarte, Prof. Dr. Rosemarie Mielke)

Ausbildung als Kaufmann/Kauffrau für Bürokommunikation
Die ICGS-Geschäftsstelle bietet ab September/Oktober 2004 einen Ausbildungsplatz an für eine Ausbildung zum Kaufmann bzw. zur Kauffrau für Bürokommunikation. Sind Sie interessiert?