The “Friedrich Schiller” Center for German Studies

The “Friedrich Schiller” Center for German Studies was established in 2006, following the conclusion of the Collaboration Agreement between the University of Wiesbaden and the “Vasile Goldiş”  Western University of Arad, its establishment being a necessity for the study of the German language at the academic level in this area with a consolidated pro-German tradition. The collaboration agreement between the two universities was signed in November 2005 by prof. univ. dr. Aurel Ardelean Ph D, rector of the “Vasile Goldiş” Western University and prof. univ.dr. Clemens Klockner Ph D, President of the University of Wiesbaden, and as a result, we were  given the task of undertaking everything necessary to carry out this project. The inauguration of the “Friedrich Schiller” Center for German Studies took place in May 2006, on the occasion of the “Academic Days of Arad”.

The generous and competent contribution of the German partner is remarkable, as well as the availability and receptivity of the Rectorate of the “Vasile Goldiş”Western University. In a relatively short time, a place of German culture endowed with European standards was established. The collaboration with the German partner materialized in several financings, which allowed us to endow the center with multimedia equipment and a diversified and complex bibliography, the latest editorials for learning the German language, interactive courses, DVDs for German Culture and Civilization courses, the Brockhaus collection and dictionaries in electronic format, etc. Thus, this center meets the requirements of students and those interested in the study of the German language and civilization.

WE HAVE A GOOD COLLABORATION WITH OTHER SIMILAR CENTERS IN THE COUNTRY AND ABROAD:

The Goethe Institute in Timisoara and Bucharest, the German Schiller Center in Bucharest, the Center for Modern Languages at the University of Wiesbaden, “Matej Bel” University in Slovakia, “Tomasse Batti” University in Zlin, Czech Republic, “Tessedek Samuel” University in Bekescsaba, Hungary. This collaboration materializes in common cultural and didactic activities (German language courses), exchanges of teachers and students.

THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES ARE CARRIED OUT WITHIN THE GERMAN CENTER “FRIEDRICH SCHILLER”:

• German language courses for any level and any specialization, taught with the help of multimedia technology by teachers with multiple specializations in Germany and by guest teachers from Germany;
• symposia, lectures and courses on German culture and civilization;
• presentations and viewings of German films received from the DAAD readership in Timişoara;
• literary evenings with teachers from the “Adam Müller Guttenbrunn” German High School of Arad, from the “Nikolaus Lenau” High School of Timisoara, as well as guests from Germany: prof. univ. Dr. Mareike Schellenberg, lect. univ. dr. Tanja Becker, poet and prose writer Ingeborg Boeringer – Bruns
• joint actions with the “Goethe” German Cultural Center in Timisoara and with the”Schiller”  Cultural Center in Bucharest: evenings of literature and music, movies, exhibitions, courses, contests, interactive evenings of German folk song, etc .;
• organizing the methodical days of German language teachers;
• cultural exchanges and student mobilities with partner universities: students attending the Universities of Wiesbaden, München, Heidelberg, Rottenburg, Tübingen (Germany), Zlin (Czech Republic), Banska Bystrica (Slovakia), Bekescaba (Hungary), Vienna (Austria).
• guiding and ensuring the bibliography for the elaboration of the Bachelor thesis;
• building the outstanding personalities of German culture: Fr. Schiller, J. W. Goethe, S. Bach, L. Beethoven, L. Erhard, R. Koch, I. Kant, Herta Müller, etc.
• highlighting Christmas and Easter customs and other German traditions.
• elaboration of studies and researches of German translation and linguistics, concretized in articles, published in magazines from the country and abroad;
• obtaining the German language certificate DAF (Deutsch als Fremdsprache) in collaboration with the “Goethe” German Language Center in Timisoara

An important concern of the Center is the preparation of the students for obtaining scholarships in Germany and other countries. Thus, the students are regularly advised and prepared to obtain the German language certificate and guided in order to prepare the files for obtaining the DAAD scholarships. As a result of these preparations, a considerable number of students benefited from these scholarships with full funding from the German state and attended courses in Germany at the Universities of Wiesbaden, München, Berlin, Bremen, Heidelberg, Rottenburg, Tübingen, Frankfurt am Main.

In the context of global economic expansion and the important role of the German language in Europe and in the world, the activity of the “Friedrich Schiller” German Center of Arad, comes to complete a stringent market requirement by training students as future German speakers in all fields.

Cultural programs and projects

• Within the “Friedrich Schiller” German Center, dialectal and translation researches take place, researches that are part of different national and international projects:
• Suntem împreună în Europa” – “We are together in Europe” – an international media project in which students of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Education and Sports of the V.G.W.U. and the University of Wiesbaden, worked under the guidance of Professors V. Jireghie, R. Biriş and Prof. Dr. J. Schmeller.
• “Dificultăţi întâlnite în predarea limbii germane comerciale şi înlăturarea lor” – “Difficulties encountered in teaching the commercial German language and their removal” – project of the “Friedrich Schiller” German Center in collaboration with the Department of German Language of the Faculty of Economics of the “Matej Bel” University of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, led by Assoc. prof.  Rodica Biriş and prof. univ. Dr. Iveta Kontrikova Ph D.
• “Problematica traducerii din limba germană în limba română/maghiară”- “The issue of translation from German into Romanian/Hungarian” – project of the “Friedrich Schiller” German Center, in collaboration with the German Language Department of the Tessedik Samuel Foiskola Faculty of Economics in Bekescsaba, Hungary, led by Assoc. prof. Rodica Biriş and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pappne Princzinger Valeria, PhD.
• “Rolul comunicării în afaceri în limba germană în dezvoltarea comunităţilor locale cu etnici germani din ţări central – europene şi România” – “The role of business communication in German lenguage for the development of local communities with ethnic Germans from Central European countries and Romania” – international project, carried out in four countries between September 2009 – August 2012, in collaboration with Tessedik Sammuel University, Bekescsaba, Hungary, “Matej Bel” University of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia, “Thomase Bati” University of Zlin, Czech Republic. Project manager: Assoc.  prof. Rodica Teodora Biriş, “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad.
• „Virtual working teams and their role and appointement in the international business EU“ – international project developed in collaboration with the “Matej Bel” University of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia and the University of Economics in Hradec Králové, Slovakia. Project manager: Mgr. Maria Pomffyova PhD, from the “Matej Bel” University in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Project coordinator for the Romanian side: Assoc.  prof. Rodica Teodora Biriş, “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad.
• “The social impact and the changes in 1918 in the structure and character of the local communities” project developed in collaboration with the “Matej Bel” University of Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Project manager: Prof. Tomas Chorvat PhD, from the “Matej Bel” University in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia. Project coordinator for the Romanian side: Assoc.  prof. Rodica Teodora Biriş, “Vasile Goldiş” Western University of Arad.
• The Hu-Ro project “Comunicare interculturală în spaţiul educaţional” – “Intercultural communication in the educational space”
  • coordinators: “Aurel Vlaicu” Gymnasium School Arad, prof. Petruşca Tămăşan
  • partners School of Hodmezovasarhely, Hungary, Prof. Arva Lasylo and the “Fr. Schiller ” Center for German Studies from the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, Physical Education and Sports,“ Vasile Goldis” Western University of Arad, Assoc.  prof. Rodica Teodora Biriş

– development period: September 1^st 2012 – August 31^st 2014