Start of the Berlin Term for the Three Joint Master Programmes

Willkommen to Berlin! At the beginning of February, we welcomed our Joint Master students to CIFE in Berlin: 54 students from 27 different countries from 4 continents studying economic policy, climate diplomacy and cultural governance. Having spent their first term in Rome with our partner Luiss School of Government, they will now study at CIFE, first in Berlin and then in Nice.

The official ceremony started with welcome speeches by Programme Director Arnaud Leconte and Roman Seifert, representing Secretary of State Christian Hochgrebe of the Berlin Senate, Department of the Interior and Sports.

In his keynote speech, CIFE Director General Matthias Waechter warmly welcomed the students and introduced them to Germany's current political challenges - between the country's historically strong ties with the United States and the recent geopolitical shifts.

Afterwards, the students took part in an engaging simulation game on the IPCC Scientific Reports regarding climate change: seven experienced facilitators from Climate Fresk Deutschland introduced the Joint Master students to the causes and consequences of climate change. The students worked in small groups to elaborate a climate fresk: using 42 cards with major facts and details of the scientific IPCC report, each group assembled its own fresk showing the interconnectedness of the different factors.

The day concluded with a special guided tour led by Zeitreisen Berlin: visiting major historical sites by bus and on foot, the students were able to discover Berlin’s eventful history by comparing archive images of the sites with their current state.

We wish our Joint Master students a very good start in Berlin, full of insights and discoveries - we're pleased to have you with us!