Fremdsprachen

Arbeitskreis Current Affairs XXI: Practising English by Discussing Current Topics (Summer Term 2026): Resilient Societies – Medicine and Health as Reflected in Science, Politics and Art

It is a self-organized course by Gasthörendenstudium (GHS) students for GHS students. It is designed for persons who have reasonable knowledge of English and would welcome the opportunity to practise their English in a pleasant atmosphere. By taking part, you may not only improve your English language skills but also expand your knowledge on a variety of subjects. 

In last winter term (2025/2026) we discussed the following issues: “Premature deaths due to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM)” - a fact-check, “James Webb Space Telescope   pushing limits of science”, “Illiberal Democracy”, Introduction of the „Archipelago Svalbard“, “The Guest Student and Senior Citizen Study Program” - a look at Leibniz University and beyond, “About Holmes, Poirot and their authors” - on the 50^th anniversary of Agatha Christie’s death (12-01-1976) and “Global State Indebtedness”.

At the beginning of our course, we appreciate to define a provisional list of topics. Therefore, all participants should bring in their suggestions for the first meeting. However, the success of this course requires a sufficient number of people willing to give a short introduction into the chosen topic and provide participants with information material and reading recommendations the week before.

For winter term 2025/2026, GHS has selected the framework topic “Resilient Societies - Medicine and Health as Reflected in Science, Politics and Art". The Science Year 2026 aims to make the medicine of the future transparent and to promote it. This will focus on both scientific and societal/everyday relevant topics in health research, such as resilience and prevention. This summer semester, we too will address this highly complex topic and examine, from various perspectives, how societal resilience develops and what role medicine, as well as concepts of health and illness, play in this process. The history of science reveals how profoundly medicine has influenced not only the development of new disciplines (e.g., molecular biology) but also shaped our understanding of the body, gender, normality, and deviation, thereby significantly impacting ethics, law, politics, and everyday culture. 

Presentations regarding to this issue are highly welcome but not compulsory.

Those who consider their command of English too weak to manage a presentation will not be left to themselves. Pairs or small groups may be formed to share the workload. Members should also feel free to experiment with different forms of presentation like pro and con speeches, formal debates, interviews etc. Presenters are asked to concentrate on two or three relevant aspects of their topic so that enough time for discussion is guaranteed. The introduction should not exceed 20 to 30 minutes. We are looking forward to meeting students who are interested in practising their English language skills.

Lateinkurs für Anfänger II

In diesem Kurs setzen wir die im Wintersemester begonnen Schritte in die lateinische Sprache fort. Dieser zweite Kurs ist so konzipiert, dass wir mit der Grammatik und den Lektüretexten nahtlos an den Stand im Wintersemester anknüpfen. Ein Wörterbuch, „Stowasser“ oder „PONS Wörterbuch Schule und Studium“ (90.000 Stichworte) sollte zur Hand sein und wird im Laufe des Kurses wichtiger, wenn wir längere Texte übersetzen. Zudem können Grammatiken zum Wiederholen und Vertiefen des Stoffes hilfreich sein, z.B.: Orbis Romanus – Elementargrammatik, ISBN 978-3-14-010330-5. Es können aber auch ältere oder alte Grammatiken genutzt werden; Unterschiede bestehen nur hinsichtlich der Übersichtlichkeit.

EULiST Art Lunch – A digital lecture for the lunch break
Pop Art in Europe

Throughout art history, there have always been sensational artistic movements that have provoked and changed art and society with their new approaches. Pop Art is one such artistic movement. Originating in New York in the 1950s and early 1960s and soon establishing itself in London, pop art became well known and influential through exhibitions in major museums throughout Europe. The provocation in Pop Art stemmed from a reversal of values within the field of education: everyday life was placed at the centre, mass media was incorporated, advertising was upgraded; in short, everything that had not previously been considered high art was now declared to be at its core.

In reporting on Pop Art, artists such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein take centre stage, while artists in the various European countries and the respective national interpretations of what is essentially an international style are less well known. The European alliance EULiST, comprising universities in Sweden and Finland, France and Germany, Spain, Austria, Slovakia and Czechia, as well as Italy and Greece, offers the opportunity to explore how Pop Art was implemented in these countries and what special features can be observed there.

Every week at lunchtime, Pop Art in Europe is discussed comparatively in several of the EULiST countries, with each session being self-contained. Art Lunch places particular emphasis on methodological approaches to art and artistic movements such as Pop Art. Here, the reversal of values was challenging for art history. How should one react to such provocations?

Let yourself be surprised by the selection and sophistication of historical and contemporary works of art and the methodology of their research.

Dates:

• 22.04.2026 How Pop Art conquered Europe
• 29.04.2026 Pop Art in Czech Republic and Slovakia
• 06.05.2026 Pop Art in France and Spain
• 13.05.2026 Pop Art in Sweden and Finland
• 20.05.2026 Pop Art in Germany and Austria