During the workshop students from both partners learned about and discussed the history and transcultural dynamics of migration between and within Asia and Europe in light of the current developments in Europe. The workshop was opened by Björn-Ole Kamm, Project Specific Senior Lecturer at the Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, and former lecturer of the Graduate Programme for Transcultural Studies. The first talk was given by Dr. Steven Ivings, Assistant Professor in Cultural Economic History, on "Historical Reflections on the 'Refugee Crisis'". He discussed the current “crisis” in light of previous, similar migrations and movements, with a focus on post WW2 Germany and Japan, to shed light on questions of media representation and the “integration” of migrants. In a second talk, Sabrina Schider talked about her experiences as a volunteer helping refugees and the role of interpreters in the current situation in Europe, with a focus on Heidelberg. The workshop ended with a concluding discussion and reception.
The workshop was organised by Björn-Ole Kamm in context of the visit of a group of students from the Graduate School of Letters in Kyoto to Heidelberg in March. They were possible candidates for the planned joint degree MA Transcultural Studies to be established by the universities of Kyoto and Heidelberg in 2017.
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