Working with German professor Dr. Diana Stantcheva from the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) as a collaborative team within GLCA’s Global Course Connections Program over the past four years has been a most productive and enjoyable journey. Both Denison and AUBG students have been collaborating on a great variety of projects for 7 continuous semesters. These courses have ranged from intermediate to advanced level , from language to content-focused, and from simple technologies to complex digitally innovative courses.
Students on both sides have gotten to know each other and both professors over the years, and it’s not been seldom that students who had worked together on a digitally supported project found each other to be partners again three semesters later. Via Google Hangouts and later Zoom video-conferencing students on both sides have met regularly over time to discuss American and East-European culture, US and German politics, the refugee situation in Europe, German media, Homosexuality in German film, gender and family, and linguistic phenomena, and much more – all in German!
This fall, on November 7th, Dr. Stantcheva came to Dr. Dillmann’s “Media in Germany” course to discuss the US presidential election from a European perspective with the class. In turn, students in the course explained and discussed the American voting system with Dr. Stantcheva who was extremely impressed both by how politically informed our students were and how well they were able to describe the complex election system and state their own opinions on the two competing candidates in very clear German.
Dr. Stantcheva’s husband Vladi, an accomplished artist based in Sofia and Berlin, joined us for a campus tour where he talked with several students in German. He was particularly interested in students working at the election information table in Slayter Hall and likewise impressed by how politically savvy and engaged our students are. The stereotype that young Americans are indifferent to the politics in their own country was certainly not confirmed on our campus.
Definitely a highlight of Diana’s and Vladi’s visit – according to both Diana and Vladi – was visiting the Mulberry MixLab with its director, Christian Faur, showing them the lab space with its manifold artistic production programs and demonstrating to them how the various 3-D printers set up in Mulberry and the Bryant Arts Center function. Diana was especially delighted about the special gift she received from Christian: her name laser-cut into a piece of wood.
We concluded the evening with a meal at Day Y Noche, where two of our Denison students had the pleasure to be captured spontaneously in a portrait drawing by the artist at the dinner table. They said that they would always treasure this unexpected gift.
Thank you, Diana and Vladi, for your visit and sharing your thoughts and experiences with our students!
GABRIELE DILLMANN 
This is very encouraging for course connections. Well done all.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for your comment, Emilienne. Are you interested in a GCC course or perhaps even doing one? You are from AU Beirut, right?
LikeLike
Dr. Stancheva’s Besuch war ein sehr tolles Ereignis. Nach zwei Jahren mit Arbeit auf Zoom, haben wir uns getroffen. Ihre Perspektive von der politischen Landschaft in Bulgarian war sehr gut für einen amerikanischen Student. Ihr Besuch war sehr nett und machte viel Spaß.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Stancheva Besuch war ein tolles Ereignis. Wir haben zusammen für zwei Jahre auf Zoom gearbeitet. Aber wir haben uns nach vielen Zoom Videos letzte Woche getroffen . Ihre Beschreibung der politischen Landschaft in Bulgarian war sehr lehrreich und interessant.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Es hat mich gefreut, Dr. Stantcheva und Vladi kennenzulernen. Der Besuch war für mich eine Gelegenheit für Brücke schlagen. Mit diesem Besuch überbrücken wir die Zeitspanne zwischen Granville und Blagoevgrad, weil ich endlich von Angesicht zu Angesicht im gleichen Raum reden könnte. Wir haben schon zusammen für eine Klasse auf Zoom gearbeitet. Dr. Stantchevas Beschreibung von ihrer Forschung und ihrem Leben war sehr informativ und interessant. Das Abendessen mit den Professorinnen und Vladi habe ich geschätzt, weil es mir die Möglichkeit außen der Klasse gab, deutsch zu üben. Dieser Besuch hat den Nagel auf den Kopf getroffen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Stanchevas Besuch war nett und super interessant! Sie war sehr freundlich, und wir hatten ein sehr gutes Gespräch über ihre Forschung und Politik in Europa und Amerika. Ich habe es besonders interessant gefunden, als Dr. Stancheva von dem Kontrast zwischen die Bulgarien ihrer Kindheit und die Bulgarien von Heute. Ich freue mich, dass ich Dr. Stancheva kennengelernt habe, und ich hoffe, dass wir zusammen in Zukunft durch GLCAs “Globally Connected Courses” arbeiten werden!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Danke, Gabi, für die wunderbare Zeit in Columbus und Granville und für all die unvergesslichen Eindrücke! Herzliche Grüße an alle und schöne Ferien!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Inspired by both Dr. Dillmann’s ad Dr. Stantcheva’s very impressive work, I started replicating the experience in Arabic, both my students and I Iove it! Thank you both for leading us in this field.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ich habe nicht die Klasse oder das Abendessen mit Dr. Stancheva besucht, aber ich habe gehöre, dass beide sehr angenehm und interessant waren. Ich hoffe, wir haben in Zukunft mehr Möglichkeiten, mit Dr. Stancheva zu sprechen!
LikeLike