On 5 April 2016 the president of the Leibniz association, Prof. Matthias Kleiner visited the GEI for the first time. The management team and several members of staff explained the history of the Institute and gave him an overview of the Institute’s many activities and functions. The head of the library Dr Anke Hertling and librarian Christiane Klaes gave the president a tour of the research library and showed him the comprehensive collection of international textbooks, focussing particularly on new developments in the area of digital educational media. The GEI started digitising historic textbook collections in 2009 with the support of the German Research Association (DFG). Over one million pages have so far been digitised. The internet platform GEI-Digital currently provides free access to over 4,300 German historical primers and textbooks pertaining to the subjects of history, geography, politics and natural sciences

Prof. Kleiner was impressed by the breadth of the research undertaken by the Institute and he listened with interest to the presentation by research fellow Nadin Tettschlag on the Zwischentöne project (Nuances - Teaching materials for classroom diversity). The project prepares and supplies specially designed teaching modules that address and investigate themes and perspectives relevant to an increasingly pluralistic society, shaped by migration.

The research fellows Dr Dirk Sadowski and Dr Thomas Strobel explained the role of the textbook commissions and discussed with Prof. Kleiner the results of the German-Israeli textbook commission, which last year presented its recommendations to the foreign office. Prof. Kleiner enquired after the current state of German-Polish cooperation in light of recent political changes in Poland.

Dr Stephanie Zloch presented the themes and methodology behind the project Migration and Education in Germany since 1945, which is supported by the Leibniz Association as part of the Leibniz Competition. The institute’s digital information and research infrastructures were also of great interest to the President of the Leibniz Association. Bianca Pramann was able, in the short time available, to provide an absorbing insight into the portals and platforms developed by the Institute such as edu.data. Following the presentations was a lively discussion with PhD students and post-doc researchers on the situation for early career scholars and career paths within research.

Two days later the head of the Textbooks and Society department, Prof. Riem Spielhaus travelled to Berlin to meet President Gauck at an event organised by the Robert Bosch Stiftung. The forum titled “Refugees in Germany: Enabling Integration - Strengthening Solidarity” was held in Schloss Bellevue. Around 200 guests from the fields of education and politics discussed current challenges in refugee policies as well as specific issues related to the integration of refugees in the labour market and education. President Gauck stressed that the process of integration must start immediately after arrival. Prof. Spielhaus took part in the workshop „Bildung und Spracherwerb“ (Education and language acquisition), which discussed and amended the recommendations made by the Robert Bosch Expert Commission to Consider a Realignment of Refugee Policy. Clear legal guidelines are required governing, for example, inclusion in day-to-day school life, further financial investment and certain changes to the education system. Education practitioners stated their requirements for new digital and analogue teaching materials relevant to the changing situation and for teacher training to take an integrated approach to cultural and linguistic heterogeneity.

Exciting times for the GEI – we are proud to have met with two presidents in one week.

Contact at Georg Eckert Institute

Catrin Schoneville
Press and public relations officer
Tel.: +49 (0)531 / 59099 -504
E-Mail: schoneville@leibniz-gei.de