As part of the new ‘Conflict and Peace in Europe’ Experiential Learning Course (ELC), EdUHK’s Department of International Education organised a study tour to Berlin and Brussels in June 2024.

The summer tour, led by Dr Ezechiel Thibaud, started in Berlin, where students learned about the Nazi regime, the Second World War and the Cold War. They visited the Sachsenhausen concentration camp, the Topography of Terror museum, the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, and the Berlin Wall. “In terms of content, this was a dense learning experience,” says Dr Thibaud. “Berlin had a direct impact on the students emotionally, which serves to help them learn and remember the subject matter,” she adds.

The next stop was Brussels, famous for its baroque, neo-gothic and art nouveau architecture, and is the main seat of the European Parliament, as well as home to other European Union (EU) institutions. There, the students learned about the process through which European countries established peace and economic relations from the debris of post-war Europe, to form what became the EU.

“The purpose of this ELC is to help students understand the world today, through learning about the process of peace-making in Western and Central Europe. The study tour presented the students with a fantastic opportunity to learn from the mistakes and successes of the past and reflect on how to build a brighter future,” explains Dr Thibaud.

Plans are being made for a study tour next summer, focusing on different cities’ roles and places in today’s Europe.