20 YEARS AFTER THE FALL OF THE BERLIN WALL & THE IRON CURTAIN

“The Business/Economic, Cultural, Political and Geographic Aspects
of the Past and Future Cooperation and Integration of Old and New Europe ”

Organisers: Al Hecht (VERC) and Mengsteab Tesfayohannes (CIGI)

Friday February 27, 2009, Wilfrid Laurier University , Waterloo , ON , Canada

Thursday Program, Thursday February, 26, 2009

3-5: Viessmann Seminar Room, 232 King Street

“Present Problems and Issues in Europe ”. Chair – Al Hecht

Informal discussion with European, Alexander von Humboldt Fellows, Canadian Colleagues and Grad students

5-8 Informal Reception, Viessmann Centre Foyer,

Viessmann European Research Centre, 232 King street Waterloo

By invitation

Friday Program February 27, 2009

8:30-10, Paul Martin Centre, Chair - Michael Imort, WLU

Gerhard Braun, FU Berlin, " The last twenty years of economic restructuring in Germany "

Joseph Nipper, U. of Cologne , “The war, the ‘Wende', the demographic change. Starting points of new paths in urban development in East Germany ?”

Alison Blay-Palmer, WLU, “ Creating sustainable food systems: Insights from the EU ”

10-10:30, Coffee

10:30-12, Paul Martin Centre- Chair Pierre Siklos, WLU & VERC

Gerald Romsa, Windsor, “ Ukraine 's Tortuous Road to Nationhood ”

Bob Sharpe, WLU, “High tech acceptance rates in east and west Europe , some comparisons”

Mengsteab Tesfayohannes, CIGI, Waterloo , “Possibilities and Problems of Re-Framing the U.S. Health Care System from the European Governance Perspective ”

12-1 Lunch

1-3:00, Paul Martin Centre- Barbara Carmichel, WLU

Jenna Hennebry, WLU, "Have the Walls Come Down? Migration and Integration in the European Union"

Marinel Mandres, WLU, and Alfred Hecht, VERC, “Inter-country migration trends in Europe analysis”

Sue Lucas, Temple U. , USA , “Assessing Public Support for European Integration Using the Eurobarometer”

Berbard Fanrenkia, CBU, "Aspects of German Communication Style"

3:00-3:15 Coffee

3:15-5:30, Paul Martin Centre, Panel – Chair Alexander Brenning, UW

“The changing European/EU culture and language mosaic”

Olga M. Mladenova ( U. of Calgary ), Steve Lofts ( U. of Western Ontario ),

Harald Bauder,(Ryerson) and Eileen Schuller ( McMaster U. )

All session are open to the public

Conference Dinner 7 PM, Paul Martin Centre, WLU,

By invitation

Dinner speaker is Dr. Gary Bruce, History Department, UW, “The Stasi of former East Germany ”

Saturday Program, February 28, 2009

9-12 Mennonite Tour of Waterloo County- Al Hecht

For outside guests

Some financial support from the organizations below are greatly appreciated:

Department of Geography and Environmental Studies