ECLA European College of Liberal Arts Holds First Alumni Reunion
More than 100 alumni from 25 countries to attend -- All classes since the first summer programme represented
One week after the end of the academic year 2005-06 student life returns to the ECLA campus with the college’s first ever alumni reunion. From June 30th to July 2nd 2006, ECLA will host former students who return to Berlin to see classmates and professors, to attend a seminar again and, most importantly, to catch up with each other’s stories on their “lives after ECLA”.„It is unusual for such a young institution to hold a reunion“, says Laurent Boetsch, President of the College. „As in many other respects, however, ECLA is different. We see year after year that our students take a part of the special campus atmosphere, a piece of ECLA with them when they leave. The opportunity to welcome them back on campus and to talk to representatives of each and every class since the first summer programme will be a wonderful learning opportunity and a great joy for us”.
More than 100 alumni from around the world have registered for the event. Some of them are still in Berlin, like Jonathan Widder, who is continuing his studies at the Freie Universität and has recently completed an internship with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Others, like Diana Marian from Romania, are working on their doctoral dissertations already. Diana is returning to Europe for the summer from New York University. Joseph Olapally, who completed ECLA’s Project Year programme after his BA at Harvard in 2004, is coming all the way from India.
President Laurent Boetsch und Provost Emeritus Richard Shriver will welcome the first arrivals on June 29th and accompany the alumni through the three day programme. Of course there will be discussion groups, seminars and movie screenings, but the most important part will surely be the opportunity for spontaneous exchange at all times of the day and night. Since Germany happens to be the host of this year’s football championships at the same time, ECLA has even come forward with a rather unorthodox decision: There will be TV-sets and screens for those who want to watch a match or two together.
The next academic programme at ECLA will be the International Summer University, starting on July 14th 2006. Academy Year and Project Year open their doors again in October. Starting in 2008, ECLA is also planning to offer a four-year BA programme.
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