Six members of Shoahlab have visited three institutions in the United States as a part of the project Introducing the First Holocaust and Genocide Studies MA Program in Serbia, funded by the United States Embassy in Serbia. During this nine-days study stay, they have paid a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Georgia State University, and Centre for Holocaust and genocide studies at the University of Minnesota. The study trip was an excellent opportunity for members of the lab to see different ways, methods, innovations and challenges in research and teaching Holocaust and genocide in the United States.
Their first days in Washington DC the delegation has spent in the USHMM, studying the permanent exhibition, learning about many programmes dedicated to teaching and learning about the Holocaust, and meeting representatives of the Mandel Centre for Advanced Holocaust Studies and centre for International Educational Outreach. The Museum’s permanent exhibition is undergoing a reconstruction which gave an excellent basis for a discussion on Holocaust interpretations in the US and comparison with similar national institutions in Europe.
In Atlanta, during the visit to Georgia State University, they were welcomed by Jelena Subotić, professor of international politics who also works on politics of memory of the Holocaust and her colleagues, experts for modern German history and genocide in Ruanda. They had a chance to observe a class within one of the interactive courses at the university, and to discuss contemporary team-work approaches in education. They did not miss the opportunity to visit the National Centre for Civil and Human rights in Atlanta and learn more about the history of racism and Black rights movement which started in this city. The meeting with colleagues and Georgia State University’s Centre for international cooperation has confirmed that the goal of our visit is a basis for future collaboration.
The visit to University of Minnesota started with a presentation of a long-term programme Mapping Prejudice on racial discrimination in Minneapolis. Afterwards, they had a fruitful meeting with representatives of the Centre for Global Studies, Centre for German and European Studies, Centre for Jewish Studies and their host, Centre for Holocaust and Genocide Studies, who gave insights in their programmes. These conversations led to significant and instructing comparisons and analysis, discussions on new methods of learning, and problems and possible solutions in implementation of a master programme in Holocaust and genocide studies.
Shoahlab expects future collaboration with all partner institutions; first through a series of lectures our colleagues will offer through our online platform by the end of the year. The lab will also welcome a delegation from our partner institutions in Belgrade in January next year. The study trip gave an exceptional foundation for implementation of the master programme in Holocaust and genocide studies, but also for further exchanges with the lab members and future students.
