Welcome to the North American Studies Program

Dedicated to the transdisciplinary and comparative study of the United States and Canada, the North American Studies Program provides an innovative space of inquiry into theories and practices of culture, transatlantic relations, and processes of globalization. In both research and teaching, we focus on the interplay of political and economic structures with literary and cultural forms and discourses, the dynamics of race, class, gender, and sexuality, and the interrogation of North America in a global context. Our distinctive strengths are in such areas as literary and cultural theory, Native and Indigenous studies, gender studies and feminist critique, environmental studies, visual culture studies, the intersections of law and culture, and dialogues between cultural studies and the natural sciences.

Established in 1990 as a joint venture of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, the North American Studies Program ranks as one of the best places in Germany to study and do research in the field and has gained an outstanding reputation for its conferences, guest lectures, and lecture series on issues of North American and cultural studies. We foster the education of students who wish to think broadly, work independently, and pursue innovative research projects. Our faculty members are experts in literary and cultural studies, political science, and economics and also include visiting scholars. In addition, students profit from our close cooperation with colleagues in the fields of history and postcolonial studies at the University of Cologne and from our long-standing alliances with U.S. and Canadian universities.

Lecture Series of the North American Studies Program |

in cooperation with the Amerika Haus NRW e. V., the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung (bpb), and the Deutsch-Kanadische Gesellschaft e. V. (DKG)

While the protagonists of the 2024 and 2020 U.S. presidential election remain the same, the geopolitical framework as well as the cultural and economic climate – in the U.S. as well as globally – have shifted considerably during the last four years.

Accordingly, whether Joe Biden or Donald Trump will make the race to the White House in November 2024 does have a distinct impact on the shape of transnational relations, communication, and cooperation.

Engaging the issues driving the 2024 presidential election from multiple perspectives, this lecture series offers a platform for interrogating the complexities of a momentous democratic decision fraught with consequences.

Location (if not announced differently):
Rabinstraße 8 | 53111 Bonn | seminar room 8

See all events of the Lecture Series of the North American Studies Program here.



More Events

Russia's War on Ukraine: Transforming Transatlantic Relations
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has fundamentally reshaped transatlantic relations, laying bare Europe's reliance on the United States for security ...
"Mapping the Race to the White House"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
This year’s presidential race is likely to be particularly close, with possibly only a few thousand voters in battleground states determining the outcome. With ...
"The Digital and the Political"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
We are currently witnessing the merging of digital and analogous worlds. In this new media framework, the development of generative AI and the increasing ...
"The Presidential Elections: Views from the States"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
The U.S. Constitution and political system separate powers between branches and levels of government. Despite such division and decentralization of powers, ...
"American Democracy at Risk"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
04:00 PM - 06:00 PM
As American democracy has come increasingly under attack from within, and lies, conspiracy theories, and physical violence thrive, artist Bill Travis has ...
"Feeling is Believing"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Why has conspiracy theory risen to prominence in our current political moment–especially in the US, where presidential candidate Donald Trump has frequently ...
"The 2024 U.S. Election Seen from Down Under"
via Zoom
10:00 AM - 11:55 AM
Most prominently at stake for Australia in the 2024 US election is the direction of Australian conservative politics. Trump engages an idiom and symbolism that ...
"Europe Alone at Home"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Founded in 1949 to counter the Soviet threat, NATO now faces a renewed threat from Russia. For more than three decades Europe seemed to be at ease, enjoying ...
The Orbanization of the United States
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Viktor Orbán’s “illiberal democracy” has become a model for the global radical right. At the Conservative Political Action (CPAC) conference in Washington, DC, ...
"Trump-Proofing Transatlantic Security"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Donald J. Trump’s presidency (2017-21) was a rough ride for Europeans: Trump called NATO obsolete, repeat-edly scolded allies, questioned US security ...
"How the Republicans Threaten U.S. Democracy"
Bundeszentrale für ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Descriptions of political opponents as “vermin” and migrants engaged in “poisoning the blood of our country” illustrate the extent to which Donald Trump’s ...
"Canadian Perspectives on the 2024 U.S. Election"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Canadians are paying close attention to the 2024 U.S. presidential election, reflecting multiple concerns and considerations about the potential outcome and ...
Forum Beruf North American Studies
Regina-Pacis-Weg 3, ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
"Studierende fragen - Alumni antworten" Join us for this year's "Forum Beruf" on June 24th, 6 p.m. (s.t.)
"An Old White Men's Election Campaign"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
The current presidential race is dominated by the oldest pair of candidates in the history of US elec-tions, both of whom are highly un-popular in the general ...
Earth in the Balance?
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Earth in the Balance? Environmental Politics and US American Elections Environmental issues have never loomed large in U.S. presidential elections; the ...
Literature in Motion: Black Authors and the Movies
IAAK, Rabinstraße 8 ...
02:00 PM - 04:00 PM
The book is “almost everywhere,” lamented Henry James in 1899. Advancements in transport as well as communications and printing technologies effected an ...
"Women, Power, and the Presidential Elections"
Bundeszentrale für ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
Just four years ago, the election of the first “Madam President” seemed immi-nent: six women, the highest number ever, competed in the Democratic primaries. ...
"The Economy as National Security?"
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
06:00 PM - 08:00 PM
The United States increasingly sees the economy as part of its national security to which China is deemed to pose the greatest threat. Consequently, a key ...
Student Symposium
IAAK, Rabinstr. 8, 53111 ...
01:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Join us for our Student Symposium in the context of Prof. Dr. Sabine Sielke's seminar "On the Occasion of the 2024 Presidential Election: Media, Culture, ...

NAS News

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© Carlsen

"Indigenous People from North America Tell Their Stories"

Prof. Dr. Sabine N. Meyer, co-director of the North American Studies Program, functioned as a scientific advisor for the German publishing house Carlsen, supporting them with the publication of the Indigenous-authored monograph Indigenous People from North America Tell Their Stories by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger (in German: Indigene Menschen aus Nordamerika erzählen, Carlsen, 2024). This book, aimed at German children ages 10 and up, provides a lively insight into the contemporary lives, knowledges, and histories of the Indigenous people of North America. Check it out

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© WDR. Image Source: https://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr5/sendungen/zeitzeichen/zeitzeichen-grundsteinlegung-freiheitsstatue-new-york-114~_tag-05082024.html

WDR Radio Broadcast on the History of the Statue of Liberty with Prof. Trautsch as Expert

On August 5, 1884, the cornerstone for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty was laid. On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of this event, the West German Broadcasting Service (WDR5) aired a radio show, in which the fascinating history of America’s most iconic monument is analyzed and which features an interview with Professor Trautsch.

 

Here you can listen to the history podcast on the Statue of Liberty:

https://www1.wdr.de/radio/wdr5/sendungen/zeitzeichen/zeitzeichen-grundsteinlegung-freiheitsstatue-new-york-114~_tag-05082024.html

Photo Bryan Wagner.jpg
© Bryan Wagner

The North American Studies Department welcomes Professor Bryan Wagner as a visiting scholar funded by a Lessenich fellowship

The North American Studies Department is pleased to welcome Professor Bryan Wagner as a visiting scholar funded by a Lessenich fellowship. Professor Wagner will be researching and teaching in Bonn in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Sabine N. Meyer in June and July.

Bryan Wagner is Professor in the English Department and affiliated faculty in the American Studies Program, Folklore Program, and Center for the Study of Law and Society at the University of California, Berkeley.

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© Volker Lannnert, University of Bonn

Job Advertisement: Senior Lecturer Economics

The Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms University of Bonn is looking for a new position to be filled starting October 1, 2024, for a period of four years:

Senior Lecturer ("Akademische/r Oberrätin/Oberrat") (m/f/d) for North American Studies | Economics

Application deadline is May 17, 2024.

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© Sabine N. Meyer

"Entangled Lives, Entangled Freedom(s)" - Talk by Prof. Meyer at the University of Texas at Austin, USA

On February 26, 2024, Prof. Sabine N. Meyer, Co-director of the North American Studies Program at the University of Bonn, gave a lecture on "Entangled Lives, Entangled Freedom(s): The Transformative Potential of Contemporary Black Indigenous Literature" at the University of Texas at Austin, USA.

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© NAS

Panel Discussion with Former Members of Congress

On October 24, 2023, the North American Studies Program of the University of Bonn together with its cooperation partners had the pleasure of hosting former members of the U.S. House of Representatives Val Demings and Luke Messer.

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© NAS Bonn

Ambassador's Award 2023

The US Ambassador’s Award is making its return in 2023 following a several-year hiatus.  

Next application phase for our M.A. in North American Studies:

May 13, 2024 until September 2, 2024 (for the winter term 2024/25)

Contact

Nordamerikastudienprogramm                                   
Institut für Anglistik, Amerikanistik und Keltologie
Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn
Rabinstraße 8
D-53111 Bonn

office@nap-uni-bonn.de
Phone: +49-(0)228-73-1836
Fax: +49-(0)228-73-9674 

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