CHIBOW ESRs meet in Augsburg, Germany

Last week, 4-6 December, CHIBOW ESRs were hosted by Augsburg University and the Bukowina Institute in Augsburg (Germany) for the first Internal ESR Seminar. The idea of this meeting was to listen an update on individual research projects and have time for discussion and feedback. Beside the brief overview each presentation included the main addressed issue was: how particular topic has developed or changed over time. Additionally, every ESR tried to answer questions about its position in CBOW frame, what theoretical frame, methodology, terminology and definitions uses and how they fit in local contexts. Each talked about new findings and discoveries, challenges and obstacle during the research and what next steps are planned to take. Another crucial topic was how ESRs as a second generation of researcher in CBOW field can contribute in both the research on children born of war and local various contexts sometimes by touching completely new, and tabooed topic. Everyone found this is a useful way to collaborate and a network like CHIBOW ITN gives extraordinary opportunities to exchange ideas and provide comparative approach in research. One could see that sometimes in two different projects is possible to find unexpected similarities in state policies, social responses towards CBOW or just in particular biographies. It shows the globalism of that issue on the one hand but also how much they have in common.

After long and fruitful discussions ESRs had possibility to taste Bavarian food and admire traditional Christmas Market on Augsburg’s Main Square. It is worth to mention too that during that time CHIBOW fellows lived in extraordinary place – the Grandhotel Cosmopolis e.V., – hotel, hostel and refugee asylum in the same time “which treats all it’s inhabitants as equals: hotel guests with or without asylum, artists, visitors, staff, craftsmen. People with diverse backgrounds, motivations and professions in most different circumstances meet here, in this place, and are inspired by the possibilities it offers (more about the project: http://refugeesforcocreativecities.eu/grandhotel-cosmopolis/)