Jackson Janes is the President Emeritus of the American-German Institute at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington, DC, where he has been affiliated since 1989.
Dr. Janes has been engaged in German-American affairs in numerous capacities over many years. He has studied and taught in German universities in Freiburg, Giessen and Tübingen. He was the Director of the German-American Institute in Tübingen (1977-1980) and then directed the European office of The German Marshall Fund of the United States in Bonn (1980-1985). Before joining AGI, he served as Director of Program Development at the University Center for International Studies at the University of Pittsburgh (1986-1988). He was also Chair of the German Speaking Areas in Europe Program at the Foreign Service Institute in Washington, DC, from 1999-2000 and is Honorary President of the International Association for the Study of German Politics .
Dr. Janes is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Atlantic Council of the United States, and American Purpose. He serves on the advisory boards of the Berlin office of the American Jewish Committee, and the Beirat der Zeitschrift für Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (ZfAS). He serves on the Selection Committee for the Bundeskanzler Fellowships for the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.
Dr. Janes has lectured throughout Europe and the United States and has published extensively on issues dealing with Germany, German-American relations, and transatlantic affairs. In addition to regular commentary given to European and American news radio, he has appeared on CBS, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, CBC, and is a frequent commentator on German television. Dr. Janes is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Education.
In 2005, Dr. Janes was awarded the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, Germany’s highest civilian award.
Education:
Ph.D., International Relations, Claremont Graduate School, Claremont, California
M.A., Divinity School, University of Chicago
B.A., Sociology, Colgate University
Expertise:
Transatlantic relations, German-American relations, domestic German politics, German-EU relations, transatlantic affairs.
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The Nobel Nudge
The response to the Nobel committee awarding this year’s peace prize to the European Union has been a mixed bag − and predictably so. The cynics pointed to the struggles …
Election 2013: Germany’s Campaign Commences
Last weekend, the national election season in Germany got an early start. The battle for the Bundestag and the office of Chancellor in September of 2013 is just now getting …
A Trying Transformation
Watching the celebration of Franco-German friendship this past week in Ludwigsburg should give anyone a reason to believe in the power of reconciliation in international affairs. Both Chancellor Merkel and …
The Chinese Catalyst
Angela Merkel’s visit to China last week is her sixth and largest foray into the Middle Kingdom, and it serves as a reminder to many of how decisive the weight …
October 3: Marking Milestones, Pursuing Processes
This week, Germany celebrated its unity for the twenty-second time on October 3. It is not one of those more prominent milestones such as a twentieth anniversary, but it serves once again …
Constitutional Challenges and Choices
The next time Chancellor Merkel and President Obama get together, they could compare notes on their experiences with waiting for an important decision from their respective Supreme Courts. In June, …
The Political Party Puzzle: A German-American Dilemma
As the Republicans gavel their convention in Tampa to start the coronation of Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate – and with the Democratic party convention following in North Carolina …
Seeking Solutions in Syria
While the media in the U.S. and in Europe spent the last two weeks largely focused on the final Olympic medals count in London, reports on the rising body count …
Europe’s Unclear Horizons
Geithner’s visit to the German island of Sylt this week to discuss plans for navigating the euro crisis clearly signals Washington’s growing discomfort with Europe’s economic situation. As AICGS President Jack Janes points out, leaders on both sides of the Atlantic are feeling the pressure to find clearer horizons amidst the turbulent economic forces battering their economies.
“Who’s Picking Up This Bill?”
The struggle over sharing the burden of a weak economy in Europe has generated tension not only between countries, but also within them. Germany is no exception – the national debate about subsidies for the Länder is reflective of the larger European debate about fiscal reform.
Counting on the Courts
As political discussions continues to heat up on both sides of the Atlantic, especially in Washington, DC, the courts have increasingly become the deciding factor on a number of fiercely debated issues. How could this trend affect the credibility that governments are fighting ever harder to maintain with their electorates?
A New Narrative about Stability and Growth in the European Union
Executive Director Jack Janes discusses the challenge of securing stability and growth in the European Union amid tough economic challenges, and the need for a new narrative about the meaning of both for the future of Europe.
