Behind the PEGIDA Protests
As Francis Fukuyama describes in his latest book, Political Order and Political Decay, there is a vicious cycle within modern liberal democracies that is apparent today: a feedback loop of …
Joachim Gauck: Träume vom Paradies
The Presidential Office in Germany is a unique product of German history. It is a curious mixture of past monarchies and postwar symbolism of the Federal Republic. The office seeks …
Remembering MdB. Andreas Schockenhoff
Andreas Schockenhoff passed away recently, and AGI mourns a great loss. As a member of the Bundestag, Andreas was a frequent participant in our programs and a deeply committed transatlantic …
A World in Flux: German American Relations in a Changing American Order
This year’s AGI Annual Symposium is framed around the idea of “A World in Flux”: the relative decline of the West’s economic power; the need to adapt our work forces …
The Swiss Apprenticeship System: Its Institutional Specificities and Strengths in International Perspective
If the U.S. aims to learn from the Swiss experience, it should seek ways to improve the reputation of work-based training programs through better linking the vocational and academic worlds of learning.
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Support Our WorkTuition Fees in Germany
In the 2013-2014 academic year, tuition fees for undergraduate students at American universities averaged a whopping $5,410 (€4,353) each semester—and this does not include housing, dining costs, or personal expenses.1 …
Replicating Germany’s “Dual system”?
Just off the main thoroughfare of Berlin’s Friedrichstrasse is the inconspicuous headquarters of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts. As the tourists pose for pictures outside Checkpoint Charlie – a …
Relevancy of Apprenticeships
During our apprenticeship tour of Germany, France, and the UK, I was impressed at the respect that the general population held for apprenticeship programs. One of our taxi drivers in …
Who Is an Apprentice?
While our focus in Europe has been on the broad structure of apprenticeship systems, we should not lose sight of the apprentices themselves. Many times we have been told “no …
Apprenticeship Loyalty in Hannover
Today we went to the MMBbS, an information technology and media vocational training school two hours south of Berlin by train, and learned about the school that was built on …
Dual System Dilemmas
Germany was derided not too long ago as the “sick man of Europe” after years of economic malaise. It is now lauded as the world’s Exportweltmeister; its current-account surplus even …
First Impressions of French Apprenticeships
As part of the AGI site visit tour, my colleagues and I spent our first day in Paris getting an in-depth view of the French apprenticeship system. We started off at …
