16. Mai 2017
The educational system is a mirror of the democratic challenges. France, the USA and Austria face very different but structural identical challenges.
21. März 2017
Auf dem Bildungssektor hat diese Meldung für einige Unruhe gesorgt. Die Staatsanwaltschaft für Wirtschafts- und Korruptions-Angelegenheiten leitete Ermittlungen gegen Bildungsministerin Sonja Hammerschmid ein. Der Auslöser: Verdachtsmomente bei der Vergabe von Millionenkrediten an Pharmafirmen in ihrer Zeit als Abteilungsleiterin der staatlichen Förderbank Austria Wirtschaft Service (aws). Es stellt sich die Frage, ob bei der Vergabe von Förderungen alles nach Vorschrift abgelaufen ist,...
15. November 2016
By now, it is over. The election race ended and the excitement has subsided. Surprisingly, Donald Trump is the president elect. Not Hillary Clinton. <<We should make sure that he feels welcomed, because his success is our success,>> they say. Really? Did I miss something? Has he shown any respect or did he welcome the diversity a Western country - especially the United States of America - should be proud of? This is a European take on the events during the last week.
07. November 2016
It seems that the same dilemma occurs in pretty much every democracy at some point. People get tired of voting. They are tired to vote the lesser of the (in many cases) two evils. Because in the end, the choice they make, is still evil. Comparing the USA to Austria, there are some parallels that stick out. In both countries people often do not know whom to vote. Yes, I often tell them that it is a democratic duty to vote, not just a constitutional right. But still. I often understand their...
25. Oktober 2016
In meiner Funktion als Generalsekretär von ENIS Austria bzw. als Education Blogger habe ich letzte Woche an zwei höchst interessanten Veranstaltungen teilgenommen. Zum Einen fand am 18. Oktober 2016 die eSkills-High-Level-Conference in Bratislava statt, zum Anderen die eLearning Experts Conference in Eisenstadt am 19. und 20. Oktober 2016. Es handelte sich um zwei Veranstaltungen, die das selbe Ziel verfolgen: Es geht darum, die kommende Generation besser digital auf den Arbeitsmarkt...
08. August 2016
In the last 18 months or so, the term patriotism has been used a lot. Often, it was used by nationalists who declare a monopoly on patriotism, just to cover up their nationalism and - let’s call it what it is - racism. The term patriotism got misused. The love for my country and my heritage has got nothing to do with my attitude towards other countries, people or cultures. In this week’s English Breakfast, I am going to reflect on the term patriotism.