I am pleased to announce that, with the beginning of the fall semester, I took up my new position as the Stephen Feinstein chair and Director of the Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies and as a faculty member of the Department of Sociology at University of Minnesota.
I am thrilled and honored to direct a center forged by the extraordinary vision of Stephen Feinstein, its founding director. I am committed to the mission of CHGS, advancing scholarship and collaboration across units of the University, and linking scholarship with public service and outreach to all sectors of society.
Since I started my work here in Minnesota I have been meeting with colleagues across the University and partners in the community. My objective is to identify synergies in order to develop collaborative efforts that build on the rich heritage of successful events and initiatives over the past 15 years at CHGS.
It is my intention to further develop CHGS as a major center of academic research, distinguished both by its international scope and local sensitivity. We will establish partnerships with institutions in the US and abroad, initially focusing on Europe and Latin America, to enhance the Center's national and international visibility and to attract graduate students and scholars. We will promote and undertake research and publication projects, develop attractive programs for lectures, conferences and workshops as well as innovative teaching initiatives. All these activities will be focused on raising awareness of Holocaust memory and advancing our understanding of the conditions and prevention of genocide within and beyond campus.
This can be achieved with the help of the Center´s staff and advisory board, community-based partners and friends, and with the support and collaboration of colleagues throughout the College of Liberal Arts and the University. I very much look forward to working together with you to reach these goals.
Please feel free to stop by my office to share thoughts and ideas. I look forward to meeting you.
With best regards,
Alejandro Baer
