The application for the establishment of a regional group of the German Society for Eastern European Studies (DGO) on the initiative of young women scientists from the Mod-Block-GDR project was successful, so that the regional group in Bremen will start its work. The DGO provides financial support for the networking activities of Eastern European researchers and will facilitate the presentation of research results to the Bremen public by organizing public events.

The DGO is the largest professional association for research on Eastern Europe in the German-speaking world, to which researchers from various social science disciplines belong. Within the "Junge DGO", the junior researcher organization within the DGO, the application to establish a regional group in Bremen was successful. The initiative came from Josephine Assmus (Institute for Intercultural and International Studies, University of Bremen), Mareike zum Felde (Research Center Eastern Europe & Faculty of Business Studies and Economics at the University of Bremen), Caroline Finkeldey (Bavarian State Library) and Olga Masyutina (Faculty of Business Studies and Economics at the University of Bremen).

The Bremen Regional Group, which is led by Mareike zum Felde and Caroline Finkeldey, will hold regular meetings (Osteuropa-Stammtisch) for Bremen DGO members and people interested in Eastern Europe to discuss current developments in Eastern Europe and to organize joint events. A concrete field of topics, which the group will deal with in different event formats, are environmental and climate policy issues, which have so far been little studied and discussed with regard to Eastern Europe. Examples will be used to introduce climatic and related social changes into the debate. For example, a photo exhibition on the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl catastrophe, a film screening on nature conservation along rivers and a panel discussion on grassroots activists for environmental protection in various countries of Eastern Europe are planned.

The regional group cooperates closely with the Research Center for Eastern Europe and the University of Bremen. Furthermore, the regional group plans to intensify its cooperation with non-governmental organizations (e.g. Klimawerkstadt) in Bremen and Lower Saxony as well as with institutions in Eastern Europe, for example the Higher School of Economics Moscow. Everyone interested is very welcome.

Contact: Mareike zum Felde, Email: jungedgo-bremenprotect me ?!dgo-onlineprotect me ?!.org