The inaugural cohort of the Knowledge Without Borders: Democracy and Memory fellowship includes four first-generation, Pell-eligible students participating in the CIEE Berlin Open Campus program. Throughout the semester, the fellows will engage with historians and civic leaders to analyze how Germany has reconciled with its past, including the legacy of Nazism and the Holocaust, since 1945.

For participants like University of Wisconsin student Carter Maki, the program offers a perspective on democratic resilience that transcends traditional academic settings. Maki noted that observing Germany’s political evolution firsthand provides vital context for understanding how nations rebuild after institutional failure. CIEE President James P. Pellow emphasized that the initiative aims to bring history to life by placing students in direct contact with the cultural and political environments they study. By connecting German experiences with their own communities in the United States, the fellows are tasked with examining the challenges that arise when new generations begin to reevaluate the collective memory foundations of a democratic state.