51° - Magazine
"51° - Our coordinates for ideas between culture and knowledge" is the name of the Stiftung Mercator's magazine. 51° is the latitude on which Essen lies and stands for our home city here on the Ruhr river, but also for our position in the world and our international orientation. Four times a year, 51° tells you about ideas that move us. It contains a special feature, reports about our projects, interviews with and articles written by leading names in politics, research and civic society to provide readers with insights into our work.
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51° 4/2011: The Changing Face of Islam
Once again, Europe finds itself at a crossroads. The discussion of the euro makes it clear just how much more work is needed to build our “common European house” if we are to preserve that which is important to us, while the discussions we pursued with Mario Monti, Timothy Garton Ash, Norbert Röttgen and many others at our Dahrendorf Symposium in Berlin confirmed this. Following the symposium, we joined forces with Helmut Anheier and Arne Westad in mid-November to publish an open letter in the ZEIT weekly newspaper about the strengthening of Europe, a letter which was signed by a whole host of European intellectuals, from Jürgen Habermas to Krzysztof Michalski. more
51° 3/2011: International Exchange
More and more young people nowadays are choosing to spend a period of time abroad while still at school or university, which is a good thing too given that foreign travel fosters individual development and plays a major role in forming character. What is more, it is of central importance for young people to acquire an understanding of foreign countries and cultures in order for the foundations to be laid for people to live together in peace, harmony and democracy worldwide. This is one of the reasons why we have decided to devote this edition of 51° to the theme of “International Exchange”. more
51° 2/2011 China
Cooperation and conflict are inextricably linked in international relations work. There is one thing above all that fundamental differences between nations and a lack of mutual understanding make abundantly clear, however – and that is the essential need for dialogue. more
51° 1/2011: University development
Over the past decade, universities have been given much greater scope to take their own decisions, and have been subject to growing expectations. This dynamism has brought with it a marked process of differentiation within the higher education system. This process, and the competition it entails, have prompted universities to seek out cooperation partners with a view to strengthening their own position. more
51° 3/2010: Climate & Energy
If global warming continues at the current rate, it will have a huge impact on life on our planet. There is only one way we can stop this development: by drastically reducing emissions of the greenhouse gases. The key area here is the energy sector. more
51° 2/2010: School
At Mercator, we believe in the strength of the school as an institution, and promote and foster this strength in different ways. Our strategic goal is to improve access to education for children and young people regardless of their origin, and thereby to promote equal opportunities for all. more
51° 1/2010: Science in the Ruhr Area
Today the Ruhr Metropolis is one of the largest science regions in Germany after Berlin and Munich. At Mercator, we believe that cooperation between institutions needs to be supported if this goal is to be achieved and, equally, their competitiveness must be improved. more
51° 4/2009: European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010
This issue of 51° is all about the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010. With 2.8 million euros and six projects, Stiftung Mercator is the largest non-commercial private sponsor of the European Capital of Culture RUHR.2010. more
51° 3/2009: Networks
Across the board of its three competence centres, Stiftung Mercator initiates and funds a variety of networks. Teachers, for example, are often described as lone warriors, but often all they are lacking is the opportunity to share their experiences with colleagues in other schools or to seek the advice of experts from other fields. more
51° 2/2009: Climate change
The effects of climate change are going to become much more visible in the coming years, and our climate system is at risk of becoming unbalanced. Stiftung Mercator has defined climate change as one of its core areas of focus in an attempt to raise awareness of the need to rethink and change the way we live, which is why climate change is also the main theme of this issue of 51°. more
51° 1/2009: Asia
Asia will have a major influence on the work of Stiftung Mercator in the coming years. We will be stepping up our commitment in this region, focusing particularly on China and – as a bridge between the continents – on Turkey. more
51° first issue/2008: Integration
The main theme of the first issue of 51° is “integration”. 15 million people of immigrant origin live in Germany today – that’s 19 percent of the population, and a large number of them are still disadvantaged in the education sector and job market. more