Johannes Grotzky, Expert on Eastern Europe, Named Honorary Professor

Dr Johannes Grotzky, who has been the director of radio broadcasting at the Bayerischer Rundfunk since 2002, has been named honorary professor of Eastern European Studies, Culture and Media at the University of Bamberg’s Slavic studies institute. His official appointment was finalised by university president Professor Godehard Ruppert on March 10th.

Johannes Grotzky is not only a scholar of Slavic linguistics and Southeast European regional and cultural studies, but also of communication studies. Over the years, Mr Grotzky has amassed a tremendous amount of experience, first as a Moscow correspondent for the radio division of Germany’s ARD public broadcast consortium, later as director of the ARD’s regional radio broadcast studio for Southeast Europe, and most recently as the radio broadcasting director of the Bavarian ARD affiliate, Bayerischer Rundfunk. He has not only drawn on this experience in his numerous, highly regarded publications, but also in informative and personal courses that he has been teaching at the University of Bamberg since the 2012/13 winter semester.

Professor Grotzky’s interdisciplinary courses address topics like “Media and Language in Russia,” or “Southeast Europe – External Perception and Self Image. On the Balkans’ Cultural and Media Reception.” Godehard Ruppert explains that, with courses like these, “Johannes Grotzky inspires students, provides those unfamiliar with Eastern Europe with an introduction this region and is dedicated to each and every course participant.”

The decision to appoint an honorary professor of Eastern European Studies, Culture and Media was taken by the University of Bamberg’s Senate, whose members and external reviewers all agreed on the exceptional level of Johannes Grotzky’s personal, academic and educational expertise. Professor Sebastian Kempgen, Chair of Slavic Linguistics, was pleased with the positive conclusion of the proposition that he squired through the various committees: “The Slavic studies institute here at the University of Bamberg considers itself truly fortunate to be able to add such a distinguished expert on Eastern Europe to our teaching programme. Johannes Grotzky’s interdisciplinary courses offer students of both Slavic studies and communications valuable insights into the direct, practical relevance of their studies.”

Interdisciplinarity and expansion are also the concepts at the core of Johannes Grotzky’s courses in the coming 2014 summer semester. His scheduled seminar titled “Glasnost and Perestroika. Soviet society’s cultural, literary and media awakening under Mikhail Gorbachev” is also the first Slavic studies course in which history students can earn credit towards their own studies.

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