Anja Eifert, M.A.
Assistant Lecturer for American Studies
Room 3501 | Phone: (0341) 973 7336
Office Hours: Wednesday, 3-5 pm; and by appointment
http://americanstudies.uni-leipzig.de/faculty/eifert
anja.eifert@uni-leipzig.de
Biography
I graduated from the University of Leipzig with an M.A. in American Studies and German Studies in 2008. Even though I have been a resident of Leipzig for many years, I have also spent several years abroad, for instance as an exchange student at the University of Miami, FL, and as a visiting scholar at Columbia University, New York City. After finishing my degree, I worked as a freelance publicist. Since Fall 2009, I am a member of the ASL faculty and I am currently writing my doctoral thesis.
Teaching
I am teaching courses in American society, history, and politics in the B.A. program. In my seminars, I am exploring the significance of historical events and the diversity in perspectives created by reports of contemporary witnesses on the one hand and different scholarly analyses from various time periods on the other hand. Students are learning to deal with various historical sources as well as to analyze, interpret and discuss them. Furthermore, students will acquire the necessary tools for the writing of a research paper and conceptualize their own scholarly view.
Research
My research interests are centered on current affairs in American society and politics, in particular American foreign politics. For my dissertation project, I am researching the importance of public diplomacy in American foreign affairs, its importance in bi- and multilateral relationships and the prospect cultural diplomacy holds for the United States to improve its current standing in the world and increase its reputation among opposing nations.
Honors, Awards, Distinctions
- Grantee of an MA research scholarship by the DAAD
- Grantee of a DAAD scholarship for a summer language course
- Grantee of a Fulbright scholarship for the American Studies Institute in San Francisco