Academic Teaching in the Arctic Periphery versus Teaching in the Centers of the Western World

Academic teaching in the arctic periphery versus teaching in the centers of the western world The proposed contribution to the round table will discuss how teaching world history in the arctic periphery (Greenland) differs from teaching the same topic in centers of the western civilization like the United States or Germany. Based on personal teaching experiences in both areas it will be discussed how topics like the history of globalization or de-colonization can be thought while taking into account the different societal experiences with these developments. Furthermore it will be discussed how research results in global maritime history are influenced by the personal background of the academic teacher (peripheral or central) and if the classroom can be used as a corrective for such research. Finally a class on the development of the international Law of the Sea which I thought on Greenland as well as in the US and Germany will be analyzed with respect to the question if there is only one story to be told or several different stories based on the personal background of the students in the periphery or in the center or in other words as subjects or objects.