Dear Marcatorians,

I don’t know much about what is expected of me as honorary member of Mercator college. However, I do feel much honored. What I can offer, though, is an open ear for everything that concerns or interests you. So, do not hesitate to approach me.

Let me briefly introduce myself: my name is Marc Frey. I am a professor of history, and I hold the Helmut Schmidt Chair of International History.

I grew up in an environment where politics, history and intercultural knowledge were important. As a child, I regularly visited family in the Netherlands and in what was then Eastern Germany. The experience of different ideologies, political systems, languages and traditions shaped my outlook towards life and made me curious. I began to read about history. Later, during my study in the Netherlands, Canada and Germany, I focused on political history and issues of war and peace. What fascinated me about Dutch history in particular were the emergence of civil society and its underlying notions of freedom and tolerance.

At Jacobs we focus our research and teaching on problems we think will determine the future. History does not provide a clear roadmap for the future. But it explains the present, and it shows us alternatives and options. It helps us to think creatively and imaginatively about the world we live in. Peace and conflict resolution, for instance, are topics which interest me very much. History tells us that it is easier to wage war than to conclude a durable peace. Peace necessitates compromise and mutual understanding, and as such I think that the study of history can help us to make this world a more peaceful place. I find Jacobs an ideal place to study issues like these, because we discuss peace, conflict resolution and other historical issues in groups of students who come from so many countries, speak different languages and have varying cultural backgrounds.