Hoffmann Chairs Program On West European Studies

Two foundation grants, Hillel's former house and Stanley H. Hoffmann, professor of Government, are three of the main ingredients in Harvard's blossoming West European Studies Program.

Hoffmann, chairman of the Standing Committee on West European Studies, hopes that the program's centralization at 5 Bryant Street will help students "rediscover that there are still many interesting things to study in Europe,"

With $250,000 from the Ford Foundation and $124,000 from the Volkswagon Foundation for the next three years, the program will sponsor some undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral research in post-war Europe, organize informal seminars centered around various visitors and maintain a library with news-papers and public documents to supplement W'dener's collection.

Revive Interest

"For several years, we've been trying to revive interest in Western Europe," Hoffmann said. "There were fewer and fewer people who seemed to be doing any work in post-war Europe. Most of the interest has gone into American politics and underdeveloped countries."

Hoffmann, who was instrumental in establishing the Social Studies concentration, was asked about the possibility of a major in West European Studies.

"At this point, it would be very difficult to offer a concentration in Western Europe," he replied. "The first thing to see is how many students are interested in it,"

On the undergraduate level, the program this year is tentatively sponsoring three non-credit House seminars.

In the Fall, Charles S. Maier, assistant professor of History, is offering a luncheon seminar at Leverett House on European Faseism. Peter A. Gourevitch, assistant professor of Government, may offer a seminar in Adams House on the May, 1968, strike in France.

In the Spring, Karl Kaiser, a visiting professor from Germany, may lead a seminar on German international relations.

On Thursday, the West European Studies Program is sponsoring an open house from 5 to 7 p.m., at 5 Bryant Sreett.