The spread of COVID-19 and the ensuing global lock-down as governments try to slow the spread of the corona virus has tested individuals and institutions around the world. Since March of 2020, the ACG has stepped up its digital programming by hosting webinars and video discussions which bring together policy makers and thought leaders from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss some of the key issues shaping transatlantic relations in an unprecedented time. In addition to organizing events on its own, the ACG has also partnered with other organizations such as 1014 and Atlantik-Brücke to launch new series designed to reach beyond the ACG community.
Just under four weeks before the US presidential election and one year before the German federal election, we are dealing with one of the most dazzling forms of journalistic work: the foreign correspondent. What are the challenges of reporting from Germany to an American audience and vice versa? Speakers are: Melissa Eddy, Correspondent in Germany for The New York Times; Ines Pohl, Washington Bureau Chief for Deutsche Welle; and Andrew Harding, BBC Africa correspondent Johannesburg; and moderated by Leonard Novy.
This fall, as students go back to school – in-person and online – colleges and universities are facing a new set of challenges. Against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, what is the future of higher education in Germany and the United States? On October 6, the ACG and 1014 hosted a discussion with German and American educators and students to learn about how colleges and universities adapt – with possibly long-lasting changes that will shape higher education for years to come. Speakers include Carson Crochet, a Davidson College Junior, who works on the College Crisis Initiative; Dr. Chris Marsicano, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Educational Studies, Davidson College; and Dr. Uta G. Ploiger, Dean, College of Social Sciences and Humanities; Professor of History, Northeastern University.
On October 5, the ACG and the German Consulate in New York for a discussion with young Bundestag members Gyde Jensen (FDP) and Elisabeth Kaiser (SPD) as they reflect on the 30th anniversary of German Unification – and what it means for them, given that they were young children when this historic event occurred. How do they view the development of unified Germany over the last three decades? How important is this milestone today and as Germany looks to the future?
This event is part of a series of [virtual] Transatlantic Town Halls: German Bundestag Member Dialogues, which is being organized by the American Council on Germany under the auspices of WunderbarTogether USA 2020, a comprehensive and collaborative initiative funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and implemented by the Goethe-Institut.
2020 marks the 30th anniversary of German Unification. On October 1, the American Council on Germany and the German Consulate General in New York hosted a discussion with Robert B. Zoellick, the Lead U.S. Official for the Two-Plus-Four Negotiations which ultimately led to German Unification. He reflected on the historic developments 30 years ago, talked about lessons learned, and shared his thoughts on current and future challenges for the transatlantic alliance.
While conspiracy theories are gaining ground among sections of the population even in times of pandemics, controversies over diversity in editorial and reporting are gaining momentum on both sides of the Atlantic. With Nil Idil Cakmak of Neue Deutsche Medienmacher, Paulina Fröhlich of Das Progressive Zentrum, Martina Guzmán of Wayne State University Law School, Aleksandra Tulej of biber Verlagsgesellschaft; and moderated by Leonard Novy. This event was organized by 1014 and the Institute for Media and Communications, with the support of the ACG.