Under the auspices of Deutschlandjahr USA 2018/19, the American Council on Germany and the Heidelberg University Association partnered to hold a series of in-person “Heidelberg Lectures.” Over the next few months, we plan to continue this collaboration in an online format as part of WunderbarTogether 2020.
On July 17, the first Heidelberg Lecture took place with Prof. Dr. Welf Werner – who serves as the Director of the Heidelberg Center for American Studies – on “Fighting Unemployment during the Corona Crisis: A Transatlantic Perspective.”
Journalism and the media play an indispensable role in democracies – especially in times of crisis. On July 14, the ACG and 1014 hosted a conversation with Sewell Chan (2014 ACG Young Leader), Editorial Page Editor for the Los Angeles Times, and Anna Sauerbrey (2018 ACG Kellen Fellow), Opinion Page Editor for Der Tagesspiegel and monthly contributor to the New York Times, on the challenges facing the media in Europe and the United States during the pandemic.
Individuals, communities, and countries have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic – and the private sector is facing its own set of challenges. On July 8, the ACG hosted a special briefing with two ACG Board members to learn how global multinational companies have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. Wayne T. Smith is CEO and Chairman of BASF Corporation and has been a member of the Board of Executive Directors of BASF SE since 2012. Julie Linn Teigland is EY’s Managing Partner for the EMEIA region (Europe, Middle East, India, and Africa) and EY Global Leader – Women. Fast forward.
Social distancing requirements have abruptly put a halt to most cultural events. While museums and libraries in some communities in the United States and in Europe slowly start to re-open, concerts, performances, and many other cultural events are being cancelled for the rest of the year. On July 7, the ACG and 1014 hosted a virtual discussion with Elke Buhr, Chief Editor of Monopol, Germany’s largest contemporary art magazine, and Adrian Ellis, Chairman of the Global Cultural Districts Network and Founder/Director of AEA Consulting, on the unique challenges facing the arts and culture in this unprecedented time.
On July 1, Germany assumed the six-month rotating Presidency of the European Council. Germany takes on this role at a critical juncture for the European Union. The public health and economic implications of the corona crisis, Brexit and European cohesion, and the state of the transatlantic relationship are only some of the issues on the agenda. What is expected of Germany in 2020? This ACG hosted a discussion about Germany and the future of Europe with Dr. Ulrike Guérot, Head of the Department for European Policy and the Study of Democracy at the Danube University in Krems (Austria) and the founder of the European Democracy Lab in Berlin.