BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//American Council On Germany - ECPv6.18.2//NONSGML v1.0//EN
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
METHOD:PUBLISH
X-WR-CALNAME:American Council On Germany
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.acgusa.org
X-WR-CALDESC:Events for American Council On Germany
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-Robots-Tag:noindex
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:America/New_York
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20250309T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20251102T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20260308T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20261101T060000
END:STANDARD
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:-0500
TZOFFSETTO:-0400
TZNAME:EDT
DTSTART:20270314T070000
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:-0400
TZOFFSETTO:-0500
TZNAME:EST
DTSTART:20271107T060000
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261109T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261109T193000
DTSTAMP:20261104T203732Z
CREATED:20261104T202414Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261104T203732Z
UID:10001348-1794247200-1794252600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “The Two Triangles from Hell: Germany and Europe’s New Geopolitical Realities”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany will host a Discussion and Reception on “The Two Triangles from Hell: Germany and Europe’s New Geopolitical Realities” with Jan Techau\, Director at the Eurasia Group. \nFor more information and to RSVP\, email events@acgusa.org by Friday\, November 6. \nJan Techau is a director with Eurasia Group’s Europe team\, covering Germany and European security from Berlin. Mr. Techau served as the head of speechwriting for the German Ministry of Defense from 2020 to 2023. Before that\, he was the director of Carnegie Europe and ran the Europe programs for the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the German Council on Foreign Relations \nIn 2017\, Mr. Techau published Führungsmacht Deutschland\, a book he wrote with Leon Mangasarian that presents a blueprint for a new German foreign policy. Mr. Techau also served as a research adviser at the NATO Defense College’s research division in Rome and as director of the Richard Holbrooke Forum at the American Academy in Berlin. In 1999-2000\, he was a fellow in the Robert Bosch Foundation’s postgraduate program in international affairs in Brussels and Jerusalem. \nMr. Techau holds a master’s degree in political science from Christian-Albrechts-Universität and has studied at Penn State and the University of Osnabrück. He is an avid reader\, occasional hunter\, and perennial dog lover—one passion at least that he shares with his kids.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-the-two-triangles-from-hell-germany-and-europes-new-geopolitical-realities/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261103T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261103T133000
DTSTAMP:20261022T154530Z
CREATED:20261022T154530Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261022T154530Z
UID:10001336-1793707200-1793712600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:European Trade Policy: Charting a New Course?
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG will host a discussion and luncheon with Dr. Laura von Daniels\, Senior Fellow of the Research Division “The Americas” at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). \nDr. Laura von Daniels is a Senior Research Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. From 2019 to 2025\, she led the institute’s Americas Research Division. Dr. von Daniels’ areas of expertise include the international financial system\, financial and debt crisis\, and foreign trade policy\, with a focus on U.S. economic policy\, monetary policy\, trade policy\, trade agreements\, Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS)\, financial crisis\, and financial regulation. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post\, Handelsblatt Global\, Der Tagesspiegel\, and the Council on Foreign Relations Council of Councils global perspectives\, among other publications. \nDr. von Daniels holds a PhD in Political Science from the Free University Berlin and has held research fellowships at Columbia University\, Harvard University\, and at Princeton University where she was a DAAD PhD Fellow. In addition\, she has held teaching positions at Central European University in Budapest and the University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg. In 2024\, she was a short-term visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center on the United States and Europe. \n[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]This event is only open to ACG members. Interested in becoming a member? Email Jennie Piotrzkowski at jpiot@acgusa.org[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/european-trade-policy-charting-a-new-course/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261022T200000
DTSTAMP:20261016T131229Z
CREATED:20261016T131229Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20261016T131229Z
UID:10001331-1792692000-1792699200@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: Book Reading "Farewell to America"
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG and Deutsches Haus at NYU will host a book reading and discussion with Marc Pitzke\, Correspondent for Der Spiegel and Author of „Abschied von Amerika\,“ and moderated by Gudrun Engel\, Washington Bureau Chief for ARD. \nIn Farewell to America (2026\, DVA)\, long-time Der Spiegel journalist Marc Pitzke writes about a country he no longer recognizes: Suddenly\, his adopted homeland feels foreign to him\, incomprehensible\, almost frightening. He’s spent half his life in the United States\, as a reporter and a private citizen\, but today it is no longer the country where he sought and ultimately found his happiness. Life\, liberty\, and the pursuit of happiness: the values that once drew Marc to the U.S. have lost their meaning. \nMarc Pitzke has been reporting from New York for more than three decades. He reported on major news stories\, Bush vs. Gore\, and six other U.S. presidential races\, the attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11\, hurricanes “Katrina” and “Sandy\,” Obama’s inauguration\, as well as from gay pride parades and nightclubs with Madonna. But now his future in America is at stake—as is the future of his Black U.S. husband. His personal reflections are also political. What remains of a country whose dreams have been shattered? And what if these were his dreams too? \n[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Register Here” style=”classic” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.com%2Fe%2Ffarewell-to-america-an-evening-with-marc-pitzke-and-gudrun-engel-tickets-2002171678387%3Faff%3Doddtdtcreator” css=”.vc_custom_1792156190860{background-color: #1e73be !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column_text] \nGudrun Engel studied journalism and political science at the universities of Dortmund\, Gothenburg\, Sweden\, and Kaunas\, Lithuania. At Westdeutscher Rundfunk\, she worked as an editor and reporter for several local newspapers\, WDR aktuell\, Aktuelle Stunde\, and Phoenix. Starting in 2012\, she reported from North Rhine-Westphalia as a correspondent for Tagesschau and Tagesthemen\, as well as their online formats. In addition\, she worked as a correspondent for ARD’s Morgenmagazin and Weltspiegel and served as a studio correspondent in Nairobi\, New York\, and Paris. From 2019 to 2022\, she worked as a correspondent at ARD Europe Studio in Brussels\, covering the European Union\, NATO\, and the Netherlands. Since July 2022\, she has headed the ARD studio in Washington. \nMarc Pitzke studied at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich\, the German School of Journalism (DJS)\, and Columbia University’s School of Journalism in New York City. He worked at Bayerischer Rundfunk as a correspondent for Reuters in Berlin during the years leading up to and following the fall of the Berlin Wall\, as a reporter and later as U.S. correspondent for Die Woche\, and as a freelance contributor for GEO\, Merian\, and other publications. From 2003 until 2026\, he was the U.S. correspondent for Der Spiegel in New York. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-book-reading-farewell-to-america/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261005T193000
DTSTAMP:20260925T202920Z
CREATED:20260925T202920Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T202920Z
UID:10001327-1791223200-1791228600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: Germany's Foreign and Security Policy Today:  Navigating the Polycrisis and a  Fractured Transatlantic Relationship
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation will host a discussion and reception with Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer\, Chairwoman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and former Federal Minister of Defense of Germany. \nThe international environment is very different today than it was in the immediate post-World War II era as Konrad Adenauer was navigating myriad challenges. Today\, the international order faces pressures on more fronts than at almost any point since then. Armed conflicts have reached a record level as Russia’s illegal war of aggression in Ukraine rages on\, military conflict intensifies in the Middle East\, and instability continues to spiral in Sudan\, the Sahel\, and elsewhere. At the same time\, the international community is struggling to address the effects of climate change\, the risk of future pandemics\, energy and economic insecurity\, and rapid technological change – including advances in artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons. Any of these challenges alone would put significant pressure on the multilateral system. Their combination raises a broader question about whether an order designed in the twentieth century is still equipped to meet the demands of the twenty-first. \nTensions are also playing out in the transatlantic relationship – which for decades has been a central pillar of the Western security order in general and for Germany in particular. Since returning to office\, the Trump administration has challenged several long-standing assumptions about the transatlantic partnership. For one\, Washington has put renewed pressure on European allies to increase defense spending and has raised questions about the extent of future American security commitments. More broadly\, the administration has taken a more transactional approach to alliances. Meanwhile in Europe\, far-right\, nationalist\, and Euroskeptic parties are gaining ground\, and their growing electoral support is increasingly influencing mainstream political debate. \nAs the United Nations’ second-largest contributor\, Europe’s largest economy\, and NATO’s most significant European member\, inter alia\, Germany’s decisions on multilateralism\, defense\, security\, and European integration have far-reaching repercussions. In this time of crisis and geopolitical recalibration\, how can – and should – Germany and Europe respond? What lessons from Konrad Adenauer’s leadership can be applied to today’s challenging times?[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-germanys-foreign-and-security-policy-today-navigating-the-polycrisis-and-a-fractured-transatlantic-relationship/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261002T100000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261002T120000
DTSTAMP:20260924T135817Z
CREATED:20260924T134959Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260924T135817Z
UID:10001322-1790935200-1790942400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: The Anatomy of a Mirage: Wirecard and  the Vulnerability of Modern Financial Systems
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG and the Robert Bosch Fellowship Alumni Association will host a discussion with James Freis\, Founder of Market Integrity Solutions and former CEO of Wirecard. \nJames H. Freis\, Jr. has pursued a career dedicated to promoting the integrity of the global financial markets.  He currently leads Market Integrity Solutions\, a consulting firm providing executive advice on global financial regulation\, good governance\, and innovative technology solutions; and is Chairman of CRINDATA\, a fintech startup providing risk management solutions for outsourcing and incident reporting by financial institutions. \nFrom 2014 through 2020 Mr. Freis was Managing Director\, Chief Compliance Officer\, and Group Anti-Money Laundering Officer of the Deutsche Börse Group\, Europe’s largest provider of systemically significant financial market infrastructures.  In June 2020\, he was asked to join the management board of the FinTech payments services provider\, Wirecard AG\, to professionalize the company and oversee its regulated businesses.  Within his first day\, he exposed internal fraud\, was promoted to CEO\, and then initiated a global restructuring and eventual insolvency proceedings of what had been a blue-chip company.  From 2007 to 2012\, Mr. Freis was Director (CEO) of the United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)\, the lead U.S. Government official for anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing requirements\, and head of the country’s financial intelligence unit (FIU).  Earlier in his career\, he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York\, the Bank for International Settlements in Basel\, Switzerland\, and the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton. Mr. Freis is a graduate of Georgetown University\, earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard University\, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) charter holder. He was a Robert Bosch Foundation Fellow in Germany in 1995-96. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-the-anatomy-of-a-mirage-wirecard-and-the-vulnerability-of-modern-financial-systems/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261001T140000
DTSTAMP:20260923T180157Z
CREATED:20260923T180157Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260923T180157Z
UID:10001321-1790856000-1790863200@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: Multilateralism in a Changing World:  The Future of Transatlantic Cooperation
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG and the Robert Bosch Fellowship Alumni Association will host a discussion and luncheon with La Neice Collins\, (2004-2005 Robert Bosch Fellowship Alum) Program Manager\, Advocacy and Social Impact for the United Nations; Ambassador Florian Laudi\, Deputy Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations; and Rafael Peralta\, North American Director of the United Nations Environment Programme. \nThis event is only open to members. \nLa Neice Collins is responsible for Public Information and Multimedia at the United Nations\, currently serving as the Program Manager\, Advocacy and Social Impact. Ms. Collins brings over 20 years of experience in communications\, advocacy\, and development\, having served in several UN offices including New York\, Geneva\, Bangkok\, and Vienna\, most recently serving as the Spokesperson for the 80th President of the UN General Assembly. She has also worked as a gender focal point for the Department of Global Communications (DGC) and has experience with issues related to youth engagement\, sustainable development\, human rights\, and peacebuilding. Prior to joining the UN\, Ms. Collins was an award-winning television and radio producer in New York\, Washington\, DC\, Los Angeles\, Berlin\, Türkiye and Iraq. She has also worked as a strategic partner manager for news partnerships at Facebook\, where she focused on news integrity\, news literacy\, and building sustainable revenue models for media organizations. Ms. Collins holds a Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism and a degree in political science and mass communications from the University of California\, Berkeley. \nAmbassador Florian Laudi has served as Deputy Permanent Representative of the Federal Republic of Germany to the United Nations since July 2026. Ambassador Laudi joined the Federal Foreign Office in 2002. Before taking up his new post\, Ambassador Laudi served as the Director for the United Nations and Counterterrorism at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin since 2022. From 2003 to 2005\, Ambassador Laudi served at the German Embassy Kabul\, Afghanistan and was in charge of constitutional reform and police reconstruction. From 2005 to 2008\, Ambassador Laudi worked on Middle East issues (Iraq\, Iran\, sanctions) at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. Between 2008 and 2012\, he was assigned Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York\, covering non-proliferation and disarmament issues\, including the Iranian nuclear file. From 2012 to 2016\, Ambassador Laudi was Deputy European Correspondent at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. From early 2017 to 2019 he Laudi led the Brexit team at the German Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels\, serving as Brexit Delegate of the Federal Government. From 2019 to 2020 Ambassador Laudi was the Special Envoy for Ukraine and Head of the Ukraine Task Force in the Federal Foreign Office\, from 2020 to 2021 Head of Division for the United Nations Security Council\, General Assembly\, Peacekeeping\, incl. while Germany was a non-permanent member. Ambassador Laudi obtained his law degree at the University of Passau\, Germany and the Universidade Católica Portuguesa\, Portugal. His practical legal traineeship led him to courts\, public authorities and law firms in Hamburg\, Germany; Lisbon\, Portugal and Milano\, Italy. He is married\, with two children. \nRafael Peralta is the Director for the New York Office and North America from July 2026. Mr. Peralta previously served as UNEP’s Regional Director for North America from July 2023\, and as UNEP’s Chief of Staff from April 2021\, having previously worked as Acting Chief of Staff and as Deputy Chief of Staff. Mr. Peralta has over 20 years’ experience at the United Nations and beyond\, working at the intersection of sustainable development\, peace and security. Prior to joining UNEP\, Mr. Peralta served as Senior Political Affairs Officer in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York from 2015 to 2018\, working in support of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic. Earlier\, he worked in West Africa and the Sahel supporting political process in the region\, as well as on post-conflict stabilization in Somalia and Haiti. His expertise includes international diplomacy\, inter-agency UN coordination\, environmental management and management of large organizations. Before joining the United Nations\, Mr. Peralta worked with international organizations in Amman\, Pristina and Sarajevo in different capacities. A Spanish national\, Mr. Peralta holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the Brussels School of International Studies-University of Kent at Canterbury and a degree in Law from the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-multilateralism-in-a-changing-world-the-future-of-transatlantic-cooperation/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T183000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T200000
DTSTAMP:20260924T142854Z
CREATED:20260924T142854Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260924T142854Z
UID:10001324-1790793000-1790798400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: Building Consensus:  How to Successfully Navigate Differences in Democracies
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG\, 1014\, and the Goethe Institut will host a discussion as part of the “Let’s Talk Democracy” series with Dr. Sheri Berman\nAuthor and Professor of Political Science at Barnard College and Columbia University\, and Dr. Alexander Görlach\, Adjunct Professor at New York University Gallatin School\, and Senior Advisor to the Berggruen Institute.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Register Here” style=”classic” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.eventbrite.com%2Fe%2Fbuilding-consensus-how-to-successfully-navigate-differences-in-democracies-tickets-1998434344922%3Faff%3Doddtdtcreator” css=”.vc_custom_1790259916710{background-color: #1e73be !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][vc_column_text]Dr. Sheri Berman is a Professor of Political Science at Barnard College\, Columbia University. She is the author of numerous books and scholarly articles on European politics and political development\, the left\, fascism\, populism\, and the fate of democracy. Dr. Berman’s forthcoming book is entitled: The Political Consequences of Economic Ideas: Neoliberalism\, the Left\, and the Fate of Democracy (Oxford 2027). She has also published in a wide variety of non-scholarly publications\, including the New York Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, Washington Post\, Foreign Affairs\, VOX\, The Guardian\, and Dissent. She is on the boards of The Journal of Democracy\, Political Science Quarterly\, and Persuasion. Dr. Berman holds an Honorary Doctorate from Uppsala University in Sweden. \nDr. Alexander Görlach is an Adjunct Professor at NYU Gallatin School where he teaches democratic theory. Prior to that\, he had various positions as visiting scholar and as fellow at Harvard University in the United States\, and Cambridge University and Oxford University in the United Kingdom. He was a senior fellow to the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs in New York and is a senior advisor to the Berggruen Institute in Los Angeles. Dr. Görlach holds a ThD in comparative religion and a PhD in linguistics. His academic interests include democratic theory\, politics and religion\, and theories of secularism\, pluralism and cosmopolitanism. In the academic year 2017-18 he was a visiting scholar at National Taiwan University and City University Hong Kong. Since then\, he focuses on the rise of China and what it means for the democracies in East Asia. \nDr. Görlach is an honorary professor of ethics and theology at Leuphana University in Lüneburg\, Germany. In addition\, he is the founder of the debate-magazine The European\, that he also ran as its editor in chief from 2009 to 2015. Today\, he serves as an op-ed contributor to the New York Times\, Neue Zürcher Zeitung\, and the South China Morning Post. He is a columnist for the business magazine Wirtschaftswoche\, Deutsche Welle and Focus Online. Dr. Görlach is also a frequent commentator on German News Channel Welt TV.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-building-consensus-how-to-successfully-navigate-differences-in-democracies/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260930T140000
DTSTAMP:20260925T202520Z
CREATED:20260925T202520Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260925T202520Z
UID:10001326-1790771400-1790776800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: The Global Order in Transformation:  How Can and Will Europe Ensure Its Own Security and Promote Stability in the International System?
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung of New York will host a discussion and luncheon with Klaus Welle\, Special Adviser to the European Commissioner for Defense and Space\, Chair of the Academic Council of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies\, and former Secretary-General of the European Parliament. \nEurope’s security environment is undergoing significant change. Russia’s war against Ukraine\, wider geopolitical shifts\, and renewed investment in European defense are reshaping discussions about Europe’s role in regional and international security. Against this backdrop\, the roundtable will explore how a more capable and strategically engaged Europe can strengthen both regional and global security. The discussion will consider European rearmament\, transatlantic cooperation\, and Europe’s broader role in supporting international peace and security through the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. In particular\, the exchange will examine how Europe can exercise greater leadership in conflict prevention and mediation\, peacekeeping and peacebuilding\, the protection of human rights\, and the defense of the principles of the UN Charter. More broadly\, participants will consider how stronger defense capabilities can be combined with sustained diplomatic and multilateral engagement to promote stability in an increasingly complex international environment. Following introductory remarks by Klaus Welle\, participants will be invited to engage in an open roundtable discussion. \n[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text] \nKlaus Welle served as the Secretary-General of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2022. In May 2025\, he was appointed Special Advisor to the European Commissioner for Defense and Space. He is currently the Chairman of the Academic Council at the Martens Centre for European Studies (Brussels) and the inaugural ‘Leader in Residence’ at the Moynihan Center at the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership at The City College of New York. He is also a guest professor in practice at the London School of Economics and a visiting professor at KU Leuven. \nEarlier in his career\, Mr. Welle served in various roles at the European Parliament\, including Head of the Cabinet of the President (2007-2009)\, Director-General for Internal Policies (2004-2007)\, and Secretary-General for the European People’s Party (EPP) in Parliament (1999-2003). He also served as the Secretary-General for the EPP and the European Union of Christian Democrats (EUCD)\, as well as the Head of the European and Foreign Policy Department at the CDU Central Office. \nMr. Welle holds a degree in Economics from the University of Witten/Herdecke and is the recipient of grants from the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-the-global-order-in-transformation-how-can-and-will-europe-ensure-its-own-security-and-promote-stability-in-the-international-system/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260928T220000
DTSTAMP:20260918T181030Z
CREATED:20260918T181030Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260918T181030Z
UID:10001318-1790618400-1790632800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York: 33rd Annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”26254″ img_size=”full”][vc_btn title=”More Information ” style=”classic” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acgusa.org%2F33rd-annual-john-j-mccloy-awards-dinner%2F%23galapurchasetickets” css=”.vc_custom_1789755020362{background-color: #1e73be !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-33rd-annual-john-j-mccloy-awards-dinner/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260922T140000
DTSTAMP:20260917T134913Z
CREATED:20260910T151829Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260917T134913Z
UID:10001313-1790078400-1790085600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York - Sustainability\, Circularity\, and Business: Turning Circularity into Growth\, Innovation\, and Competitive Advantage
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n \nThe American Council on Germany will host a Discussion and Luncheon on “Sustainability\, Circularity\, and Business: Turning Circularity into Growth\, Innovation\, and Competitive Advantage” with Dr. Heike Henn\, Director General\, International Climate Action\, Federal Ministry for the Environment\, Climate Action\, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN); Christopher Wenk\, Vice President\, External Affairs\, Mercedes-Benz; and Corinna Wolf\, Vice President\, Head of Global Sustainability & Human Rights Officer\, Infineon Technologies. \nThere is no charge to attend this event\, however registration in advance is required. If you are interested in attending\, please email events@acgusa.org with your name\, affiliation\, and title\, for more information. \nDr. Heike Henn studied political science\, economics\, and law at the University of Duisburg. Since August 2025. She has served as the Director General for International Climate Action in the Federal Ministry for the Environment\, Climate Action\, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN)\, and has co-chaired the Climate Club together with Türkiye since January 2026. \nDr. Henn has almost 30 years of experience in the field of development policy\, covering research\, non-governmental organizations\, and the governmental sector. Prior to her current role\, she worked at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in various positions\, most recently as the Director for Climate\, Energy and Environment and as Commissioner for Climate Policy and Climate Financing. She also previously served as the Coordinator of the German G8 Africa Personal Representative\, Head of German Development Cooperation in Burundi and Rwanda\, Head of Division Special Initiative ONEWORLD – No Hunger\, and as Head of Division of Policy Issues of Cooperation with Civil Society and Private Organizations. \nChristopher Wenk joined Mercedes-Benz as Vice President of External Affairs on November 3\, 2025. In this role\, he leads all regulatory and legislative strategic engagement for MBNAC. Prior to Mercedes-Benz\, Mr. Wenk was the Vice President of Government Affairs of Kia Motors Corporation Washington. He previously worked for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce\, where he served as the Executive Director of International Policy and Chief Trade Lobbyist. \nPrior to the Chamber\, Mr. Wenk directed international trade policy at the National Association of Manufacturers\, advocating on behalf of its members with the administration and Congress. Mr. Wenk spent five years on Capitol Hill working for the House Small Business Committee and U.S. Representatives Steve Chabot (R-Ohio) and Dave Camp (R-Michigan). Born and raised in Ann Arbor\, Michigan\, Mr. Wenk holds a Master of Arts in Political Management and Corporate Public Affairs & Government Relations from the George Washington University in Washington\, D.C.\, and his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Spanish from Indiana University in Bloomington\, Indiana. \nCorinna Wolf has led Infineon’s sustainability department since June 2024 and reports to the Infineon Executive Board. She is responsible for the company’s sustainability strategy and oversees its implementation across all business units. In this role\, she plays a key role in driving Infineon’s decarbonization efforts not only within the company itself but also across its products and applications. Starting in June 2024\, Infineon will become the first semiconductor company worldwide to provide its customers with the CO2 footprint of its products at a level of detail and transparency that is unprecedented in the industry. \nMs. Wolf is a passionate advocate for sustainability\, innovation\, and digitalization in close alignment with growth. She believes that only through this combination can the urgently needed progress be achieved. Previously\, Ms. Wolf led marketing communications\, partnership management\, and new application initiatives within Infineon’s Power Sensor & Systems business unit. In this role\, she was responsible for all product and application campaigns\, trade shows\, and events; for testing innovative formats to position Infineon in the areas of decarbonization and digitalization; and for generating revenue and strengthening brand positioning through partnerships. \nFrom 2016 to 2022\, Ms. Wolf worked as a Global HR Business Partner for Infineon’s CMO\, where she drove key transformation projects in sales and marketing for Infineon as well as digitalization efforts. From 2009 to 2015\, Corinna worked for ENGIE\, a French energy conglomerate. During this time\, she lived and worked in Brussels for three years and in Milan for half a year. Ms. Wolf began her career in 2003 at Qimonda Dresden\, where she supported the insolvency process from an HR perspective in 2008–2009. This experience significantly shaped her leadership style and her commitment to the continuous development of people and organizations. From 1997 to 2003\, Ms. Wolf studied business education\, human resources and finance\, as well as English and American studies at TU Dresden. In 2000\, she spent six months in the United States. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/sustainability-circularity-and-business-turning-circularity-into-growth-innovation-and-competitive-advantage/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T190000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T203000
DTSTAMP:20260910T150749Z
CREATED:20260910T150749Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260910T150749Z
UID:10001312-1789671600-1789677000@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “The Legacy of Konrad Adenauer: Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n \nThe American Council on Germany\, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation\, and International House New York will host a Discussion and Reception on “The Legacy of Konrad Adenauer: Reflecting on the Past and Looking to the Future” with 1973 ACG Young Leader Prof. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering\, Former President of the European Parliament and Former Chairman of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (2010-2017). \nWhile there is no cost to attend the event\, registration in advance is required and space is limited.  Please email events@acgusa.org by Tuesday\, September 15 with your name\, affiliation\, and title if you are interested in attending.  \nProf. Dr. Hans-Gert Pöttering was born on September 15\, 1945\, in Bersenbrück (Lower Saxony). He studied law\, politics\, and history at the universities of Bonn and Geneva\, and completed a research stay at Columbia University in New York. From 1976 to 1979\, he was a research associate for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. From 1979 to 2014\, he was a continuous Member of the European Parliament\, serving as its President from 2007 to 2009. Previously\, from 1999 to 2007\, he was Chairman of the EPP-ED Group in the European Parliament. From January 2010 to the end of December 2017\, he served as Chairman of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and is currently its Representative for European Affairs. \nProf. Dr. Pöttering is the initiator and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the House of European History\, which opened in Brussels in May 2017.From 2018 to 2022\, he was President of the “Former Members Association” of the European Parliament in Brussels. He holds a lectureship on European politics at the University of Osnabrück.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-the-legacy-of-konrad-adenauer-reflecting-on-the-past-and-looking-to-the-future/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T140000
DTSTAMP:20260903T184854Z
CREATED:20260903T165451Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260903T184854Z
UID:10001308-1789646400-1789653600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York - Meet the New German Consul General: A Conversation with Dr. Jens Jokisch
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The ACG will host a discussion and luncheon with Dr. Jens Jokisch\, Consul General for Germany in New York. \nThis event is open to members of the ACG only. Interested in becoming a member? Contact Jennie Piotrzkowski at jpiot@acgusa.org. \nDr. Jens Jokisch assumed the post of German Consul General in New York on September 1\, 2026. Prior to this\, he held a number of roles in the German Federal Foreign Office for over two decades\, including most recently as the Commissioner for Crisis Management\, heading the Crisis Task Force of the Federal Government. He previously served as Head of the Crisis Response Center\, Head of the Refugee and Migration Task Force\, Deputy Director for the Division for Policy Issues in European Affairs\, advisor at the office of the State Secretary and at the International Law section of the Legal Department. His postings abroad include Islamabad (Pakistan) and Damascus (Syria)\, both times as Minister Counsellor. \n\nDr. Jokisch studied Law in Passau and Toulouse after completing military service from 1989-1992\, including training as a reserve officer. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Passau in European Law in 1999. He is married and has four children. \n\n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-meet-the-new-german-consul-general-a-conversation-with-dr-jens-jokisch/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260825T140000
DTSTAMP:20260810T153745Z
CREATED:20260810T153745Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260810T153745Z
UID:10001301-1787661000-1787666400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Responding to New Realities: Geopolitics and the Future of Scientific Cooperation”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”26281″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany\, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)\, and the University of Cologne New York Office cordially invite you to a Discussion and Luncheon on “Responding to New Realities: Geopolitics and the Future of Scientific Cooperation” with Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee\, President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and Rector of the University of Cologne. \n\nProf. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee completed his studies in English\, Biology\, and Education at RWTH Aachen University in 1997. He is a fully qualified secondary school teacher. In 2000\, he received his doctorate at the University of Bonn\, where he also completed his habilitation in 2003. In the same year\, he was appointed as Professor of English Linguistics at Justus Liebig University Giessen. Professor Dr. Mukherjee’s research focuses on computer-based corpus linguistics\, applied linguistics\, English syntax\, and variety research. Numerous research and teaching visits have taken him to various universities abroad. \nProfessor Dr. Mukherjee served as President of JLU Giessen from 2009 to 2023. Prior to that\, he served as a member of the Presidential Board as First Vice President. Since October 2023\, he is Rector of the University of Cologne. From 2012 to 2019\, he also held the office of Vice President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)\, and since 2020 he has been the honorary President of the DAAD. He is a member of a number of scientific advisory boards and boards of trustees\, including for various non-university research institutions. For his academic achievements and his activities in the internationalization of higher education\, he has been awarded honorary doctorates by the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine (USAMV) of Iasi\, Romania\, and by Tbilisi State University (TSU) in Georgia. \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-responding-to-new-realities-geopolitics-and-the-future-of-scientific-cooperation/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260819T093000
DTSTAMP:20260803T200317Z
CREATED:20260803T200317Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260803T200317Z
UID:10001299-1787126400-1787131800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Building Future-Ready Alliances: Academic Innovation and Transatlantic Cooperation”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”26266″ img_size=”large”][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany and Campus OWL cordially invite you to a Breakfast Briefing on “Building Future-Ready Alliances: Academic Innovation and Transatlantic Cooperation” with Prof. Dr. Angelika Epple\, Rector of Bielefeld University and Vice Chair of the Campus OWL Board and Prof. Dr. Ingeborg Schramm-Wölk\, President of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Arts and Hainan Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences and Chair of Campus OWL Board and other members of the Campus OWL delegation. \n\nProf. Dr. Angelika Epple has been Rector of Bielefeld University since October 2023\, having previously served two years as Vice Rector for Research and International Affairs and six years as Vice Rector for International Affairs and Diversity\, also at Bielefeld University. As a Professor of 19th and 20th Century History in the Faculty of History\, Philosophy\, and Theology\, her research focuses on the theory of history\, globalization since the early modern period\, and global microhistory. She has held numerous leadership roles in addition to her current position of Vice Chair of the OWL Board\, including as dean of her faculty\, Chair of the Research Institute for Social Cohesion since 2021\, and as the spokesperson for the Collaborative Research Center “Practices of Comparison” (2017–2021). She is also a principal investigator in the Research Training Group “World Politics” and the Center for Advanced Latin-American Studies (CALAS) and has previously held leadership positions in several interdisciplinary research initiatives at Bielefeld University. \nAfter studying in Spain and Germany\, Prof. Dr. Epple received her doctorate in 2001 at Bielefeld University and later completed her habilitation at the University of Hamburg in 2008. Her academic career has included appointments at the Universities of Hamburg\, Freiburg\, and Bielefeld\, Guadalajara (Mexico)\, and Bologna (Italy)\, as well as research fellowships at the German Historical Institutes in London and Washington\, D.C. \nProf. Dr. Ingeborg Schramm-Wölk has served as the President of Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences (HSBI) since September 2015\, the Chair of Campus OWL (the association of the five state universities in Ostwestfalen-Lippe) since 2020\, and Vice President for Transfer and Sustainability of the German Rectors’ Conference (HRK) since 2025. She started her career in higher education as a Professor of Computer Science and Multimedia at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences and later became the Founding Dean (2009-2014) and later Dean (2014-2015) of the Faculty of Communication and Environment at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. In addition to her university leadership roles\, Prof. Dr. Schramm-Wölk serves on numerous academic and research boards and is actively engaged in shaping higher education and research policy in Germany. \nProf. Dr. Schramm-Wölk studied Biology at the Free University of Berlin and the University of Tübingen before earning a degree in Medical Informatics from the Technical University of Applied Sciences Berlin in 1999. She earned her doctorate in 2004 from the Faculty of Medicine at Charité University Medicine Berlin. Prior to her academic leadership career\, she also gained extensive industry experience as an IT developer and project manager. \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-building-future-ready-alliances-academic-innovation-and-transatlantic-cooperation/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260728T133000
DTSTAMP:20260716T204035Z
CREATED:20260716T204035Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260716T204035Z
UID:10001297-1785240000-1785245400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Is there an Alternative to the Law of the Jungle? A Reflection on German and U.S. Foreign Policy Over the Last Four Years”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a Discussion and Luncheon with Ambassador Christoph Heusgen\, Co-Chairman of the St. Gallen Symposium\, former Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (2022-2025)\, and an ACG Board Member\, on “Is There an Alternative to the Law of the Jungle? Reflections on German and U.S. Foreign Policy Over the Last Four Years.” \n\nAmbassador Heusgen was Germany’ s Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 2017 and 2021. Prior to this appointment\, he was the Foreign Policy and Security Adviser to Chancellor Angela Merkel for 16 years. He served as Director of the Policy Unit for the European Union’s High Representative Javier Solana from 1999 to 2005. \nAmbassador Heusgen joined the German Foreign Service in 1980. He was posted to Chicago\, Paris\, and Bonn. He is a graduate of the University of Saint Gallen in Switzerland and studied at Georgia Southern College in the United States and at the Sorbonne in Paris. He earned a post-graduate degree from the University of Saint Gallen where he taught Political Science between 2020 and 2025. \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-is-there-an-alternative-to-the-law-of-the-jungle-a-reflection-on-german-and-u-s-foreign-policy-over-the-last-four-years/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260722T140000
DTSTAMP:20260714T143517Z
CREATED:20260714T143517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T143517Z
UID:10001296-1784723400-1784728800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:Hybrid NYC Event: “Reflections on Postwar Legacies:  Japan\, Germany\, and the Future of International Law”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Join the American Council on Germany and the Friends of Freiburg Alumni North America for a hybrid event with Prof. Dr. Masahisa Deguchi (Faculty of Law\, Ritsumeikan University\, Kyoto\, Japan) and alumnus of the University of Freiburg\, who founded The Institute for Justice Systems in Comparative Law (IJSCL) at the Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto. \nPlease note that lunch will be served in-person from 12-12:30 p.m.\, and the hybrid discussion will begin promptly at 12:30 p.m. \n\nProf. Dr. Masahisa Deguchi  is a Japanese legal scholar specializing in procedural law and comparative legal studies. He is currently based in Kyoto\, Japan\, where he serves as Special Professor at the Faculty of Law at Ritsumeikan University. \nProf. Dr. Deguchi earned his Bachelor of Laws from Chuo University in 1983 and pursued further studies at the University of Freiburg in Germany the same year. He later completed a Master of Laws at Keio University in 1988 and received his Doctor of Laws from the University of Freiburg in 1991\, supported by a DAAD scholarship. \nProf. Dr. Deguchi’s  academic career began at the University of Freiburg\, where he worked as an assistant at the Faculty of Law from 1989 to 1991. He subsequently joined Ritsumeikan University\, becoming Associate Professor in 1991 and later Professor at the Ritsumeikan Law School in 2006. Over the years\, he has held numerous leadership roles\, including Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law\, Director of the Center for Global Education and Research\, and Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Law. He also served as Vice President of the International Association of Procedural Law and held visiting appointments at Harvard Law School and the University of Washington. \nProf. Dr. Deguchi has received several prestigious honors\, including the JaDe Prize\, a Federal Cross of Merit of Germany\, and multiple Humboldt Foundation fellowships. He has also served in advisory and legal committees in Japan and remains actively engaged in international academic exchange. \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/5″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/5″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/5″][vc_btn title=”Register Here” style=”classic” align=”center” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fus02web.zoom.us%2Fwebinar%2Fregister%2F1117825063492%2FWN_P3dDHa9XQu-wIXBhBJyDrg%3Fmc_cid%3Daabe17cde6%26mc_eid%3D679c73a13a%23%2Fregistration” css=”.vc_custom_1784039701598{background-color: #1e73be !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/5″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/5″][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/hybrid-nyc-event-reflections-on-postwar-legacies-japan-germany-and-the-future-of-international-law/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events,Virtual Discussions
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260715T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260715T133000
DTSTAMP:20260713T133752Z
CREATED:20260713T133752Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260713T133752Z
UID:10001295-1784116800-1784122200@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Building the Sustainable Economy of Tomorrow: The Role of Startups\, Industry\, and Policymakers”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a Roundtable Discussion and Luncheon with Bundestag Member Caroline Bosbach (CDU/CSU) and other members of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development and Future-Related Matters\, on “Building the Sustainable Economy of Tomorrow: The Role of Startups\, Industry\, and Policymakers”. \n\nCaroline Bosbach has been a member of the Bundestag (CDU/CSU parliamentary group) since March 2025\, representing the Rheinisch-Bergischer district. She currently serves as the Deputy Chair of the Parliamentary Group for Small and Medium Sized Businesses and is a deputy member of the Committee on Internal Affairs\, as well as the Committee on Labor and Social Affairs. Ms. Bosbach is also a member of the Parliamentary Advisory Council on Sustainable Development and Future-Related Matters and the Committee on Agriculture\, Food\, and Rural Affairs. Since 2023\, she has also worked as regulator manager at Stromkontor Group in the Technology Park in Bensberg\, a network operator for electricity\, gas\, and heating networks. \nMs. Bosbach studied business communication management in Berlin and Rotterdam\, NL. After receiving her Masters in 2017 she engaged in strategy consulting at a communications agency and was a lecturer at Cologne Business School in 2018. Afterwards she worked as a political advisor at the local and federal level\, including five years at Wiesbaden City Hall\, and later as an advisor to Bettina Wiesmann (Member of the German Bundestag) and for the SME Parliamentary Group of the CDU/CSU Bundestag faction. She published her first book Schwarz auf Grün in 2021. \n\n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-building-the-sustainable-economy-of-tomorrow-the-role-of-startups-industry-and-policymakers/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260708T133000
DTSTAMP:20260624T155400Z
CREATED:20260624T155400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260624T155400Z
UID:10001293-1783512000-1783517400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “The Future of Money: The Role of Stable Coins and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a Discussion and Luncheon with Burkhard Balz Member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank on “The Future of Money: The Role of Stable Coins and Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC)”. \n\nBurkhard Balz has been a member of the Executive Board of the Deutsche Bundesbank since September 2018. He is responsible for the Directorates General Payments and Settlement Systems\, Cash Management\, Digital Euro and International Central Bank Dialogue. Since January 2024\, he is an alternate member of the Board of Directors of the Bank for International Settlements. Prior to this\, he was a member of the European Parliament (CDU) and served as the EPP Group’s Coordinator on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs starting in 2014. Before his time in the European Parliament\, Mr. Balz was the Head of the Department for Institutional Clients at Commerzbank AG from 2004 to 2009. He has also held the positions of Corporate Customer Advisor at Commerzbank AG (2002-2004) and Desk Officer at the Commerzbank AG Liaison Office to the European Union in Brussels (2001-2002). \nMr. Balz studied Law and Political Science at the University of Göttingen. \n\n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-the-future-of-money-the-role-of-stable-coins-and-central-bank-digital-currency-cbdc/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260616T083000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260616T100000
DTSTAMP:20260604T194232Z
CREATED:20260604T194232Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T194232Z
UID:10001285-1781598600-1781604000@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “The Transatlantic Economy 2026 - Strong Ties That Bind"
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany and the American Business Forum on Europe cordially invite you to a Breakfast Briefing with Joseph P. Quinlan\, Senior Fellow at the Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies and Co-Author of The Transatlantic Economy 2026 on “The Transatlantic Economy 2026 – Strong Ties That Bind“ \n\nJoseph Quinlan is Managing Director and Head of Market & Thematic Strategy for the Global Wealth & Investment Management (GWIM) division of Bank of America\, which includes Merrill Lynch Wealth Management and U.S. Trust\, Bank of America Private Wealth Management. He serves as Chief Market Strategist providing economic and market insights and guiding overall investment strategy\, both domestically and globally. In this role\, Mr. Quinlan leads a team responsible for global market analysis and thematic research in support of asset allocation and portfolio construction among portfolio managers and other investment associates. \nMr. Quinlan began his career with Merrill Lynch and served as a Senior Global Economist/Strategist for Morgan Stanley. He lectures on finance and global economics at Fordham University and regularly lectures at various universities around the world\, including Wuhan University in China\, where he is a Visiting Professor. In 1998\, he was nominated as an Eisenhower Fellow. He is a Senior Fellow at the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington\, DC\, and a Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Brussels\, Belgium. In 2006\, the American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union awarded Mr. Quinlan the 2006 Transatlantic Business Award for his research on U.S.-Europe economic ties. In 2007\, he was a recipient of the European-American Business Council Leadership Award for his research on the transatlantic partnership and global economy. \nMr. Quinlan regularly debriefs policymakers and legislators on Capitol Hill on global trade and economic issues. He has testified before the European Parliament. He is the author\, co-author\, or contributor to over 20 books. He has published more than 125 articles on economics\, trade\, and finance that have appeared in such venues as Foreign Affairs\, the Financial Times\, The Wall Street Journal\, and Barron’s. He regularly appears on CNBC\, as well as Bloomberg television\, PBS\, and other media venues. He earned his B.A. in Political Science/International Affairs from Niagara University and M.A. in International Political Economics and Development from Fordham University. \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-the-transatlantic-economy-2026-strong-ties-that-bind/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260602T093000
DTSTAMP:20260526T202847Z
CREATED:20260526T202847Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260526T202847Z
UID:10001280-1780387200-1780392600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “German Politics Today: Shifts\, Challenges\, and Opportunities”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n  \nThe American Council on Germany cordially invites you to a Breakfast Briefing on “German Politics Today: Shifts\, Challenges\, and Opportunities” with Malte Lehming\, Columnist\, Der Tagesspiegel. \n\nMalte Lehming is an editor and writes for the Berlin daily Der Tagesspiegel. Until October 2016\, he was responsible for the opinion page. From late 2000 to 2005\, he was the newspaper’s Washington bureau chief. He joined Der Tagesspiegel in 1991 as foreign affairs editor – focusing on security policy\, transatlantic relations\, and the Middle East. \nFrom 1989 to 1991\, Mr. Lehming worked as a personal assistant and speechwriter for former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He studied Philosophy\, German Literature\, and European History in Hamburg.  \n\nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-german-politics-today-shifts-challenges-and-opportunities/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T123000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260601T140000
DTSTAMP:20260520T181210Z
CREATED:20260520T180737Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T181210Z
UID:10001277-1780317000-1780322400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Fractured Alliances\, Escalating Conflicts:  What is the Role of Diplomacy in a Disarrayed World?”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n  \nThe American Council on Germany and The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung cordially invite you to a Discussion and Luncheon on “Fractured Alliances\, Escalating Conflicts: What is the Role of Diplomacy in a Disarrayed World?” with Dr. Ralf Stegner\, Member of the German Bundestag (SPD). \nRalf Stegner has been a member of the Bundestag for the District of Pinneberg since 2021. Prior to that\, Mr. Stegner was a Member of the State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein from 2005-2021. During that time\, he also served as the Minister of the Interior from 2005-2008 and the Minister of Finance from 2003-2005\, as well as the Chairman of the SPD Parliamentary Group in the State Parliament from 2008-2021. He also previously held roles as the State Secretary at the Ministry of Labor\, Social Affairs\, Youth\, and Health\, and State Secretary at the Ministry of Education\, Science\, Research\, and Culture. \nMr. Stegner studied political science\, history\, and German at the University of Freiburg\, and was a scholarship recipient of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. From 1987 to 1989 Mr. Stegner was a McCloy Scholar of the Volkswagenwerk Foundation and the German National Academic Foundation at Harvard University\, and earned his Masters of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. \nWith thanks to the Friends of Freiburg University and the University of Freiburg Liaison Office North America for supporting this event. \nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-fractured-alliances-escalating-conflicts-what-is-the-role-of-diplomacy-in-a-disarrayed-world/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260529T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260529T133000
DTSTAMP:20260520T142619Z
CREATED:20260519T201109Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T142619Z
UID:10001270-1780056000-1780061400@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “U.S. Energy Dominance vs. European Energy Resilience”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n \n  \nThe American Council on Germany will host a Discussion and Luncheon on the “U.S. Energy Dominance vs. European Energy Resilience” with Mr. Sascha Müller-Kraenner\, Executive Director/CEO of Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V. \nSascha Müller-Kraenner has served as Executive Director/CEO of Deutsche Umwelthilfe e.V.\, DUH (Environmental Action Germany) since January 2015. Environmental Action Germany is an independent non-profit organization which was founded in 1975 and is focused on environmental and consumer protection. It is a leading environment and consumer advocacy organization that works mostly at the German state and national as well as on the European level. \nMr. Müller-Kraenner is also a founding partner and board member to Ecologic Institute\, a non-profit applied environmental policy research institute with offices in Berlin\, Brussels\, and Washington\, DC. Before assuming his current role\, he held various positions with The Nature Conservancy between 2007 and 2014\, and earlier in his career he worked for the Heinrich-Böll Foundation. \nMr. Müller-Kraenner studied Philosophy in Munich and graduated with honors in Biology and Public Law from the University of Bayreuth. \nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-u-s-energy-dominance-vs-european-energy-resilience/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260528T193000
DTSTAMP:20260520T142653Z
CREATED:20260520T134944Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T142653Z
UID:10001271-1779991200-1779996600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Setting the European Central Bank’s Priorities in an Uncertain Geopolitical Environment”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n \n  \nThe American Council on Germany will host a Discussion and Reception on “Setting the European Central Bank’s Priorities in an Uncertain Geopolitical Environment” with Dr. Thomas Gstädtner\, President of the Supervisory Board\, European Banking Institute (EBI). \nDr. Thomas Gstädtner is the President of the Supervisory Board\, European Banking Institute (EBI). He has been working at the European Central Bank (ECB) since May 2014 as Head of Division in DG SIB. His department is responsible for supervising three globally significant institutions within the Eurozone. In addition\, Dr. Gstädtner is Head of the Country Coordination Team for the French Banks under ECB Supervision. Before the ECB\, Dr. Gstädtner worked for Deutsche Bank AG London in different managerial positions\, his last position being Head of Legal/Regulatory Change Management. Prior to that\, he was General Counsel in an asset management company and an associate in a law firm in Munich. Dr. Gstädtner is a qualified lawyer in Germany and solicitor in England/Wales. Dr. Gstädtner is also President of the European Banking Institute’s Supervisory Board. \nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-setting-the-european-central-banks-priorities-in-an-uncertain-geopolitical-environment/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260519T200000
DTSTAMP:20260520T174206Z
CREATED:20260520T170448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T174206Z
UID:10001275-1779213600-1779220800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: Innovators and Investors Stammtisch
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany and the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in New York cordially invite you to join us for the “Innovators and Investors Stammtisch”. \nThe NYC “Innovators and Investors Stammtisch” series is an initiative designed to bring together German and U.S. professionals for informal\, engaging conversations. Inspired by the German tradition of the Stammtisch\, this regular gathering fosters networking\, knowledge sharing\, and transatlantic exchange in a relaxed setting. Each event features rotating guest speakers or site visits offering unique insights\, creating a space for meaningful connections between leaders and innovators from both countries. \nThe Microsoft Garage is a program that drives a culture of innovation – with the goal of creating an ecosystem of collaboration\, creativity\, and experimentation. There are Garage sites at Microsoft locations around the world: Redmond\, Vancouver\, Bay Area\, Atlanta\, Reston/DC\, New England\, New York City\, Dublin\, Israel\, Serbia\, Hyderabad\, Bengaluru\, Noida\, East Africa\, and Beijing. \nThe Garage attracts people who are passionate about making a difference in the world. They are relentlessly curious and lifelong\, hands-on learners. By actively participating in the creative process\, regardless of success or failure\, each person gets the opportunity to gain valuable insights\, increase their knowledge\, and learn diverse perspectives. \nIn the early days of The Garage\, the focus was on employees and mobilizing Microsoft’s cultural ambitions. The Garage helped employees integrate these cultural priorities — Growth Mindset\, Customer Obsession\, Diversity & Inclusion\, One Microsoft\, and Making a difference — into everyday work. As The Garage grew and the culture shift actions gained critical mass\, entire teams and organizations began driving their business forward using these actions. An additional focus of The Garage was helping teams and organizations integrate growth mindset activities into team workflows. More recently\, The Garage has continued to evolve by bringing in Microsoft customers to team up with employees for high-speed growth mindset activities. \nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-innovators-and-investors-stammtisch/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260518T180000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260518T193000
DTSTAMP:20260520T142443Z
CREATED:20260520T142443Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T142443Z
UID:10001272-1779127200-1779132600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Europe & Germany’s Investment in Defense\, Resilience and Deterrence”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \n \n  \nThe American Council on Germany will host a Discussion and Reception on “Europe & Germany’s Investment in Defense\, Resilience and Deterrence” with Dr. Matthias Danne\, Deputy CEO\, DekaBank. \nDr. Matthias Danne is a German financial executive who currently serves as the Deputy CEO of DekaBank and Chairman of the Supervisory Boards of several group companies. Since 2020\, his responsibilities on the Management Board of Deka Group have centered on Asset Management and Treasury. In this capacity\, he has positioned DekaBank at the forefront of the European sovereign industrial imperative. Under his leadership\, Deka launched the €500M+ “Deka Security & Defense” fund in early 2025\, followed by the “Deka Europe Defense UCITS ETF” in late 2025\, aggressively channeling private capital into the continent’s defense and aerospace sectors. \nPlease email events@acgusa.org for more information. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-europe-germanys-investment-in-defense-resilience-and-deterrence/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260512T183000
DTSTAMP:20260507T212739Z
CREATED:20260507T212739Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T212739Z
UID:10001268-1778605200-1778610600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:Annual Meeting of the Members
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The American Council on Germany will host its annual meeting of the members\, including a discussion and reception with with Ambassador Ricklef Beutin\, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/annual-meeting-of-the-members-4/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260511T080000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260511T170000
DTSTAMP:20260417T152815Z
CREATED:20260417T152815Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260417T152815Z
UID:10001263-1778486400-1778518800@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:New York Event - German-American Conference
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke will host the annual German-American Conference on May 11 in New York City. \nAs geopolitical competition intensifies and technology becomes a defining arena of global power\, the German-American partnership faces steep challenges that often overshadow unique opportunities. This year’s German-American conference brings together leaders from business\, government\, and academia to examine how the United States and Germany can navigate a shifting strategic landscape and account for citizens’ welfare in societies where the social contract appears to crack under the weight of industrial\, technological\, and financial competition. \nAgainst the backdrop of accelerating technological innovation\, supply chain reconfiguration\, and evolving regulatory frameworks\, our discussions will explore how transatlantic partners can align their approaches to artificial intelligence\, critical minerals\, digital governance\, and financial innovation. As the backbone of all modern digital infrastructure\, chips and semiconductors have become a strategic linchpin\, making their secure production and supply a critical priority. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss the competitiveness of Western companies\, the vulnerabilities exposed by global dependencies\, and the prospects for deeper cooperation to secure both resilient technology ecosystems and societal adaptation— the great affordability question. \nBy convening a diverse group of experts and practitioners\, the American Council on Germany and Atlantik-Brücke aim to generate actionable insights on safeguarding economic vitality. In a world where economic and technological decisions carry far-reaching geopolitical implications\, strengthening transatlantic dialogue is not just prudent — it is essential.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title=”Register Here” style=”classic” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.acgusa.org%2F2026-german-american-conference%2F” css=”.vc_custom_1776439686679{background-color: #1e73be !important;background-position: center !important;background-repeat: no-repeat !important;background-size: cover !important;}”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/new-york-event-german-american-conference/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T143000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260508T160000
DTSTAMP:20260507T201525Z
CREATED:20260507T201036Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T201525Z
UID:10001267-1778250600-1778256000@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: "The Next Frontier and New Realities: Leadership in a Multipolar World"
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany is cohosting a panel with 1014 as part of their Next Frontiers Symposium.  \nSession 5 | 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM | Society & Democracy: The Stewardship Frontier \nConversation: The Next Frontier and New Realities: Leadership in a Multipolar World \nExperts: Saskia Brechenmacher (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace) and Steven Sokol (President\, American Council on Germany) \nNext Frontiers Symposium: Day II Tickets\, Friday\, May 8  •  8:30 AM – 6 PM | Eventbrite \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-the-next-frontier-and-new-realities-leadership-in-a-multipolar-world/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260507T133000
DTSTAMP:20260507T201341Z
CREATED:20260507T200311Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T201341Z
UID:10001266-1778155200-1778160600@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: "Does Rule-Based Public International Law Still Exist? And If So\, What For?"
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] \nThe American Council on Germany and The University of Cologne New York Office hosted a discussion and luncheon on “Does Rule-Based Public International Law Still Exist? And If So\, What For?” with Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dr. h.c. Stephan Hobe\, Chair for Public International Law\, European Law\, and European and International Economic Law at the University of Cologne. \nProfessor Dr. Dr. h.c. Dr. h.c. Stephan Hobe holds the Chair for Public International Law\, European Law\, and European and International Economic Law at the University of Cologne and is President of the German Society of International Law and Vice President of the German Association of International Law (German ILA). He is also Director of the Institute of Air Law\, Space Law and Cyber Law and Co-Director of the International Investment Law Centre Cologne. His scientific ouevre encompasses 3 books on public international law (11th ed. 2020)\, European law (11th ed. 2023) and Space Law (2nd. ed. 2023) as well as approx. 350 articles on German public law\, public international law\, international investment law\, air law\, space law and cyber law. He teaches as a guest professor at various universities in Europe\, Africa\, and Asia\, and holds honorary doctoral degrees from the Universities of Sofia\, Bulgaria and the Aviation University in Kiev\, Ukraine. \n[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-does-rule-based-public-international-law-still-exist-and-if-so-what-for/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260429T140000
DTSTAMP:20260414T202906Z
CREATED:20260414T202814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260414T202906Z
UID:10001257-1777464000-1777471200@www.acgusa.org
SUMMARY:NYC Event: “Germany’s Zeitenwende: Four Years On”
DESCRIPTION:[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]The American Council on Germany will host a discussion and luncheon on “Germany’s Zeitenwende: Four Years On” with H.E. Olaf Scholz\, Former German Federal Chancellor (2021-2025) and Member of the Bundestag (SPD). \nOlaf Scholz (born 14 June 1958) served as the Federal Chancellor of Germany from 2021 to 2025. He led the first Ampelkoalition (“traffic light coalition\,” consisting of Social Democrats\, Greens\, and Free Democrats)\, at the federal level. Immediately following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 20222\, Chancellor Scholz held a historic speech in the Bundestag announcing a massive shift in the tenets of German foreign policy and defense spending. \nA member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD)\, Olaf Scholz was elected to the Bundestag from 1998 to 2011. Before being elected Chancellor\, he served as Vice Chancellor in the fourth Merkel cabinet and as Federal Minister of Finance from 2018 to 2021\, during which time he oversaw management of the emergency funding package during the Covid-19 Pandemic. He was also First Mayor of Hamburg from 2011 to 2018\, deputy leader of the SPD from 2009 to 2019\, and Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs from 2007 to 2009. \nFederal Chancellor Scholz studied law at the University of Hamburg from 1978 to 1984. After earning his degree in 1985\, he established his own firm in Hamburg specializing in labor law.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
URL:https://www.acgusa.org/event/nyc-event-germanys-zeitenwende-four-years-on/
CATEGORIES:NYC Events
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR