American Council On Germany

Nashville: Free Rider in the International Trade System? German Perspectives on Global Free Trade Following the U.S. Elections
2017-06-16 12:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
The Nashville Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and luncheon with Dr. Angela Stanzel, Policy Fellow, Asia and China Program for the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR).
There is a $15 charge for ACG members and a $25 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
RSVP here by June 14.
Dr. Angela Stanzel joined the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in 2014 as a Policy Fellow for the Asia and China Program. Before joining ECFR, Dr. Stanzel worked for the BMW Foundation and the International Affairs Office of the Körber Foundation in Berlin. Prior to that, she worked in Brussels for the German Marshall Fund of the United States (Asia Program) and in Beijing at the German Embassy (Cultural Section) as well as for several event and marketing firms. Alongside China’s history, politics and economics, her research work focuses on East and South Asia’s foreign and security policy. Dr. Stanzel earned her Ph.D. in Sinology at the Freie Universität Berlin, conducting research on China-Pakistan relations. Her thesis was on “The People’s Republic of China as an Actor in Today’s Pakistan – Advantages and Risks of Building a Chinese Power Base in South Asia.”

Los Angeles: Understanding the Global World of Jihad
2017-06-16 12:00 - 14:00
The Los Angeles Warburg Chapter and the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles will host a discussion and luncheon with Souad Mekhennet, Washington Post Correspondent and Author of I Was Told to Come Alone: My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad.
There is a $10 charge for ACG members and a $18 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
RSVP here by June 14.
Souad Mekhennet, a reporter who has been covering the Middle East, North Africa, and radical Islamic movements since shortly after September 11, is a correspondent for The Washington Post’s national security desk. She has also reported on terrorism for The New York Times, The International Herald Tribune, and NPR, and she is the co-author of The Eternal Nazi, Children of Jihad, and Islam. She was one of two reporters who broke the story of Khaled el Masri’s rendition case and worked on a series called “Inside the Jihad,” where she and her colleagues interviewed members of radical jihadist organizations all over the world. Ms. Mekhennet was a 2012 Nieman Fellow at Harvard University, and she has been a visiting fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Policy at Harvard, the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), and the Geneva Center for Security Policy. The daughter of a Turkish mother, and a Moroccan father, she was born and educated in Germany. She is an alumna of the ACG’s Young Leaders Study Group on the Future of Europe: Demographic Trends, Migration, and Social Cohesion.

NYC: Twenty-Fifth Annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner
2017-06-22 18:00 - 22:00
The ACG will honor Wolfgang Kirsch, Chief Executive Officer of DZ BANK AG, at its 25th annual John J. McCloy Awards Dinner on June 22 in New York City. More information to follow.

Charlotte: From Martin Luther King to Martin Luther King, Jr.
2017-06-26 18:00 - 20:00 | St. Mark’s Lutheran Church
The Charlotte Warburg Chapter, the N.C. Zeitgeist Foundation, the Institute for Foreign Relations, and the German Federal Foreign Office, will host a discussion with Professor Dr. Michael Haspel, Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
There will be a $15 charge to attend this event. RSVP here by June 23.
Professor Dr. Michael Haspel is Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. He studied Protestant Theology, Rhetoric, and Public Law in Tübingen, Bonn, and Harvard, and received a Master of Theology degree from the Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Marburg. His emphasis is on social ethics. He was a guest lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and the University of Tartu, Estonia.

Indianapolis: The Impact of the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation on Germany
2017-06-28 13:30 - 14:30
The Indianapolis Warburg Chapter, the Foundation for Lutheran Child and Family Services, the Cornerstone Lutheran Church, the Institute for Foreign Relations, and the German Federal Foreign Office, will host a discussion with Professor Dr. Michael Haspel, Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.

RSVP to pmay@lutheranfamily.org or (317) 359-5467 Ext. 288 by June 23.

Professor Dr. Michael Haspel is Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. He studied Protestant Theology, Rhetoric, and Public Law in Tübingen, Bonn, and Harvard, and received a Master of Theology degree from the Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Marburg. His emphasis is on social ethics. He was a guest lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and the University of Tartu, Estonia.

Indianapolis: From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King, Jr.
2017-06-28 19:00 - 20:30
The Indianapolis Warburg Chapter, the Resurrection Lutheran Church, the Foundation for Lutheran Child and Family Services, the Institute for Foreign Relations, and the German Federal Foreign Office, will host a public lecture and concert with Professor Dr. Michael Haspel, Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, accompanied by Albrecht von Gaudecker (Organ) performing music ranging from the Reformation to the Civil Rights Movement.

There is no charge to attend this event. RSVPs are not required.

Professor Dr. Michael Haspel is Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. He studied Protestant Theology, Rhetoric, and Public Law in Tübingen, Bonn, and Harvard, and received a Master of Theology degree from the Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Marburg. His emphasis is on social ethics. He was a guest lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and the University of Tartu, Estonia.

Atlanta: From Martin Luther to Martin Luther King, Jr.
2017-06-29 18:30 - 20:00
The Atlanta Warburg Chapter, the Goethe Zentrum, the Institute for Foreign Relations, and the German Federal Foreign Office, will host a discussion and reception with Professor Dr. Michael Haspel, Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena.
There is no charge to attend this event. RSVP here by June 23.
Professor Dr. Michael Haspel is Director of the Evangelical Academy in Thuringia and Professor for Systematic Theology at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. He studied Protestant Theology, Rhetoric, and Public Law in Tübingen, Bonn, and Harvard, and received a Master of Theology degree from the Harvard Divinity School and a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Marburg. His emphasis is on social ethics. He was a guest lecturer at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, and the University of Tartu, Estonia.

NYC: The Favorability Factor: The Global View of the EU, Brexit, and the Waning Popularity of the U.S.
2017-07-21 12:00 - 14:00
The American Council on Germany will host a discussion and luncheon with Bruce Stokes, the Director of Global Economic Attitudes at Pew Research Center.
RSVP (acceptances only) to the American Council on Germany at 212-826-3636 or events@acgusa.org.
Bruce Stokes is Director of Global Economic Attitudes at Pew Research Center, where he assesses public views about economic conditions, foreign policy, and values. He is also a non-resident fellow at the German Marshall Fund and an Associate Fellow at Chatham House. He is the former International Economics Correspondent for the National Journal, a former Senior Transatlantic Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and a former Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, where he is a member. Mr. Stokes is author of the recent Pew Research Center studies “Europeans Face the World Divided,” “Euroskepticism Beyond Brexit,” “Germany and the United States: Reliable Allies,” and “Americans, Japanese: Mutual Respect 70 Years After the End of WWII.” Mr. Stokes is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. He has appeared on numerous television and radio programs on CNN, BBC, NPR, NBC, CBS, and ABC and is a frequent speaker at major conferences around the world.

Berlin: XXXIX American-German Young Leaders Conference
2017-07-30 08:00 - 2017-08-03 17:00 | Berlin, Germany
The American Council on Germany will hold its annual American-German Young Leaders Conference in Berlin July 30 to August 3.

Charlotte: Bringing Democracy Down: What Can Be Learned from Weimar Germany?
2017-09-11 12:00 - 14:00
The Charlotte Warburg Chapter will host a luncheon and discussion with Professor Dr. Norbert Frei, the Chair of Modern History at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
There will be a $25 charge for ACG members and a $30 charge for nonmembers to attend this event. RSVP here no later than September 4.
Professor Dr. Norbert Frei obtained his doctorate from the University of Munich in 1979. After many years as a researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich, he became Chair of the Modern History Department at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in 1997. Since 2005, he has been teaching in the same capacity at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, where he is also the Director of the Jena Center for 20th Century History. In 1985 and 1986, he was a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard University, and in 2008 and 2009, he was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. In 2010 and 2011, he served as the Theodor Heuss Professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Some of his numerous books have been translated into English, including National Socialist Rule in Germany: The Führer State 1933-1945 and Adenauer’s Germany and the Nazi Past: The Politics of Amnesty and Integration.

Indianapolis: Bringing Democracy Down: What Can Be Learned from Weimar Germany?
2017-09-12 12:00 - 13:00
The Indianapolis Warburg Chapter, the IUPUI Max Kade German-American Center, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Department of History, and Global and International Studies Program, as well as Lutheran Child and Family Services, will host a discussion with Professor Dr. Norbert Frei, the Chair of Modern History at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
There will be no charge to attend this event. RSVP to Claudia Grossmann at cgrossma@iupui.edu or (317) 274-3943 no later than September 9.
Professor Dr. Norbert Frei obtained his doctorate from the University of Munich in 1979. After many years as a researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich, he became Chair of the Modern History Department at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in 1997. Since 2005, he has been teaching in the same capacity at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, where he is also the Director of the Jena Center for 20th Century History. In 1985 and 1986, he was a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard University, and in 2008 and 2009, he was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. In 2010 and 2011, he served as the Theodor Heuss Professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Some of his numerous books have been translated into English, including National Socialist Rule in Germany: The Führer State 1933-1945 and Adenauer’s Germany and the Nazi Past: The Politics of Amnesty and Integration.

Boston: Bringing Democracy Down: What Can Be Learned from Weimar Germany?
2017-09-13 12:00 - 14:00
The Boston Warburg Chapter and the Center for German and European Studies at Brandeis University (CGES) will host a luncheon and discussion with Professor Dr. Norbert Frei, the Chair of Modern History at Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.
There will be no charge to attend this event. RSVP here no later than September 6.
Professor Dr. Norbert Frei obtained his doctorate from the University of Munich in 1979. After many years as a researcher at the Institute for Contemporary History in Munich, he became Chair of the Modern History Department at Ruhr-Universität Bochum in 1997. Since 2005, he has been teaching in the same capacity at Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, where he is also the Director of the Jena Center for 20th Century History. In 1985 and 1986, he was a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard University, and in 2008 and 2009, he was a member of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. In 2010 and 2011, he served as the Theodor Heuss Professor at the New School for Social Research in New York City. Some of his numerous books have been translated into English, including National Socialist Rule in Germany: The Führer State 1933-1945 and Adenauer’s Germany and the Nazi Past: The Politics of Amnesty and Integration.

Phoenix: Global and Local Energy Transitions: Lessons from Germany and Beyond
2017-09-14 18:00 - 21:00
On Thursday, September 14, the Phoenix Warburg Chapter will host a Panel Discussion as part of the Future Out Loud podcast series with:
Max Gruenig
President of Ecological Institute US
Klaus Hoppe
Former Climate Manager for Freiburg, Germany
Ursel Pielke
Senior Climate Consultant in the Hamburg Ministry of Environment and Energy
Dr. David Sailor
Director of the ASU Urban Climate Research Center
Dean Libby Wentz
ASU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
and moderated by:
Dr. Wesley Herche
ASU Global Security Initiative
and
Dr. Heather Ross
ASU School for the Future of Innovation in Society

There will be a no charge to attend. Dinner is also free of charge.
RSVP here by September 13.
Experts from Germany and Arizona will discuss Germany’s energy transition (Energiewende) and where Arizona stands on the path to joining Germany as a leader in this global movement. We will look at the economic impacts of renewable energy and energy efficiency, especially on a local scale, i.e., how sustainable-energy policies foster local job creation, economic activity, and tax revenue while reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and thus mitigating global climate change.

Hot Topics Call on German Elections with Christopher Cermak
2017-09-18 10:30 - 11:30
The ACG will host a Hot Topics Call on the upcoming German elections with Christopher Cermak, Editor of Handelsblatt Global.
To register, please fill in the form below. Dial-in information will be emailed to you closer to the date of the phone call.

NYC: Germany: Final Countdown to the Elections
2017-09-19 08:00 - 09:30
The American Council on Germany will host a Breakfast Briefing with David Gill, Consul General of Germany in New York (1992 Young Leader).
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
There is a $35 charge for members to attend this event. (No-shows and cancellations after September 15 will be billed.) RSVP (acceptances only) to the American Council on Germany at 212-826-3636 or events@acgusa.org.

David Gill assumed his post as Consul General of Germany in New York in August 2017. Born in Schönebeck, East Germany, Mr. Gill worked for three years as a plumber before attending the Theological Seminary of the Protestant Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, he was among those maintaining the extensive files of the GDR’s Ministry of State Security, the Stasi. In 1990, he was Chairman of the Normannenstrasse Citizens’ Committee at the headquarters of the Ministry of State Security, then Head of Administration of the Parliamentary Special Committee for the dissolution of the GDR Ministry of State Security/Office of National Security. From 1990 to 1992, he was Spokesman and Head of Division of the Federal Commissioner for the Files of the State Security Service of the former GDR under Joachim Gauck. Mr. Gill studied Law at Freie Universität Berlin from 1992 to 1996 and went on to receive his Master of Laws from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia in 1998. He then interned at the United States Congress in Washington, DC. From 2000 to 2001, Mr. Gill worked as a Desk Officer at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, then as a Desk Officer at the Office of the Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information in Berlin from 2001 to 2003. From 2004 to 2012, he served as the Deputy Representative of the Council of the Protestant Church in Germany (EKD) to the Federal Republic of Germany and the EU. Before his assignment as Consul General in New York, Mr. Gill was State Secretary and Head of the Office of the Federal President from 2012 to 2017. He was a delegate to the American-German Young Leaders Conference in Nashville in 1992.

Hot Topics Call on the German Election Results
2017-09-25 10:00 - 10:30
The ACG will host a Hot Topics Call on the German Election results with Rüdiger Lentz, Executive Director of the Aspen Institute in Germany.
To register, please fill in the form below. Dial-in information will be emailed to you closer to the date of the phone call.

Philadelphia: The German Dual Education System as a Model: The Potential Benefit to America's Businesses and Young People
2017-09-25 17:30 - 19:30
The Philadelphia Warburg Chapter and the German American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia will host a discussion and reception with Christine Benz, D.B.A., the Training Manager at TRUMPF Inc.
There will be no charge to attend this event. RSVP here by September 18.
Christine Benz, Ph.D., initiated and oversees TRUMPF Inc.’s successful registered apprenticeship program, and promotes dual education among businesses, educators, and legislators. She joined TRUMPF Inc. in May 2003, initially working as an engineer in the Laser Development Department, where she developed new laser designs. She then worked as a Manager of Project Engineering in the Customer Service group, where she managed large-scale automation projects. In her curent role as Training Manager, she is responsible for providing TRUMPF customers with the knowledge they need to operate high-technology equipment successfully as well as for the continuous training and development of TRUMPF employees. She also serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University’s Industrial Advisory Board. Dr. Benz earned a B.S. in Micro- and Precision Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, an M.S. in Technology Management at Central Connecticut State University, and a D.B.A. in Organizational Leadership at North Central University.

NYC: After the German Federal Election: Analyzing the Results and Looking Ahead
2017-09-25 18:30 - 20:00
The American Council on Germany, in partnership with Deutsches Haus at NYU, NYU’s Center for European and Mediterranean Studies, the CUNY European Union Studies Center, and the CUNY Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, will hold a Panel Discussion with:
Dr. Sheri Berman
Professor of Political Science
Barnard College and Columbia University
Thomas Jahn
New York Correspondent
Handelsblatt
Dr. Christian Martin
Professor of European and Mediterranean Studies
Max Weber Visiting Chair in German and European Studies
New York University
and
Dr. Steven E. Sokol
President
American Council on Germany
(Moderator)

RSVP (acceptances only) to the American Council on Germany
at 212-826-3636 or events@acgusa.org.

On September 24, Germany is heading to the polls to elect a new Bundestag, and to decide who will govern the country for the next four years. Can Angela Merkel continue her chancellorship and her trademark governance with a steady hand? What would follow for the stability of Europe and German-American relations if Merkel were not to be re-elected? Is there an option for a center-left majority that would include the former communist state party Die Linke (Left Party)? What will be the electoral fate of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland and its nativist agenda? Will its support dwindle as those of other authoritarian populist parties have, or will they see an unexpected upswing? On the night after the election, this panel discussion will bring together distinguished experts on German politics to conduct an analysis of the election results and to discuss the direction the country is likely to take under a new government. Special attention will be given to election results from eastern Germany and the specific role the electorate there plays in shaping the composition of the 19th German Bundestag.

Washington: The German Dual Education System as a Model: The Potential Benefit to America's Businesses and Young People
2017-09-26 12:00 - 13:30
The Greater Washington Warburg Chapter and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission will host a luncheon and discussion with Christine Benz, D.B.A., the Training Manager at TRUMPF Inc.
For questions, please contact Dale Medearis at dmedearis@novaregion.org or via telephone at (703) 642-4630. There is no charge to attend this event. RSVP here by Friday, September 15, 2017
Christine Benz, Ph.D., initiated and oversees TRUMPF Inc.’s successful registered apprenticeship program, and promotes dual education among businesses, educators, and legislators. She joined TRUMPF Inc. in May 2003, initially working as an engineer in the Laser Development Department, where she developed new laser designs. She then worked as a Manager of Project Engineering in the Customer Service group, where she managed large-scale automation projects. In her curent role as Training Manager, she is responsible for providing TRUMPF customers with the knowledge they need to operate high-technology equipment successfully as well as for the continuous training and development of TRUMPF employees. She also serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University’s Industrial Advisory Board. Dr. Benz earned a B.S. in Micro- and Precision Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, an M.S. in Technology Management at Central Connecticut State University, and a D.B.A. in Organizational Leadership at North Central University.

Minneapolis: The German Dual Education System as a Model: The Potential Benefit to America's Businesses and Young People
2017-09-27 12:00 - 13:30
The Minneapolis Warburg Chapter, Saint Paul College, and the German American Chamber of Commerce, will host a luncheon and discussion with Christine Benz, D.B.A., the Training Manager at TRUMPF Inc.
There will be a $20 charge for ACG members, GACC members, and Saint Paul College faculty and staff; a $25 charge for nonmembers; and a $10 for students. RSVP here by September 20.
Christine Benz, Ph.D., initiated and oversees TRUMPF Inc.’s successful registered apprenticeship program, and promotes dual education among businesses, educators, and legislators. She joined TRUMPF Inc. in May 2003, initially working as an engineer in the Laser Development Department, where she developed new laser designs. She then worked as a Manager of Project Engineering in the Customer Service group, where she managed large-scale automation projects. In her curent role as Training Manager, she is responsible for providing TRUMPF customers with the knowledge they need to operate high-technology equipment successfully as well as for the continuous training and development of TRUMPF employees. She also serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University’s Industrial Advisory Board. Dr. Benz earned a B.S. in Micro- and Precision Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, an M.S. in Technology Management at Central Connecticut State University, and a D.B.A. in Organizational Leadership at North Central University.

Charlotte: The German Dual Education System as a Model: The Potential Benefit to America's Businesses and Young People
2017-09-28 11:45 - 13:00
The Charlotte Warburg Chapter and the German American Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon and discussion with Christine Benz, D.B.A., the Training Manager at TRUMPF Inc.
There will be a $20 charge for ACG members and a $30 charge for nonmembers to attend this event. RSVP here by September 21.
Christine Benz, Ph.D., initiated and oversees TRUMPF Inc.’s successful registered apprenticeship program, and promotes dual education among businesses, educators, and legislators. She joined TRUMPF Inc. in May 2003, initially working as an engineer in the Laser Development Department, where she developed new laser designs. She then worked as a Manager of Project Engineering in the Customer Service group, where she managed large-scale automation projects. In her curent role as Training Manager, she is responsible for providing TRUMPF customers with the knowledge they need to operate high-technology equipment successfully as well as for the continuous training and development of TRUMPF employees. She also serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University’s Industrial Advisory Board. Dr. Benz earned a B.S. in Micro- and Precision Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, an M.S. in Technology Management at Central Connecticut State University, and a D.B.A. in Organizational Leadership at North Central University.

Nashville: The German Dual Education System as a Model: The Potential Benefit to America's Businesses and Young People
2017-09-29 12:00 - 14:00
The Nashville Warburg Chapter will host a luncheon and discussion with Christine Benz, D.B.A., the Training Manager at TRUMPF Inc.
There will be a $15 charge for ACG members and a $25 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
RSVP here by September 27.
Christine Benz, Ph.D., initiated and oversees TRUMPF Inc.’s successful registered apprenticeship program, and promotes dual education among businesses, educators, and legislators. She joined TRUMPF Inc. in May 2003, initially working as an engineer in the Laser Development Department, where she developed new laser designs. She then worked as a Manager of Project Engineering in the Customer Service group, where she managed large-scale automation projects. In her curent role as Training Manager, she is responsible for providing TRUMPF customers with the knowledge they need to operate high-technology equipment successfully as well as for the continuous training and development of TRUMPF employees. She also serves as a member of Central Connecticut State University’s Industrial Advisory Board. Dr. Benz earned a B.S. in Micro- and Precision Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany, an M.S. in Technology Management at Central Connecticut State University, and a D.B.A. in Organizational Leadership at North Central University.

Dallas: Germany After the General Election
2017-10-02 12:00 - 13:30
The Dallas Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and luncheon with Thomas Meister, the Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Houston, Texas.
There is no charge to attend this event, but RSVPs are required.
RSVP here to attend.
Thomas H. Meister is the German Consul General in Houston. After completing his studies in economics at the University of Duisburg in 1980, he joined the German Federal Foreign Office. Throughout his early career, he served in Berlin as well as in Australia, Uganda, the United States, Brazil, and Spain. From 2009-2012, he served as Ambassador to New Zealand, also accredited to the Cook Islands, the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Kiribati, the Independent State of Samoa, the Kingdom of Tonga, and Tuvalu. From 2012-2015, he served as the Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland before heading the “Climate and Environmental Foreign Policy, Sustainable Economy” division at the German Federal Foreign Office until the summer of 2017, when he took on his current position in Houston.

Phoenix: The World Out of Joint - the End of the West as We Know it?
2017-10-03 18:00 - 20:00
The Phoenix Warburg Chapter will host a discussion and reception with Ambassador Thomas Matussek, former Senior German Diplomat and Senior Advisor at Flint Global in Berlin.
There will be a $15 charge to attend this event.
Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
RSVP here no later than October 2.
A former German Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and India, Ambassador Thomas Matussek is currently a Senior Advisor at Flint Global in Berlin. He previously headed the public-policy representation of Deutsche Bank in Berlin and was the Managing Director of the Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft, the International Forum of Deutsche Bank. Early in his career, he served as Special Assistant for Europe to Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He was the Director General of the German Foreign Ministry and held senior staff positions with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher – when he was deeply involved in negotiations on German unification – and with Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, when he worked toward a solution to the Balkan crisis. As Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, he negotiated the first four UN resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue, which became the foundation for the so-called 3+3 Iranian nuclear deal, accomplished in 2014. Ambassador Matussek sits on a number of boards, including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen (United Nations Association of Germany); Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London; Internationaler Wirtschaftssenat e.V. (World Economic Council) in Berlin; and Aspen Institute Germany.

NYC: Parsing Germany's Election Results and Coalition Negotiations
2017-10-05 18:00 - 20:00
The American Council on Germany and the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung will host a Discussion and Reception with Nico Lange, Director of the Washington Office at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, and Jeffrey Rathke, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director, Europe Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Thursday, October 5, 2017
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
RSVP (acceptances only) to the American Council on Germany at 212-826-3636 or events@acgusa.org.

Since January 2017, Nico Lange has been the Head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation’s Washington office. Prior to this, he was the Head of the Policy and Counseling Department at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung from 2013 to 2016. During this time, his main focus was on political planning and strategy, analysis, and counseling political parties, as well as addressing populism. From 2006 to 2012, Mr. Lange headed the Ukraine office of the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung and also taught Political Science and International Relations at the University of Greifswald, the Department of International Relations at the State University of St. Petersburg, and the National University of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. Before joining the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, Mr. Lange worked for the CDU/CSU faction in the German Bundestag, and from 2003 to 2006, he was with the Robert Bosch Foundation in St. Petersburg, Russia. Mr. Lange studied Political Science, Communications, and Computer Science after completing his military service in the Bundeswehr, where he had assignments in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo.

Jeffrey Rathke is a Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Europe Program at CSIS. Previously, he served as Director of the State Department Press Office, from May 2014 to June 2015 (and acting Deputy Spokesperson in April and May). He joined the Foreign Service in 1991 and retired in June 2015. Mr. Rathke served in Kuala Lumpur as Counselor for Political Affairs from 2011 to 2014. Prior to that, he was Deputy Director of the Private Office of the NATO Secretary General in Brussels. He also served in Berlin as Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs from 2006 to 2009. His Washington assignments have included Deputy Director of the Office of European Security and Political Affairs (EUR/RPM) and Duty Officer in the White House Situation Room and State Department Operations Center. Mr. Rathke was a Weinberg Fellow at Princeton University from 2003 to 2004, winning the Master’s in Public Policy Prize. He served at the U.S. Embassy in Dublin from 2001 to 2003, covering multilateral politics during Ireland’s tenure on the UN Security Council. From 1999 to 2001, he was posted in Moscow and was responsible for relations with the Russian legislative branch in the Political Section. He was assigned to the U.S. Embassy in Berlin from 1994 to 1996 and helped open the U.S. Embassy in Riga from 1992 to 1994. He holds an M.P.P. degree from Princeton University and B.A. and B.S. degrees from Cornell University.

NYC: TEP Conference: Smart Urban Future - Data and Development
2017-10-09 08:00 - 2017-10-11 17:00
The 2017 TEP Conference will spotlight “Smart Urban Future: Data and Development” and will explore key trends and opportunities in the fields of mobility, and modern urban development, with a focus on the impact on life in the data-driven environments of tomorrow.
More information.

Philadelphia: Germany's New Administration: Key Tasks and Problems
2017-10-09 12:00 - 13:30
The Philadelphia Warburg Chapter and the German-American Chamber of Commerce will host a discussion and luncheon with Dr. Patrick Keller, the Coordinator for Foreign and Security Policy at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung in Berlin.
There is no charge to attend this event.
RSVP here OR to Lauren Konyves (LKonyves@mmwr.com; 215-772-7257) by October 4.
Dr. Patrick Keller is the Coordinator of Foreign and Security Policy at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Berlin, Germany. From 2003 until April 2008 he was an Assistant Professor of Political Science and North American Studies at Bonn University. He studied International Relations, American Language and Literature, and German Literature at Bonn University and Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He holds an M.A. and a Ph.D. in Political Science from Bonn University and was a fellow at the Johns Hopkins University’s American Institute of Contemporary German Studies in Washington, D.C. He is also an associate at the Stiftung Neue Verantwortung, Berlin, and a lecturer in Security Policy at the Zeppelin University in Friedrichshafen. Twice, Capital magazine Germany named him one of the “Most promising leaders under 40.” His essays on transatlantic security policy. international relations, and American politics have been published in numerous newspapers and magazines, including The Wall Street Journal, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Survival, Internationale Politik, die tageszeitung, Merkur, The Weekly Standard, and American Foreign Policy Interests, and the NATO Defense College in Rome has published three of his studies as research papers. A frequent commentator on radio and TV, he has published five books, including Neoconservatism and American Foreign Policy: Ideas, War, and Strategy from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush, Paderborn: Schoeningh 2008 and From Containment to Enlargement: Bill Clinton and the Remaking of U.S. Foreign Policy, Bonn: Bouvier 2008, and, edited with Michael Butter and Birte Christ, 9/11: A Day That Did Not Change the World, Paderborn: Schoeningh 2011. (All available in German only.)

NYC: Lessons Learned from Berlin's Innovation and Digital Transformation
2017-10-11 08:00 - 09:30
The American Council on Germany will host a Breakfast Briefing with Christian Rickerts, Berlin State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Energy, and Public Enterprises.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
There is no charge for members to attend this event. RSVP (acceptances only) to the American Council on Germany at 212-826-3636 or events@acgusa.org.

Christian Rickerts has served as Berlin State Secretary for Economic Affairs, Energy, and Public Enterprises since December 2016. With a background in media, he has served as the Managing Director of Wikimedia Deutschland (2015-2016), Vice President of Corporate Communications of the Bertelsmann Stiftung (2012-2015), and Managing Director of Reporters Without Borders Germany (2009-2012). From 2007 to 2009, he served as a strategy consultant for Capgemini. In 2006, he was a recipient of a Reinhard Mohn Fellowship through Bertelsmann AG and spent time in New York, Buenos Aires, and London. He holds a degree in Political Science from the Freie Universität Berlin.

Nashville: The World Out of Joint - the End of the West as We Know it
2017-10-11 12:00 - 14:00
The Nashville Warburg Chapter will host a luncheon and discussion with Ambassador Thomas Matussek, Former Senior German Diplomat and Senior Advisor at Flint Global in Berlin.
There will be a $15 charge for members and a $25 charge for nonmembers to attend this event.
RSVP here by October 9.
A former German Ambassador to the United Kingdom, the United Nations, and India, Ambassador Thomas Matussek is currently a Senior Advisor at Flint Global in Berlin. He previously headed the public-policy representation of Deutsche Bank in Berlin and was the Managing Director of the Alfred Herrhausen Gesellschaft, the International Forum of Deutsche Bank. Early in his career, he served as Special Assistant for Europe to Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt. He was the Director General of the German Foreign Ministry and held senior staff positions with Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher – when he was deeply involved in negotiations on German unification – and with Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, when he worked toward a solution to the Balkan crisis. As Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the United Nations in New York, he negotiated the first four UN resolutions on the Iranian nuclear issue, which became the foundation for the so-called 3+3 Iranian nuclear deal, accomplished in 2014. Ambassador Matussek sits on a number of boards, including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für die Vereinten Nationen (United Nations Association of Germany); Institute for Strategic Dialogue in London; Internationaler Wirtschaftssenat e.V. (World Economic Council) in Berlin; and Aspen Institute Germany.

Seattle: European Populism After Trump
2017-10-11 15:03
The Seattle Warburg Chapter will host a breakfast briefing with Eckart Woertz, Ph.D, Senior Research Fellow, Barcelona Centre for International Affairs (CIDOB) and Scientific Advisor to the Kuwait Chair, Sciences Po in Paris.
There is a $25 charge for ACG and World Affairs Council members to attend the event and a $35 charge for nonmembers to attend. Please register here by Monday, May 22.

Eckart Woertz, Ph.D., is a Senior Research Fellow at CIDOB, the Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, and scientific advisor to the Kuwait Chair at Sciences Po in Paris, and he teaches at the Barcelona Institute of International Studies (IBEI). Previously, he was a visiting fellow at Princeton University and Director of Economic Studies at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai, and he worked for banks in Germany and the United Arab Emirates. He is the author of Oil for Food (Oxford University Press 2013) and has published numerous journal articles on development issues in the Middle East. He is on the Editorial Boards of Food Security and the Journal of Arabian Studies and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Friedrich- Alexander University, Erlangen-Nuremberg.
