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The Fulbright Alumni e.V. Newsletter

Photos title page:1) PowWow ‘04 – Where continents meet: One of the five exciting panels

2) Winterball ‘04: Guests and organizers

3) Regional Chapter Stuttgart/Southwest: a canoe trip

Greetings from the President 1The Board 2What sets the Fulbright Program apart

By Rolf Hoffmann 4100 Years James William Fulbright 5

Special Feature: Where Continents MeetFulbright Berlin Conference ‘04

Berlin feels well preparedBy Klaus Wowereit 6

Redefining a continent: EU-enlargementBy Joe Kristensen, Steffen Schmuck-Soldan, Jörg Geier 7

Common challenge or internal divideBy Sebestyén L. v. Gorka 10

Why is this publication called „FRANKly“? 12Impressions of the Berlin PowWow

By Crister S. Garrett 13Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan

By Jürgen Simon 14On gravitation and moving targets

By Steffen Schmuck-Soldan 15Fulbright Berlin Conference

By Monica Steger 16Hanseatic Challenge in Hamburg 2004

By Uli Wandel, Uwe Koch, Heike Staffa-Ott, Martina Rauch, Anna A. Meissner 17History and Purpose of the Fulbright Alumni e.V. 19Membership application 21What’s going on in the Regional Chapters 23Enterprise Scholars powered by the FAeV. 26Strategy on the Ammer

By Michael Tonke 30Behind the Scenes in Ludwigsburg: Winterball ‘04

By Ulrich Schlecht 31Speak American

By Andrea Möller 33Fulbright Family Fun Weekend

By Knut Mittwollen 34Washington Conferences and Fulbright Prize ‘03

By Uwe Koch 35Welcome Meeting ‘03

By Ulrich Hueck 36Fulbright travellogue Tenerife ‘03

By Christiane Fertig 37Did you know…

By Silke Wolter 40Welcome back

By Silke Wolter 41FRANKly No. 15, Oktober 2004Copyright by Fulbright Alumni e.V.Postfach 10 08 6560008 Frankfurt/MainGermany

Proofread by the Board

Editor and DesignerFeinDesign Silke Wolter, Bad Soden(06196) 643914, Fax 643814swolter@t-online.de

Printing andLettershop byLiebeskind Druck, Apolda

Dear friends of the Fulbright idea,a warm welcome to all of youholding our 15th issue of theFRANKly in hands.

Our special features theFulbright Berlin Conferenceof 2004, for the first timeorganized in close coopera-tion between the FulbrightAlumni e.V. and the German-American FulbrightCommission. This is exactly what the Senator had in mind: people of different origin and academic backgrounds unitedwith a goal and despite all diversity summing it up with thewords “Where Continents Meet“.

My Fulbright Conference was held in Chicago in 1988 and I will never forget one girl from Honduras. She set up a tapeplayer one evening and said: “In Honduras, we can dance“. And she threw off her shoes and began to dance in front ofapproximately 200 Fulbright scholars from all over the world.

That’s what I like about Fulbrighters. They do not only talk butact when it’s necessary.* I love working with them, I am gladthat I can contribute to extending the Fulbright experience toothers. And I hope I can meet them all.

* Thank you for your excellent cooperation, Andrea and Joe

Enjoy and contribute if you wishSilke Wolter

frankly@fulbright-alumni.de

Content Letter fromthe editor

Silke Wolter holds a diploma in Visual Communications (FH)

from the Fachhochschule des Landes Rheinland-Pfalz at

Mainz. She was a Fulbright scholar from 1987-1989 and stu-

died Design at the University of Minnesota, where Silke recei-

ved a Master of Arts and discovered her affinity and talent to

teaching. In the past she has been working for German and

international advertising and design agencies in Germany and

the Czech Republic. She exhibits her art sporadically and won

awards with her graphic work. Silke opened her own business

in 2003 (designing anything from invitation cards to annual

reports) and lives close to Frankfurt with her husband and

three children.

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Dear members and friends of the German Fulbright Alumni e.V.,

I am very pleased to introduce to you this 15th edition of our association’s journal, the FRANKly.These pages reflect the effort of the authors and editors of the articles they contain, but also the hard work of those dedicated members who orchestrated the events described. Therefore I would like to thank not only Silke Wolter for her fine work in the production of this edition and allof the authors and contributors, but also all of the energetic individuals who have invested muchof their free time to contribute to the richness of this Association by organizing the events whichhelp define it.

You will find quite a number of events described in this issue, ranging from the picnics and day-trips of the regional chapters and the Family Weekend in Königstein, to the larger events such asthe Pow Wow conference on EU-Enlargement or the annual Winterball. Furthermore, this editionis one of introductions: Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, who became the Executive Director of the German-American Fulbright Commission inthe beginning of this year introduces himself and his ideas for future collaboration between the Fulbright Alumni and theCommission. Four out of the five "Enterprise Scholars", Fulbrighters who received travel grants sponsored by our association, takethe opportunity to describe their experiences and share their enthusiasm about their year abroad. Finally, the interview with themembers of the board of directors gives some insight into the leadership of the association.

These contents illustrate the broad spectrum of our events and our individuals, showing the diversity and the desire for diversityamong the over 1200 members. I find the faceted nature of the association’s activities to be extremely important: The GermanFulbright Alumni association is at once a social gathering place, a helpful institution for returning grantees and Americans currentlyin Germany, an information source for the public about the Fulbright Program, a forum for addressing current topics from academia,politics, and professional life, and a great place to develop professional and leadership skills. Any one of these facets alone couldnot keep the association alive. Together, however, they make the association as dynamic and eclectic as a typical Fulbrighter.

Enjoy this edition of the FRANKly!

Joseph Kristensen Berlin, October 2004

Question: How do you envision the FAeV's future?I have always been impressed with the eclectic and dynamicnature of the individual members of the FAeV, as well as theopportunities for developing leadership and professional skillswhich the association offers to those members who becomeactive and/or take office. Great individuals combined withopportunities for learning build the strong foundation of theassociation. First and foremost, I envision this foundation beingfortified with a steadily growing membership, and continuedactivation of members for leadership positions within the association.

Question: What is your comment on the German-AmericanRelationship from the standpoint of the FAeV?I feel that the standpoint of all Fulbrighters, individually andcollectively, should be one of tolerance, even celebration ofideas and viewpoints contrary to one's own. In SenatorFulbright's own words, "The essence of intercultural educationis the acquisition of empathy – the ability to see the world asothers see it, and to allow for the possibility that others may

see something that we have failed to see, or may see it moreaccurately." I think that Fulbright Alumni, as academics and pro-fessionals by definition and hooked on the empathy gainedthrough their experience, have had a particularly difficult timeaccepting the current Bush Administration, which has defineditself through the use of simple dichotomies and resoluteactions. Many see "freedom fries" and the Fox News Channelas the antithesis of what Senator Fulbright and the FulbrightProgram stood and stand for.To avoid being a hypocrit, however, a Fulbrighter on either sideof any political fence must engage in discourse, "to allow forthe possibility that others…" (see above).As emotions ran high during the outbreak of the war in Iraq, agroup of our members did just that: a digest of articles and per-sonal statements representing a full range of opinions was cre-ated, for which subscribers were encouraged to submit furthercontent for intelligent and respectful discussion of currentaffairs. This, I feel, is a commendable example of the coopera-tion and tolerance which the Fulbright Program is meant todevelop, and the Fulbright Alumni e.V. stands for.

Greetings fromthe President

Born in Rochester, New York, in 1972, Joe received a Fulbright

Teaching Assistant Grant for the school year of 1995-96 in

Königs-Wusterhausen, near Berlin. Joe lives with his wife

Sidse in Berlin, and works as a commercial project manager

for the Transportation Systems division of Siemens AG.

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Uwe Koch - Treasurer

Born on August 11th 1964 in Reutlingen, Uwe spent his

Fulbright Year from August 1988 to September 1989 in

Corvallis, Oregon attending classes at Oregon State

University. Currently he is working for a major European

Bank’s Online Brokerage daughter in Nuremberg.

Question: What keeps you personally motivated to invest yourspare time in FAeV?First of all the Fulbright Year in the US gave me a lot. Workingon the Board of Directors is equally rewarding since I am ableto participate in international ventures, meet interesting peopleat otherwise inaccessible events and learn a lot of things infields differing from my professional life.

Question: What does the FAeV really do for returnees?Most returnees have a unique experience in their social envi-ronment as usually all their friends and family members stayedback in Germany. We offer a community of people with thesame kind of experiences in similar situations. Returnees who happen to suffer from reverse culture shock find out thatthey are not the only ones and get consolidation from under-standing Fulbrighters who may even become friends for life.We also offer events to keep up the links with the US and tobroaden the mind in different disciplines.

Andrea Möller - Vice President Communications

Born in Frankfurt/Main in 1974, Andrea studied English and

Biology at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University. After a TA-

year in Great Britain she spent her Fulbright year studying

Biology in the Masters program of Northern Arizona University

in Flagstaff in 96/97. Currently she is working on her PhD in

Biology, trying to find out how migrating animals sense the

earth’s magnetic field for orientation.

Question: How do you envision the FAeV’s future?In the past 18 years our association has grown continuously,bringing together internationally-oriented students and pro-fessionals by organizing more than 50 events, some of themeven on an international scale. Undoubtedly our future contin-ues to lie in our lively and broad-based pool of members, fromwhich our active regional or national boards are recruited. But while our potentials increase with becoming larger, our responsibilities increase as well. As governmental money is cut everywhere and Amerikahäuser are closed, non-governmentalassociations like the FAeV will become progressively more rele-vant. We will need to support the German-American dialogueand serve as an information platform, possibly in cooperationwith other organizations. Also, as more and more students tendto stay at their home university in order not to "lose" a year, weshould use our connections to universities and schools andencourage them to go abroad – possibly by trying to be a "lifeexample" for the fact that one can only win, on the career butabove all on the personal level. If we can continue to be dyna-mic, diverse and independent, the FAeV will continue to thriveand become even more relevant in the future.

Question: What is your comment on the German-Americanrelationship from the standpoint of FAeV?The German-American Relationship is going through a radicalchange. For a long time, especially during the Cold War,Americans were seen as the creators and keepers of peace.But as a generation change takes place in Germany, opinionsabout the U.S. become more differentiated and critical. Americais no longer merely associated with bringing Marshall Plan andHershey bars. Some, Germans as well as Americans, begin toquestion the turn in U.S. politics. But instead of becoming pessimistic fence sitters, our members take action: They orga-nize a PowWow "Quo vadis U.S.A.?" and start a digest of pressarticles and opinions, creating a platform for open discussion. This is where our chance lies. First, our members know bothcultures and are more attentive and sensitive when it comes toAmerican/German issues. They try to understand what drivespolitical decisions on both sides of the Atlantic. Secondly, andmost important, Fulbright Alumni e.V. is not a limb of a politicalparty or ideology. Instead, we are driven by the idea of toleranceand true internationality. Our aim is to encourage dialogue andinteraction, always trying to foster Senator J.W. Fulbright’s won-derful vision: "It is possible – not very probable, but possible –that people can find in themselves through intercultural educa-tion the ways and means of living together in peace."

The Board

From the top left, clockwise: Petra Steinmetz, Andrea Möller, Uwe Koch,

Joe Kristensen, Ursula Mich.

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Ursula Mich - Vice President Events

Born 1960 and grown up in Bad Homburg v. d. H. Ursula stu-

died Library Science at Stuttgart’s University of Applied

Sciences. Afterwards a Fulbright scholarship allowed her to

study juvenile literature at the Library Science Department at

UNC, North Carolina, from 1982-1984. When she returned in

1984 she became a bookseller at one of the best known

bookstores in former West Germany. Currently she is the assi-

stant to the CIO of one of Germany’s largest banks.

Question: Where did the exchange year(s) influence your lifemost?It influenced me most in my private life. Many American andGerman friends I would never have met without my Fulbrightyear. Regarding my professional career my US studies helpedme to find an aedaquate job at home. While abroad, I came to a more objective opinion on Germany and German issue.Sometimes I feel as a wanderer between two worlds.

Question: How do you envision the FAeV’s future?I think the FAeV will become more important because theFulbright program is often discussed in politics and the association is needed as a sponsor. It is also important to stateour experiences. The number of members will grow further. The Association will face the "problem" of growing older andhaving also quite young members. This is something board andmembers will have to discuss.

Question: What does FaeV really do for Returnees?In hopefully easing the reverse culture shock by inviting themto regional and national events to get to know fellows havingmade same experiences and to intensify the first contacts ofold and new members because of continous personal contacts.

Question: Which role do American Fulbrighters play in theFAeV?Quite an important as you see. Joe is our first AmericanPresident. During the years I think a more important role alsodue to the meanwhile good relations between FulbrightKommission and the FAeV and due to easier access toAmerican Fulbrighters. More Americans come to our regionaland national events because of this.

Petra Steinmetz - Vice President Members

Petra Steinmetz was born on Sept. 6th, 1965 in Göttingen.

Her Fulbright experience as a Teaching Assistant was in

1990-91 in Minnesota. Since 1997 she has been living in

Luxembourg with her family where she is representing very

fine and special Tahitian pearls - Magic Pearls®.

Question: Where did the exchange year(s) influence your lifemost?When I received my Fulbright Scholarship, I knew that it wouldchange my life completely. Thanks to Fulbright Alumni e.V. I metmy husband during the Welcome Meeting 1991 in Tübingen.Ever since, Fulbright has played one of the most significantroles in my life. I feel that we as Fulbrighters can make the dif-ference in promoting worldwide mutual understanding.

Question: If the FAeV did not exist, what would the world miss?A place / meeting point / platform where people with the samebasic ideas can exchange their thoughts and discuss how toimprove this world we all live in. I consider it one of our noblestaims to carry on the legacy and vision of Senator Fulbright, and to work for peace wherever we can. We Fulbrighters arethe ideal group for bringing together people around the globe. I truly hope that everybody makes a little effort for improvingthe world.

Question: What keeps you personally motivated to invest yourspare time in the FAeV?I truly enjoy Fulbright Alumni events, because that's where Ifind people of the same wavelength. The spirit of the Senatormakes me strive for peace in this world and put my brainpower and energy to it.

Question: What does FAeV really do for Returnees?The Fulbright Alumni e.V. offers a "safe haven" after the returnfrom the States. Returnees find people who share the sameideas, feelings and ideals and went through the same reverseculture shock. For me personally, it was in fact the only placewhere I felt understood at the time. The "Welcome Meeting" is full of interesting workshops, which are both helpful againstthe reverse culture shock as well as for developing plans andideas for the future. Besides, we are considered one of themost active and best-organised Fulbright Associations world-wide. Last but not least, FAeV is a lot of fun!

Questions by Silke Wolter and Knut Mittwollen

3 FRANKly 15 • The Board

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What sets theFulbright Program apart?

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At a recent get-together of various Berlinrepresentatives of German science andexchange organizations we were – with-out prior notice – asked to give a quickoutline of the goals and achievements ofour organizations to the rest of the crowd.This is in itself neither an unusualrequest, nor does it post any problemsgiven the multitude of well-designedhigh-profile glossy "aims and functions"-brochures that we all produce to marketourselves in the increasingly competitiveenvironment of international higher edu-cation. The Fulbright program, as we allknow, stands for advancing knowledgeand mutual understanding across theAtlantic, and it does so through a numberof programs that provide study and research opportunities in the UnitedStates and Germany as well as networkprograms and capacity building opportu-nities for special target groups such asteaching assistants and teachers, jour-nalists, higher education experts, andpolicy makers in both countries…so far,so good!

Having served in similar capacities forother German exchange organizationsthough, I have to say that these goals atfirst glance do not differ dramatically fromthose of other publicly-funded exchangeprograms or schemes worldwide. And yet,after only 5 months in service for theFulbright Commission in Berlin, I cannotresist the feeling that Fulbright does differ considerably from other comparableinitiatives in Germany – but how? Whatmakes Fulbright so special?

First of all, the Fulbright Commission isnot a state organization, and hence doesnot take – or need to take – official stateviews or positions at any time. TheGerman-American Fulbright Commissionis based on a bilateral US-Germangovernment agreement that defines it as a ‘zwischenstaatliche Einrichtung,’ aninstitution serving a common goal forboth nations and their governments. Thus,the Fulbright Commission has the privi-leged position of being able to act as a

neutral broker of different interests or positions if needed, with no biasedagendas or interests to pursue. This, forexample, happened only a week agowhen the Commission convened a groupof top-level representatives of Germanand American institutions to draft a roadmap for a bilateral credentials evaluationprocess for the newly introduced bachelor/master degrees in Germany.

On the academic level, Fulbright aims, asmany other organizations, for the best.What Fulbright requires in addition,though, is an open mind for foreign cul-tures, a natural curiosity and the willing-ness to cross cultural and language borders, and the ability to serve as anambassador for your own country. Thispersonal profile in addition to the acade-mic excellence and extracurricular achie-vements, is a prerequisite for a successful participation in a Fulbrightprogram.

Knowing that the Fulbright grantees havegone through this very selective screen-ing procedure, host institutions andCommissions will spend considerableenergy to ensure that grantees will succeed. Fulbrighters are consideredspecial, and more often than not they are

treated special, thus creating academicand cultural bonds that bind. It almost goes without saying that theFulbright label opens door for granteesand provides access to information, net-works, and organizations that otherwise,on an individual level, would be difficult to reach. Be it at the orientation meeting,a preparatory week in New York, an in-formal barbecue, Thanksgiving dinner orthrough access to law-makers, leaders inbusiness and industry or to the backstage of an artistic performance or to itsproducer – it is this exposure early intheir career to established networks andthe proliferation of transatlantic dialogueand cooperation that breeds successamongst our Fulbrighters.

Not surprisingly this most obvious differ-ence between the Fulbright program and other comparable initiatives has ledto a well-established network of friends,sponsor, and alumni in Germany. Themost fascinating experience for me in thepast months has been seeing to whatextent this network is active, living up toits own expectations, and contributing tothe Fulbright idea. I know that I certainlyspeak for my predecessors, too, when I say that the Commission in Berlin feelsprivileged to be able to rely on this net-work for advice, support, and cooperation– be it a speaker for a symposium, theorganization of panels, or financial contri-butions, e.g. to the Enterprise FellowshipProgram.

With deep appreciation of this supportrendered by the alumni, I could imagineeven more areas of collaboration thatwould be mutually beneficial. Given itsphysical representation in all regions inGermany, alumni groups would be theideal partners for American participants inFulbright special programs like theGerman Studies Seminar, the U.S.Administrators Program or – a new ideathat we are currently pursuing –Educational Experts from the U.S.German alumni are well connected in thecommercial sector, on the political level

Rolf Hoffmann, Executive Director,

German-American Fulbright Commission

J. William Fulbright was born in Sumner,Missouri, on April 9, 1905. Now, nearly100 years later, his contributions to mankind endure. The exchange programwhich he initiated and now bears hisname has opened the hearts and mindsof over 250,000 scholars worldwidesince its inception in 1946. Yet the influence of the program goes farbeyond the number of grantees.

In his book "The Price of Empire,"Fulbright noted that "For every universityprofessor whose outlook has been broadened by study in another country,many thousands of students will gain

some measure of intercultural perspec-tive. For every business person who hasstudied in another country, many associ-ates are likely to gain some appreciationof the essential futility of nationalisticeconomic policies and of the way inwhich an international division of laborbenefits all countries.

For every politician who, through studyabroad, has gained some appreciation ofthe world as a human community, untoldnumbers of ordinary citizens, as well astheir leaders, may be guided away fromparochialism and narrow nationalism tobroader, more fruitful perspectives."

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and in higher education; I could envisiona closer cooperation with regionalFulbright alumni chapters in preparingattractive programs for our Americanclientele. Other future joint initiativesmight include the initiation and coordina-tion of more local information eveningsand "Stammtische," particularly for newAmerican Fulbrighters, or active participa-tion in the "Verein der Freunde undFörderer" of the German-AmericanFulbright Commission in Berlin, an initia-tive, which has been instrumental in shaping the Enterprise Scholars Programin the past. Beyond the current level of involvementof Fulbright alumni at orientation meet-ings, receptions and events and other lessformalized efforts, what does the FulbrightCommission do to build and maintain itsnetwork? One of the most important toolsfor cooperation is the information aboutgrantees, returnees, and alumni and theircompatibility and availability for collabora-tive events. The Commission is right nowrestructuring its IT-network, with the ac-tive and generous support of a companythat is headed by a Fulbright alumnus,who has been extremely supportive to our

ideas and goals, and I hope that we willsoon be able to coordinate these datamore effectively with the AlumniAssociation than in the past. In addition,we are about to introduce a new elec-tronic Fulbright newsletter, and we willsoon publish a call for new posterdesigns for the Fulbright program postersto be used in the years ahead. I want todraw on the expertise of Fulbright alumniin developing these new marketing toolstoo, and I can foresee more initiatives likethese of the Fulbright Secretariat in thefuture where active involvement andexpertise of current grantees and formerFulbrighters would be welcomed. Given all these plans and ideas to promo-te the Fulbright idea, it is easy to positionthe Fulbright program successfully in theinternational exchange business: it is the grantee’s personal experienceand the academic ties that contribute to a strong and growing network which inreturn fosters mutual understanding bet-ween Germany and the United States ina multitude of layers – a contribution thatis more than needed these days. TheFulbright family with all its members is atthe very core of these efforts – which is,

by the way, in a nutshell, what I told mycolleagues from the other organizationsat the get-together in Berlin. Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, born in 1953 in

Cologne, Germany, studied biological

sciences, with special emphasis on

behavioral ecology and zoology in his

doctoral studies at Duke University,

Durham, North Carolina, USA, and the

University of Tübingen in Germany where

he was awarded his degree in 1983.

After two years as an assistant professor

in zoology at the University of Karlsruhe

he joined the Alexander von Humboldt

Foundation in Bonn. In 1990 he joined

the German Space Agency (DARA).

Since 1991 he has worked mainly for the

German Academic Exchange Service

(DAAD) in Bonn, with an interim (1999-

2000) as Director of the German-

American Academic Council in Bonn

and Washington, D.C. In 2001

Dr. Hoffmann was appointed Director of

DAAD’s International Marketing Initiative,

which combines GATE-Germany and the

official Secretariat of the German

Government’s Joint Initiative for the Inter-

national Promotion of Study and

Research in Germany.

FRANKly 15 • 100 Years James William Fulbright

What sets the Fulbright Program apart?

100 Years JamesWilliam Fulbright

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PowWow 2004, Berlin, 19-21 March 2004The annual meeting of Fulbright scholarshas become a very nice tradition in Berlin.

For both Germans and Americans, theFulbright Program is closely tied to thehistorical course that was set after 1945.It stands for the end of enmity, and theexchange of German and American students stands for international under-standing and friendship. But theFulbright Program is more than a symbol.Rather, the Fulbright Program itself isfriendship between nations in action.

It is important to recall the things thatunite America and Germany. These aremuch greater than the foreign policy andsecurity issues that divided our govern-ments on the subject of the war in Iraq.

It is particularly important for Berliners to feel ourselves connected to countriescommitted to freedom and democracy, nomatter what our differences of opinion oncurrent affairs may be. Especially now,following the first Islamist terrorist attackson a European city, Madrid, it is importantthat we take a firm stand in support oftolerance, freedom, and internationalunderstanding.The terrorists want us to act the way theydo. They want us to betray our idealsand to become as fanatic and as cynicalas they are in our response to terroristbombs. But the people of Berlin in particular havelearned different lessons from history: wehave learned to fight dictatorship andoppression with freedom and tolerance.We have learned to persuade others with our ideals and to show solidarity topeople who are threatened by tyranny(and terrorism).

The history of the Fulbright Commissionis a good example in this regard. Whenthe United States and the FederalRepublic of Germany signed the Fulbrightagreement on July 18, 1952, Germanywas a divided country. Only a few weeksbefore that, on May 27, 1952, the GDR

had cut the telephone links between Eastand West Berlin and had forbidden WestBerliners to enter the GDR.We all know that this was just one stepon the way to the division of Germany.But just at this moment of new difficul-ties, the Fulbright agreement was a signof hope for many of West Berlin’s youngpeople in particular. And – more thanthat – it was a sign of the free world’ssolidarity with the city.

We (and by that I also mean weBerliners) have learned that our wayhelps us to attain our goals, and that it isnot terrorism and oppression that win inthe end, but our ideal of a world livingtogether in peace, freedom, and mutualrespect.

The enlargement of the European Unionis just a few months away. Europe is growing. And even today it seems mira-culous that countries like Poland,Hungary, the Czech Republic, the SlovakRepublic, and the Baltic republics thatonce were part of the Soviet Union arenow becoming members of the EuropeanUnion.Berlin is very much looking forward tothis event on May 1. More than almostany other city, we have worked hard tohelp integrate Central and Eastern

Europe into the EU. We play a leadingrole in what are called "town twinning"projects. These are development projectsfunded by the EU and carried out jointlyby regional administrations in EU memberstates and in the candidate countries.Berlin has set up networks with the citiesof Central and Eastern Europe. Theseare intended to give voice to the interestsof large cities and capital cities in aEurope that is growing together.

Berlin expects great things of the EUenlargement. Our city will be movingfrom the outskirts to the middle of theEuropean Union.

Berlin feels well prepared for EU enlarge-ment:Berlin is Germany’s capital. This is thecountry’s political hub. Many institutions,research institutes, and diplomatic mis-sions of the candidate countries and EUcountries are located here. These help toensure that the new Europe is the sub-ject of lively public discussion. There are tens of thousands of peoplefrom the candidate countries alreadyliving in Berlin. They are part of the cultu-ral diversity of our city, and they havemany contacts to the countries theycame from.Various cultural and youth exchangeshave been set up between Berlin and thecandidate countries. Many students fromCentral and Eastern Europe are enrolledat Berlin’s colleges and universities.Berlin’s universities maintain many con-tacts with the east.

As you can see, Berlin has a great dealof expertise with issues related to Eastand West. And we will continue to de-velop our expertise.

I am delighted that your annual meetingis addressing the subject of Europe growing together. There is no better citythan Berlin for a discussion of this kind.I wish you a stimulating meeting and avery pleasant stay in Berlin.

By Klaus Wowereit

Berlin feels well prepared.

Klaus Wowereit, Major of Berlin.

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On May 1, 2004, the European Unionwas enlarged in a "big-bang" of 10 coun-tries, the largest accession in its history.A few short weeks before the Enlarge-ment, over 400 Fulbrighters met in Berlinto discuss the issues with prominent figures from the "old" and "new" memberstates, and share their visions forenlarged Europe.As stated in the invitation to thePowWow, "Enlargement is one of themost important opportunities for theEuropean Union (EU) at the beginning ofthe 21st century. It is a unique, historictask to further the integration of the con-tinent by peaceful means, extending azone of stability and prosperity to newmembers. The EU can already look backon a history of successful enlargements.However, the enlargement facing the EU today poses a unique challenge, sinceit is without precedent in terms of scopeand diversity: the number of candidates,the area (increase of 34%) and popula-tion (increase of 105 million), and thewealth of different histories and cultures."The goal of the PowWow was to discuss the different perceptions ofEuropean Identity, especially within thecontext of transatlantic cooperation.

Where Continents Meet The concept for the PowWow was devel-oped early on with the FulbrightCommission, as part of the annual "BerlinSeminar" held for current Americangrantees. The timeliness of the EUEnlargement, and the 50th anniversary ofthe Berlin Seminar offered a perfect plat-form for a highly successful collaboration

between the Fulbright Alumni e.V. and theFulbright Commission. Over 350 current grantees from all overGermany and even a few other Europeanstates traveled to Berlin for the week-long seminar, entitled "Where ContinentsMeet". They were joined by 80 alumniand 33 speakers from "old" and "new"Europe and the US for the PowWow,which took place on the first days of theseminar. Playing off the title of the semi-nar, the PowWow's name reflected theissue of the EU's changing identity withthe upcoming accession: "Redefining aContinent: EU Enlargement."According to Rene Hlawatsch, a GermanFulbright Alumnus, "precisely this mix ofparticipants was, in my opinion, whatmade this year's PowWow such a suc-cess: German alumni, American students,exchange teachers, professors; not onlyfrom Germany, but from all over Europe."

The EU from inside and out Dr. Peter Dröll, from the DirectorateGeneral Enlargement of the EuropeanCommission, opened the conference witha description of the enlargement process,and showed how each of the new mem-ber states were preparing for May 1st. The Deputy Chief of Mission of the USEmbassy to Germany, Mr. John Cloud,then discussed the European Enlarge-ment from a transatlantic perspective.He touched upon the importance of rela-tions between an enlarged Europe andthe United States: "The economic andpolitical importance of the EU and ourcommon values make the EU a globalpartner for the U.S. The U.S. and the EU

are each others most important tradingpartners, with over $1 billion in tradeflowing each day between us."Mr. Sebestyen Gorka, the Director of theInstitute for Transitional Democracy andInternational Security, Budapest, Hungary,followed Mr. Cloud's external view of theEU Enlargement with a perspective fromwithin a new member state. Mr. Gorkasupported the idea of the economicunion, but criticized the ideas of a morepowerful centralized governmental sys-tem, and a new, centralized Europeandefense policy: "What is the commondenominator between Ireland andHungary with regard to a CommonForeign and Security Policy? What linksPortugal and Lithuania in a meaningfulsense in the shere of defenses?"Mr. Gorka joined Professor GezaJeszensky, the former HungarianAmbassador to the US, Dr. Riina RuthKionka, the current Estonian Ambassadorto Germany, and Dr. Richard Schmierer,the Minister Counselor for Public Affairsof the US Embassy to Germany, for apanel discussion on "Visions for Europe",moderated by Dr. Christoph von Marschall,editor of Berlin's "Der Tagesspiegel"newspaper. After brief statements of their ownvisions for Europe, the panel opened thefloor to questions from and discussionswith the audience, on such topics as acommon policy toward the United States,migration within Europe, and minority politics.

Under the Stars of Enlarged Europe Chartered buses ferried participants fromthe Park Inn to the Kulturbrauerei after adelicious buffet dinner. Set in the heartof the trendy borough of Prenzlauer Berg,

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Redefining a continent: EU enlargement.

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the Kulturbrauerei, a nineteenth centurybrewery converted into a cultural eventscenter, made for an excellent place tomingle, discuss and dance the night away.

Wolfgang Roth One would assume that after such ashort night, a nine-o-clock lecture oninvestment banking would not necessarilydraw a crowd. Not so among Fulbrighters– Wolfgang Roth, the Vice President ofthe European Investment Bank (EIB), thedevelopment bank of the E.U., spoke to afull house about the important role of theEIB in financing the EuropeanEnlargement."Hardly anyone knows about us – andthat's a good thing", said Roth. He elaborated that the EIB prefers to main-tain a low profile, despite its intenseactivity in financing projects throughoutthe EU and beyond.

Five Panel Discussions The PowWow continued with two sessions of panel discussions with keyfigures from throughout Europe on fivedifferent issues.

European Defense and Security Policy Professor Jeszensky, who had shared hisvision for Europe the day before, wasjoined by Dr. Ute Gabanyi from theFoundation for Science and Politics,Toomas Ilves, former Estonian Minister forForeign Affairs, Dr. Eckard Bolsinger,Deputy Director of the InternationalInstitute for Politics and Economics, andProfessor Christer Garrett, Professor forInternational Relations at the University

of Wisconsin and a current FulbrightProfessor at the University of Leipzig.General topics of the panel were: securitythreats perceived on both side of theAtlantic, the role of EU and NATO aseffective European security institutions aswell as elements of national securitystrategies and especially the role of military action within it. The debate wasinfluenced by the bombings of civilians in Madrid that had taken place one week ahead of the PowWow. Speakersexpressed their concerns about whetherterrorism had arrived in the EU on a largescale and discussed with the auditoriumappropriate political measures in order toface the attacks.

Transforming Europe's Systems ofHigher Education Professor Zoltan Abadi-Nagy, the ViceRector for International Relations of theUniversity of Debrecen, Hungary,Cornelius Brand of the European Schoolof Management and Technology in Berlin,and Professor Gesine Schwan, thePresident of the Europe UniversityViadrina in Frankfurt an der Oder, wereled in a discussion of higher education byProfessor Ingolf Pernice, Director of the

Walter Hallerstein Institute in Berlin. In alively discourse between the panelistsand the audience, one participantexplained his own theory of education,derived from Einstein's theory of relativity."Einstein said that E=mc2. I think thatE=mr2. Education is the maximum ofrationality and reasoning."

Another participant noted the energy ofthe discussion: "The dialectic of the pri-vate versus public was portrayed. In fact,the battle lines were drawn, and therewas excitement in the air."

Environmental Policies in the Enlarged EUElzbieta Goncz from the Department ofEnvironmental Protection at the GdanskUniversity in Poland opened up byremarking that a new paradigm of long-term thinking involving global scenarioswould be essential to shape just environ-mental policies. Dr. Andreas Krämer, theDirector of the Institute for Internationaland European Environmental Policy,pointed out the importance of a strongbody supporting the execution of environ-mental policies and referred to the U.S.Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)as a proven model. Dr. Karsten Sach,Germany's chief negotiator of the KyotoProtocol for the Environmental Ministry,emphasized that mainstream awareness– and action – would be needed to pre-vent environmental threats to economicsecurity greater than terrorism from com-ing true. New economic tools such asemissions trading would be a first step.Dr. Thomas Schauer, now Coordinator atthe European Support Centre of the Club

Environmental Panel

Prof. Geza Jeszensky

Wolfgang Roth

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of Rome, pointed out the responsibility of the EU towards the developing world.Anja Köhne from Germanwatch mode-rated a very lively discussion.

Health Care Systems in Transition The differentials in state health carethroughout the EU, as well as the mobilityof health care professionals in anenlarged European Union were topicsdealt with by this panel. Heinrich Wyes,from the press division of the GermanEnvironmental Ministry, led the panel ofspeakers including Dr. Isabel de la Matafrom the Directorate General for Healthand Consumer Protection of theEuropean Commission, Dr. Andrzej Rys,Member of the Polish EU NegotiatorsTeam, and Dr. Elke Jakubowski, from theWorld Health Organization.

United Europe: a GeopoliticalCounterweight to the US? Undoubtedly, this panel discussion drewthe largest crowd, with over 200 partici-pants. "Old Europe", new member states,and the US were present on the five-member panel. Sebestyen Gorkareturned for his third contribution to thePowWow, Dr. Jiri Schneider from theCzech Ministry of Foreign Affairs gaveanother new member state perspective,Dr. Eckhart Stratenschulte from theEuropean Academy Berlin, and JohnBauman, Political Minister Counselor of

the US Embassy to Germany shared theirviews, while Dr. Ingo Peters from theCenter for Transatlantic Foreign andSecurity Policy of the Free University ofBerlin led the discussion.In the wake of the diverging political alle-giances of individual European states onthe war in Iraq, the issue of a common,coordinated geopolitical stance amongthe Enlarged EU states to form a counterweight to the only remainingsuperpower in the world was of intenseinterest.

The end and the beginning The closing of the PowWow marked thebeginning of the next major portion of the Berlin Seminar. By the end of thesecond panel session on Sunday, theFulbright Alumni organizational team wasquite content with the success of theconference, but also happy to "pass thebaton" on to the Fulbright Commission,

and thank the audience for their activeparticipation in this year's PowWow."In response to the PowWow I can onlysay WOW! What a wonderful experienceand far beyond what I expected. Thepanels were exhilaration and discussionswith Alumni and current Fulbrighters fan-tastic. In never expected to discuss myopinions about the University system inGermany with Gesine Schwan or todebate the US foreign policy with repre-sentatives and professors from Germanyand the US," remarked one Americangrantee.

Jörg Wolf, a member of the FulbrightAlumni e.V., noted that "the PowWow wasnot only a great social event, but also anawesome contribution to the purpose ofthe Association."

By Joe Kristensen, Steffen Schmuck-Soldan,

Jörg Geier

FRANKly 15 • PowWow 2004

Redefining a continent: EU enlargement.

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The title I had been given today is aninteresting one. It has within it a codeddichotomy, it presupposes an either/orstate-of-affairs. On the one hand it givesus a depiction of EU enlargement that ispositive and on the other one that is farmore negative. As a result, I think thetitle itself reflects many misnomers con-cerning the EU. I hope in the followingfew minutes to weaken the strength of afew of these. What can we say about May 1st? In myopinion, and I share this view with manycommentators, the next round of EUenlargement will be the most importantevent in the history of "Project Europe."Why is it so important? Because thisevent will satisfy the desire, the dreamsof the project's founding fathers, a dreamthat was obviated by the cruel reality ofYalta. But what will its ramifications be?What effect will the addition of ten newmember states have upon the whole pro-cess of European integration? Althoughsome of us have longingly waited fiftyyears for this reunion to occur, this doesnot mean that the answers to the afore-mentioned question are obvious. In fact, I believe that some of the most importantnations of the existing union, France andGermany included, are just now on theeve of expansion, getting an inkling ofwhat May 1st really entails. In order to discuss the potential effectsof European enlargement, we must firstsay a few words on what 'Project Europe'was. Of course there exist here myriadviews. My opinion goes against the conventionalwisdoms of diametrically opposed interpretations which see European inte-gration as either federalist or intergovern-mental. Rather, for me, it represents a story of conscious and subconsciousevolution. The institutional community of WesternEuropean nations represented a meansto achieve peace-and later a heightenedstandard of living-using the method ofeconomic integration as the tool to achieve this end. I repeat, using economic integration as a tool. As an

idea, the venture was new becausedespite the idealism of key figures, suchas Jean Monnet, it was overall an emin-ently pragmatic exercise. Why? Becauseit saw peace as something to be achie-ved through the voluntary handcuffing together of France and Germany, not simply through declared intentions andwritten documents. It was radical becausein all this there was the requirement –first within the European Coal and SteelCommunity (ECSC)-to subsume nationalcompetencies and aspects of sovereigntyunder a common High Authority. The difference in views which was later tolead to the oversimplification and falla-cious representation of a conflict existingbetween federalism and intergovern-mentalism, quite simply stemmed fromthe question of how many other sectorswould be drawn into this system of pooled sovereignty in addition to coal andsteel. As the ECSC metamorphasized –some would like to say metastasized –into a far greater community of economicintegration mandates and purviews grew.Why? Here again one could cite manyreasons. If one is a member of a certaineconomic school, then one would appealto the belief that markets are inherentlybetter served by being as large and asopen as possible. Or one could appeal tothe then need to act collectively in

response to the rigors and vicissitudes ofcreating a welfare state, difficulties thatcould be lessened if certain trade andeconomic burdens were to be shared.And of course, there is much to be saidfor the view that sees the community asa very apt compliment or counterpart toNATO as a form of military and securityintegration. In other words, ProjectEurope filled a gap that other initiativesor institutions could not, a gap that needed to be filled. As a result of its growth, of this evolution,by the late 1960s the Community actually achieved its primary goal. It maybe hackneyed now to say this but it doesnot undermine the truth of the statement:from that point onward to this very daywe have taken it for granted all too oftenthat France and Germany will not go towar, thanks in large, part to the Union.Subsequently, that most important ofoverarching aims which had formed thesoul of European integration was sub-consciously slid onto the "back- burner".This was reinforced by the quite naturalfact that institutions look to survive.Rarely if ever do they dismantle or dis-solve themselves. There is nothingMachiavellian or conspiratorial about this– it was not a group of mysteriousBrussels bureaucrats that effected thechange, it was a natural shift. But thatdoes not lessen the veracity of the obser-vation that what had in fact happenedwas that the tool had become the end initself. Economic integration had becomethe default setting of the whole projectand was meant to inform its further functioning. AHA! But here we have proof that history has a sense of humor. Just asthings had become self-satisfying andself-perpetuating; just as the UnitedKingdom finally had become a welcomemember of the Community; just as wehad all started to put the horrors of the world energy crisis behind us, thenwe were smacked in the face with perestroika, glasnost, and Hungary's decision to unilaterally dismantle the IronCurtain. Suddenly the leaders of Europe,

Common challenge or internal divide?

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European Union enlargement:

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or let us be exact here, Western Europe,were faced with two burning questions-how will Europe respond to the historicevents of the mid to late 1980s? Whatanswers will they have to the finally un-ignorable question of why shouldn'tEurope be united? A radical rethink was obviously neededand the result was indeed revolutionary.The result was the Maastricht Treaty of1991. Why was it radical? Because itcompletely redrew the internal architec-ture of the whole community. That whichhad defined the practical identity of theCommunity for the previous twenty years– economic integration – was now tobecome simply one of three pillars ofintegration, the second of which promisedto provide a joint foreign and securitypolicy and even spoke of a potential common defense policy. Add to this re-structuring the various agreements ofassociation that were to be signed withprospective candidate countries in thefollowing years and it is clear that theUnion was set to evolve onto a higherplain. But that was 13 years ago and now weare here on the eve of the biggest ex-pansion of the European Union, anexpansion that will truly make it a peerplayer of the United States in economicterms, and I stress here: economic terms.This expansion will not be like any other.Why? Well, for two reasons, the first has to do with who the candidates ofexpansion are and the second with thereforms that this expansion will require ofexisting structures such as the CommonAgricultural Policy. What it is about the candidates that willmake May the 1st such a special event?What can be said to be common amongstthem? This commonality has been termed by some as their "liminal" quality.Our meeting today is predicated on the concept of 'continents meeting oneanother'. In the case of the countries I am now discussing, it is not continentsbut cultures that have met one anotherfor hundreds of years. Let us takeHungary as a classic example. A nation

established 1100 years ago as aChristian Kingdom but actually built upona society of pagan nomads; a nation thatwas the bulwark of its newly acquiredChristian community but which had toundergo assault and occupation byTatars, Ottomans, Austrians, Germans,Russians, and then Communists. Hardlya country with a boring past! In fact, thenew members are similar in that it hasbeen said of all of them that they sufferfrom "too much history." But in my opinion this surfeit is a good thing. Theliminal or borderline state caused by such a complexity of cultural influenceshas a direct effect upon the quality of theindigenous society and culture. Onecogent piece of evidence is the fact thatin Hungary, for example, if one wishes topublish a scientific study in any field,should one wish to be taken seriously,such a study must make reference in itsfootnotes to the work of German, Italian,French, Russian and Anglo-Saxon acade-mics. It is not enough to quote justBritish or just Hungarian colleagues.Compare this to what is now the practicein the UK or the US. It has now becomecommon for the scientific writing of thesenations to be very insular, for academicsto be quite prepared to bolster their argu-ments with works that come solely fromtheir own linguistic or cultural community.They have become 'flabby' or 'lazy' andthis is all the more surprising becausethis was not the case 70 or even 50years ago. As a result, I am convinced ofthe fact that we, the new members of theEuropean union, for the time being will bein a better position to contribute to thedebate on how the EU should rediscoverits vision, on how it can clarify conceptsof shared identity. But it is not just the boundary-area nature of our societies that will so wellserve the Union. One must not under-estimate the other common factor that isof great influence, and that is the sharedexperience of communism. What can wesay is the result of 4 decades of left-wingdictatorship? There are in fact many,many tangible consequences, some

contradictory, many paradoxical, whichtogether result in a very intriguing mix.The societies of our countries are, as aresult of communism, less mature politi-cally than their Western cousins but inother ways more mature. The latter isespecially true with regard to an inherentskepticism we have developed concern-ing the phenomenon of centralization,and this has a direct effect upon certainattitudes towards European integration.At the same time there are significantproportions of the political elite in mycountry and in Poland who demonstrate a distinct bloody-mindedness, especiallywhen it comes to concepts of fair playand level playing fields. As a result, I predict that we will frequently see in thefuture the new EU states clubbing to-gether on specific issues and playing adistinctly hardball game with their EUpartners and with Brussels. It is exactlythis that Western European statesmensuch as Jacques Chirac have realized alltoo late in the process. But for this ob-server all this constitutes a very positiveeffect on the Union. Why? Becausediversity is healthy. Homogenization caneasily become oppressive if not tyranni-cal. It is for this reason that I find theeternal federal vs. intergovernmentaldebate so amusing. It will simply no lon-ger be relevant as of May 2nd. For this observer the Common Foreignand Security Policy (CSFP) was the lit-mus test in ascertaining the chances ofincreased federalism. CFSP was indeedabout grand ideas, something that isobvious if one returns to the original textof the Maastricht Treaty which declaredits creation. It is well worth comparingthe substantive content of the third pillarregarding justice and home affairs andthe second pillar as enumerated in thetreaty document. The former is at a verytactical and pragmatic level, discussing asit does cooperation on matters such asdrug smuggling, organized crime, humantrafficking, and the like. The CFSP trea-ty-section, on the other hand, makes nosuch references. Instead, the limit of itsconcrete goals extends only so far as to

FRANKly 15 • PowWow 2004

EU-enlargement: Common challenge or internal divide?

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The name FRANKly, as Jürgen Mulert,Antje Hildebrandt and Oliver Steinmetz,three of the founders of the FAeV explai-ned in the first issue of the FRANKly isan abbreviation. It means "FulbrightResourceful Alumni News and Komments(yes, K!)". The "ly" stands for the hopethat it will be published quarterly one day.

The first four letters are a tribute and athank you to the city of Frankfurt, wherethe association was founded in 1986.

Since the first issue, the idea was to befrank and independent. The reader wasurged to respect the other opinion butnot to avoid any discussions out of thisrespect (No worries!, the editor).

In Würzburg in February 2003 we wereable to photograph some of the founders.

Clockwise from the left:

Joachim Totzke, Oliver Steinmetz,

Antje Hildebrandt, Jürgen Mulert

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identify very high-minded aims such asthe upholding of democracy, the rule oflaw, and such like. That is exactly why ithas constantly failed in practical terms. Itsabject failure with regards to the questionof Iraq is simply the best example of howunrealistic such an aim truly is. It isexactly the lack of itemized commontasks and priorities which underlines thefact that it is nigh impossible to identify ameaningful common foreign and securitypolicy between countries as diverse asIreland and Denmark, let alone Franceand the United Kingdom. But if we thinkthat is challenging now, I dare you to giveme a meaningful platform for the buildingof a CSFP that will bring together thenational interests of Portugal and Estonia.And this will be the reality of the newEuropean Union. As a result, the in-clusion of ever more diverse and healthynational interests into the community willmake the Union a de facto more inter-governmental process. Unless! – and here is the real danger and perhaps where our hosts derived thedivisive part of the title for my talk – if theUnion's integrational agenda is forcedartificially by unelected officials or evenby elected representatives who are out ofstep, too much ahead of the majority of

the population they are meant to repre-sent. To be very honest, in the 1940s and50s the founding fathers were indeedvery much ahead of their respectivepopulations, and they admitted as muchat the time, if we recall Monnet's declareddesire to initiate a "silent revolution in theminds of men." But that was a differenttime. Those were different circum-stances. The policies that resulted werefeasible exactly because we were thenliving in a post-World War environment.Fifty years ago, statesmanship was defined around a leader's being ahead ofhis people in terms of his dedication to avision. In 2004, unfortunately, politics andleadership are very different activities.Vision has all too often been replacedwith the belief that leadership is givingthe people what they want as defined bythe latest opinion poll. At the same time,modern rates of information flow andinformation access simply disallow inmany cases for the political elite to be farahead in policy terms of the people thatthey represent. To remain credible, toremain legitimate, "Project Europe" musttherefore limit any thinking that is overlyfuturistic, however noble. To sum up, and to return as I should tothe original title of my talk: EU

Enlargement: Common Challenge orInternal Divide? Yes, to prepare and toeffect the forthcoming expansion of theEU was, and is, a challenge because not even the best theories of internationalrelations can explain in rational terms thefact that Western Europe, at least on thesurface, is in this enlargement under-taking a fundamentally altruistic step.Will the expansion be a source of internaldivision? No! It will result in a multi-speed and multi-interpretation EuropeanUnion. But that's OK, because that isalready the reality of the EU. We willsimply bring greater variety to this diversity of interpretations. Over theyears many people have for some reasonor another seen fit to use vehicular analogies when discussing the nature ofthe EU, whether it was a bus or a trainthat they used to describe this movinginstitution. If I am forced to remain withsuch an analogy, I would have to say thatwe the new nations of the EU will be providing an additional 6th gear to thetransmission of this vehicle. It may notbe the very top and fastest gear, but itwill be an addition that allows for their tobe greater choice in how to drive ourshared transport!

By Sebestyén L. v. Gorka

Why is this publication called “FRANKly“?

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Why is this publication called “FRANKly“?

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One impression always strikes me when Iattend Fulbright alumni gatherings: Thereis always in the room a strikingly widerange of generations that share a clearlycommon enthusiasm, inspiration, from theFulbright mission. It was no different inBerlin, Gemany for the Fulbright Alumnie.V. gathering in March. As the panel onwhich I was participating prepared to pre-sent its remarks, I looked over a packed room and saw several genera-tions engaged in animated discussion.That enthusaism and energy in an inter-national context was, for me, an essen-tially Fulbright moment. And the evidentendurance of the program as made clearby the range of "junior" and "senior"scholars in the room, underscored what alasting impact the Fulbright program hassecured to date.

We were gathering of course to cele-brate, and to commemorate, that energyand dedication to internationalism, and itsimportance for international politics.Organizers for the Berlin meeting pickeda perfect theme for the event,"Redefining a Continent – the EUEnlargement". It would be hard to find amore appropriate milestone for theFulbright mission than the expansion ofmembership to a certain communnity ofnations dedicated to bringing peace andprosperity to their continent. And as weknow from our daily lives, any form ofcommunity needs constant and con-textual communication, i.e., the ability to understand the context in which theother, the communcation partner, is placing observations and politics.

Perhaps this is the ultimate mission state-ment for Fulbright: preparing citizens forlifelong international contextual communi-cation. It was certainly what we weretrying to practice on my panel focusingon European defense and security policyin the context of EU enlargement. With representatives from western Europe,eastern Europe, and the United States,our panel highlighted various communi-

ties in dialogue addressing a commontheme from differing contexts. We allobserved developments in Europeandefense and security from a transatlanticcontext, and all felt as members of atransatlantic community. That is essentialand to be expected from participants in a German-American Fulbright alumni gathering!

But one could also hear during our de-liberations that there are clearly differingspaces or contexts within that trans-atlantic community: eastern Europeansurging more caution vis-à-vis theirwestern European colleagues pertainingto Russia, western European colleaguesappealing for more European unity fromeastern Europe in global politics, botheastern and western Europe seeking amore constructive form of communicationfrom their Ameircan partners, andAmericans requesting a more construc-tive agenda from the European Union.

To the great credit of the Berlin Meetingorganizers, panels consistently had thisvariety of voices present: eastern andcentral Europe, western Europe, and theUnited States. Here was one of the greatstrengths of the gathering.

Another major virtue of the Fulbrightalumni gathering was the wide variety oftopics addressed that are central toEuropean unity and transatlantic dialogue.These included environmental policy,health policy, and higher education policy.By bringing together a variety of trans-atlantic voices on these cornerstone subjects for our respective societies, theFulbright alum underscored what makesthem unique, what makes them important,and what makes Fulbright such an essential element of the ongoing effort tocultivate transatlantic dialogue if not aform of transatlantic civil society.

The various gatherings also underscoredthe variety of voices and that varietyshould not be confused with "tensions",let alone "crisis". Democracy allows fordissension, and so too does genuinefriendship. Societies from eastern andcentral Europe, western Europe, andNorth America obviously share corevalues, and this was heard throughout theFulbright alumni meeting, but they goabout reaching national consensus in different ways, and reach national con-sensus with differing content, normally forvery understandable reasons. Fulbrightallows citizens from different countries to experience a much more profoundencounter with those reasons, and thusallows for a substantially increasedamount of empathy in international communication, another way of phrasingcontextual communication.

I always come away from Fulbright alumnimeetings recharged for the challengesand work of international education andinternational exchange. Fulbright is one of the flagship programs in this field.Having the honor of being a Fulbright fellow, and having the honor of being able to participate in such superb alumnimeetings, I feel a special duty and joy toengage in alumni events and the broaderand essential spirit of the Fulbright mission for international communication.

By Crister S. Garrett

FRANKly 15 • PowWow 2004

Impressions of theBerlin PowWow

Crister S. Garrett, Fulbright-Leipzig Chair for

American Studies, 2003-2005

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Originally, the organizers of the BerlinPowWow 2004 had invited Prof. GesineSchwan to join the panel discussion on"Transforming Europe´s Systems ofHigher Education" as the president of oneof the German state universities. GesineSchwan is a well-known academic withextensive research and teaching expe-rience at several academic institutions inthe USA, Great Britain and Germany. In addition, she had established her repu-tation as an analytically sound politicaladvisor when she became a member ofthe Commission for Basic Values ("Grund-wertekommission") of the German SocialDemocratic Party (SPD) in the 1970s .Since 1999 she is President of theEuropean University Viadrina in Frankfurt(Oder) at the German-Polish border.

But at the PowWow on March 21, 2004she was much more in the limelight ofthe media than the organizers had everanticipated when they first invited her andwhen she had accepted the invitation.Because, in the meantime, she had beenselected by the SPD to be their candi-date for the election of the German headof state ("Bundespräsident") on May 23,2004.

Despite her numerous campaign appointments she stuck to her originalcommitment to participate in the paneldiscussion. She stated that her attendan-ce was part of her program to rebuildtrust in the political arena and to increasethe reliability of the political elite. It is no coincidence that a few weeks later along article of her on the subject of"Politics and Trust" ("Politik und Vertrau-en") appeared in the well reputedGerman newspaper Frankfurter Allgemei-ne Zeitung (FAZ, May 14, 2004). And the FAZ summarizes about the politicalscientist Gesine Schwan in the intro-duction to her article that `her way ofthinking combines tradition with contem-porary thinking: reliability, courage, justiceand competence – the philosophical virtues of antiquity become the source oftrust into the future´.

In her introductory statement, before thepanel discussion started with her andthree additional participants from institu-tions of higher education in Hungary andBerlin, she fervently called for a multi-lingual approach to higher education. Sheclearly distanced herself from those aca-demics who are focused exclusively ontheir own limited subject fields of acade-mic research but remain absolutely igno-rant of the neighboring disciplines.

In the context of the ongoing debate inGermany about making universities moreefficient, streamlining their focus of re-search, and reducing the diversity of aca-demic fields, Gesine Schwan made herpoint: She asked instead for more long-term strategic thinking and for main-taining the diversity in research and teaching at the German state university."You need certain""sleepers""at the university because you do not know whatyou will need in 20 years."

She pointed out that state universities willcontinue to require public funding fortheir research and teaching. The situationis different for private institutions of higher education though: They are focused more or less exclusively on teaching and, therefore, can measuretheir success more easily in terms of an

ROE ("return on education") than thestate university can do it. Despite the different weights of teaching and research in either type of academic insti-tution, any opportunity of co-operationbetween them in public-private partners-hips should be used whenever possible.The problem is "not the lack of academicknowledge but the means of communi-cating". The emphasis should rather beon shaping progress than on speeding upthe pace of progress.

In the lively discussion between the panelparticipants Gesine Schwan supportedher statements with expert knowledge,presented her points of view vividly, withtact, diplomacy and lots of humor.Undoubtedly, at the end, she had won therespect of her panel participants and thehearts of the audience.

It has been a pleasure watching her onthe podium and listening to her lines of reasoning. The audience of more thana hundred past and future Fulbright students thanked her with a standingovation when she had to rush to her nextcampaign appointment several hundredkilometers away from Berlin.

On May 23, 2004 the other candidatehad been elected to become Germany´snew Bundespräsident. There remains thehope that some day in the future GesineSchwan will appear again on the politicalstage but in a different role and not onlyas a candidate.

By Jürgen Simon

An exciting candidate:Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan

Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan

INTERNET-NEWS

Please take a look at our perma-

nently updated web-pages:

http://www.fulbright-alumni.de/

A photo gallery and reports on past

and upcoming events . . . see also

the "What's New?"-section!

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The Organization of PowWow 2004

From the perspective of the organizationteam, the most powerful lesson we learned from the PowWow relates to its"gravitation power". When we first met inWiltrud Hammelstein´s appartment inBerlin-Wilmersdorf to discuss organizatio-nal parameters, we all thought that theinput of each of us would somehow addup to a sum called Fulbright PowWow.This concept worked pretty well duringthe first planning phase. Tasks seemed tobe obvious, since they were determinedby our search for appropriate locations,speakers, and accomodation: Joe (budget, online management), Esther(accomodation, invitations), Philip(accounting, booking), Wiltrud (speakers,overall coordination) etc. But then, ourclear-cut notions started to blur more andmore, and there was no easy escapefrom the momentum of the event.

A PowWow is all about talking. Thisimplies that in deciding who might talkabout what, you are dealing with "movingtargets". I would only like to give twoexamples of the the challenges we facedin dealing with the speakers we invited:Prof. Gesine Schwan, who agreed uponspeaking on our panel on HigherEducation was (not only to our surprise)nominated candidate for German Federal

Presidency. We were thrilled, but also verynervous that Prof. Schwan´s suddenpublicity and certainly tightened schedulewould cause her to withdraw from ourevent. She took the time for us, however,and having her with us contributedimmensely to the quality and magnetismof the PowWow. A second example wasDr. Richard Herzinger from DIE ZEIT, whoinformed us two days (!) before thePowWow that he had fallen sick andwould not be able to hold his speech on"Europe from the Inside". Of course this left us phoning and e-mailing forhours like a colony of ants. Fortunately,Mr. Sebestyen Gorka from Hungary waswilling to step in, and he became one ofthe most lively and inspiring participants.

Apart from the little heart attacks comingalong wth the organization process, I have to say that even the first e-mailcontacts with some of our "moving targets" were very exciting. Prof. GézaJeszenszky for instance, formerHungarian foreign minister and am-bassador to the US, revealed to us somepolitical issues that we in the organiza-tional team had put to the periphery ofour attention, for instance the difficultiesof cultural and historical minorities inEurope (Germans in Romania,Hungarians in Slovakia etc). With hisexperience, accomplishment and per-

sonality he was thus able to convey asophisticated and at the same time verypersonal picture of the challenges thatescort the process of the EUEnlargement.

My theory that a PowWow is more thanthe sum of its contributing parts may not only be true for the object of ourplanning, but also to the "planners" them-selves. Analogue to the PowWow title"Redefining a Continent", the Orgteamwas constantly redefined as well, i.e. theroles and duties we quietly and/or inten-tionally had accepted during the prepara-tion phase before the PowWow: When forinstance Wiltrud, due to a new found jobin Paris, had to draw back from some ofher duties, or when Joe was elected pre-sident of the Association at the GeneralAssembly in Ludwigsburg, everyone wasmore than willing to take on new dutiesand responsibilities; that became one ofthe most impressive insights I gained.

In retrospect, I dare say that the PowWowwas a great success for the internationalFulbright Alumni community. What madethe event exceptional was not its size or profile of speakers, but rather the co-operation with the Fulbright Kommissionand the joint participation of Alumni andcurrent American grantees. As far as afuture PowWow (or any other Alumniactivity) is concerned, we might con-textualize its general set up with the"strategic" question of how to reconcilethe wide range of goals of the GermanFulbright Alumni Association’s under-takings. The success of "Redefining aContinent" may in this sense contribute to the current debate over an Alumni professionalization, the role of our asso-ciation within an external network of cooperation with non-profit internationalorganizations, and the importance of aninternal get-together of buddies, familiesand friends.

By Steffen Schmuck-Soldan

FRANKly 15 • PowWow 2004

Prof Dr. Gesine Schwan

On gravitationand moving targets

What a Team!

PO

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20

04

National and regional events are gene-rally open for American Fulbrighters currently in Germany. Some events areeven sponsored by our association.

Be it the search for an appartment, the need for assistance in bureaucratic

matters – on a personal level our mem-bers try to help out in any way they can.

The easiest way is to call the head of theregional chapter – don’t be afraid, mostof us are are in their twenties or thirties.Remember: we were once in the same

situation and are only glad to returnfavours.

And last but not least: it is possible, evenprobable that you will find friends for life.

Just do it.

16

As I traveled from Frankfurt to Berlin onan InterCity Express train, I was workingfuriously on some of my own reading,research, and language study. I knew the upcoming week was going to beexhausting, regarding both my time andenergy, so I wanted to do what I could formy own projects before I was in thethroes of the 2004 Fulbright conference.I was concerned that I was going to missout on a whole week’s worth of reading,primary source research, and writing; littledid I know what an inspiration the con-ference would be.

I arrived early enough to attend theFulbright Alumni PowWow 2004 speeches and panel discussions, whichgave me new insights into the EU enlargement. I was most fascinated bydiscussion titled, "Visions for Europe", asit gave the attendees the opportunity tohear opinions, hopes, and concerns ofambassadors, an editor, a correspondent,and a public affairs minister. This broadening of perspective proved to benot only interesting, but also helpful forme, as I learned more about the inter-relationships of cultural, economic, andpolitical aspects in the EU.

The exhibition and performances in theAmerika Haus demonstrated the versa-tility and creativity that many Fulbrightersshowcased in their works. For some, thiswas a sample exhibition of their mainprojects; for others, this was a venue todisplay other creative interests that have

been at work in addition to their projects.We heard Czech bagpipe music and traditional Finnish flutes, a two-personplay, poetry, and introductions and expla-nations of art exhibits in the AmerikaHaus. The variety of artistic expressionwas astounding, and the experienceinspired me to get my flute out of its case again, and find some musiciansinterested in performing Baroque musichere and there.

After attending every single researchreport, I felt honored to have these people as fellow Fulbrighters – or should I say, that I am honored to be considereda Fulbrighter in the same ranks as thesescholars. The level of professionalism inmany of these presentations impressed

me, and the amount of cumulative know-ledge from these scholars is sure tomake a good impression on leaders intheir respective fields. Musicians werealso able to demonstrate their expertisein the Fulbright Gala concert, playing oldclassics as well as innovative piecesnewly composed by fellow Fullies.

The overall experience of such a packedweek in Berlin was overwhelming, butwell worth it. It provided a chance tomake new connections, see new sites,and to learn more about fields and topicsI normally do not study. It was also achance to be intrigued, inspired, andimpressed by my colleagues.

By Monica Steger, Student Fulbrighter 2003-2004

Fulbright BerlinConference 2004

Fulbrighters at the Berlin Week; photo by Joe Kristensen

American Fulbrightersin the FAeV.

PO

WW

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20

04

17

The Fulbright Alumni e.V. and the OregonAlumni already have a tradition in sharinginformative and challenging weekends.

Hamburg, June 11-13, 2004Touring EvotecOn Friday, Hamburg proved as a locationof world-class biotech. Our group wasinvited to visit the high-throughputscreening facilities of Evotec OAI AG, acompany listed on the Frankfurt stockexchange and leading in the search forinnovative pharmaceutical compounds.Their CFO Dr. Ehlers revealed to us someof the company's key success factors inproviding services to European and USclients. (Guess what – we won't tell!)

By Uli Wandel

Touring AirbusAfter driving through more rural Finken-werder a group of Fulbrighters andOregon Alumni reached the largestGerman Aircraft Works: Airbus. Ourguide, a retired employee, led us firstthrough a small exhibition of Hamburg’saviation industry’s history and currentAirbus technology. Walking for milesthrough four manufacturing halls (and thegift shop) we learned a lot about how air-crafts are built. Why and where differenttypes of bolts are used (some of themreally have to be kept "fresh” in ice-boxes!), where different types of sheetmetal are used, how many miles of wireare put into the planes and far moredetails about aircrafts than you evercared to know. Airbus planes are truelyinternational: premanufactured partscome to Hamburg from Toulouse, France,Spain and Great Britain to be completedto a whole Aircraft here in Hamburg. For most Airbus planes, including the new double (passenger) deck A380 this happens in Toulouse. The guide was verycompetent and friendly: he allowed us totake the bus back to the entrance.

Thanks to Gerd Schmidt who made thistour possible for the HanseaticChallenge.

By Uwe Koch

The WorkshopSaturday was focused on the workshopwhich was held in the assembly hall ofthe chamber of commerce. The topicswere the German-American relations andtheir influence on Hamburg as an impor-tant economic location and vice versa.While having a cup of coffee, we enjoyedthe lovely view of the townhall. Then wewere welcomed by Ulrich Wandel undUwe Koch. By the way it is somethingspecial that we had the opportunity to bein this assembly hall. We were very plea-sed and impressed about that.

Our first speaker was Martina Schulze,representative of the U. S. consulate. Shetalked about Hamburg and America: Themission of Hamburg`s future AmericaCenter. The next speech was held by CorinnaNienstedt, the head of foreign trade eco-nomy in the chamber of commerce. Shegave us information about the foreigntrade relations between Hamburg, theUSA, China and Eastern Europe.

During the break we had the chance toget into contact with the speakers and totalk to them on a personal basis. We hadinteresting conversations, while we wereeating the delicious snacks.

After the break we listened to Dr. Adelkofer, working at the just foundedMediGate GmbH. She talked about the

topic: Hamburg as an international life-science-location in comparison to theUS-cluster-areas.The program finished with an essay heldby Dr Karl-Wolfgang Menck from theWeltwirtschaftsarchiv Hamburg. His topicwas German international economicalrelations and its trade relations with theUSA especially.

The workshop was very interesting andimpressive. We got a lot of new infor-mations and ideas. A big thank you to thespeakers and the organizers of the con-ference Hanseatic Challenge and wehope such an event will be repeated nextyear.

By Heike Staffa-Ott

FRANKly 15 • Hanseatic Challenge 2004

Fulbright Berlin Conference 2004

Hanseatic Challengein Hamburg 2004

A boat trip through Hamburg Harbour was one of the highlights of the weekend; photos Jörn Eickholt

Hamburg Harbour

18

Touring Steinway & SonsSteinway & Sons is the leading grandpiano brand in the world, but how does itachieve its "inimitable sound"?

To find out, a group of about 20 FulbrightAlumni were invited on a factory visit atSteinway & Sons in Hamburg, the loca-tion of the company’s German subsidiaryfounded in 1923.

At the first glance, piano production atSteinway & Sons resembles a carpenter’smanufacturing site. Arriving at the unas-suming factory entrance in Rondenbarg,the first thing the visitor notices is woodeverywhere, stored on every available sur-face to dry. "The selection and storage ofwood are a key success factor for thequality of the piano", explains ChristianEggers, the company’s sales representati-ve, who shows us through the factory.Another key factor, as we learn a littlelater, is the more than 100 patents regi-stered by Steinway and his sons over theyears which revolutionised the art ofpiano making. The principles of construc-tion developed by Steinway are stillunchanged today: only solid wood andother materials offering optimal transmis-sion and reproduction of sound are used.The outer rim is of primary importancehere. Made of up to 18 layers of solidtimber, it is the starting point of themanufacturing process, into which allother elements are then manually inte-grated for optimal sound resonance.

Wandering along the six floors of theSteinway manufacturing plant and wat-ching groups of employees manually craftand assemble the 12,000 componentparts of each piano, before finally tuningthe instruments, we begin to understandwhy it takes a year to produce a Steinwaygrand piano. It also explains why the 350 employees limit their production to1,000 grand pianos and 300 upright pianos each year. Perhaps now the salesprice of a Steinway, ranging from E 45.000 for the smallest grand piano toE100.000 for the largest instrument,typically bought by concert halls, beginsto make sense.

Towards the end of our visit we get thechance to listen to the French concertpianist Jean Yves Thibaudet trying outsome of the 20 or so instruments in thecompany show room and to witness forourselves the "inimitable sound of aSteinway", for which the instruments areso renowned today.

Heinrich Steinweg built his first grandpiano in his kitchen in Seesen, Germany,and gave it to his wife as a wedding giftin 1836. When he emigrated to theUnited States in 1850, he had alreadywon prizes for his outstanding instru-ments, designed to be "the best pianopossible". With the foundation of his company "Steinway & Sons" in New Yorkin 1853, Steinweg, who had by thenchanged his name, also laid the founda-

tion for international success as a pianomanufacturer. Today, with a total of566.000 grand pianos and upright pianossold across the world, a "Steinway" is thebrand of choice for most leading pianistsand concert halls.

By Martina Rauch

Steinway & Sons not only produce extra-ordinary pianos, used in over 90% ofconcert halls in the world, but they alsocare about musical education. To giveyoung pianists a first opportunity to pre-sent their art, the company has establis-hed its own International Youth PianoCompetition. On this beautiful summerSunday of July 13, 2004, all the final prizewinners of the different Europeancountries were celebrated in the re-nowned Hamburg Music Hall. The crowdin the sold-out hall enjoyed an amazingquality of touch and beauty of tonedemonstrated through several difficultpieces of Bach, Schumann, Liszt andRachmaninoff. A number of outstandingvirtuosos between the ages of 10 and 18 years shared their impressive talentson the Lagerfeld-designed grand piano. With its festival, Steinway underlines animportant goal of their open mindedhome town, according to Karin von Welck,cultural senator of the City of Hamburg.Steinway’s vision: Making the world a little better for the future generation bysupporting their aesthetic and musicaleducation.

By Anna A. Meissner

Tour participants enjoyed a classical talent show

Take a look into a grand piano of Steinway & Sons

19

History and PurposeThe German Fulbright Alumni e.V. wasfounded in Frankfurt in 1986 by formerFulbrighters. By 2004, our membershiphas increased to over 1200. The asso-ciation brings together internationally-oriented students, scholars, and prac-titioners from a wide range of academicfields and areas of professional expertise.Most of our members have spent aFulbright year in the United States.Fulbright Alumni e.V. is the platform forformer grantees with a special affiliationto the U.S., who want to promote globalunderstanding. As we are committed totolerance and true internationality, we are striving to learn more about otherpeoples’ customs, surroundings and histories.Based on the personal and educationalexperience and insights gained as partici-pants of an international exchange pro-gram, it is the overriding mission ofGerman Fulbright Alumni e.V. members to

• strengthen and support cross-cultural contacts and exchange between Fulbrighters from allaround the world;

• encourage dialogue and inter-action between international scholars, experts, and activists ontopics important to the political,social, and cultural life of nations.

The German Fulbright Alumni e.V. is guided by the idea of the program's founder, Senator J. William Fulbright, tobring together people of different nationsand contribute to world peace throughbetter international understanding.

ActivitiesBased on a young, lively and broad-basedmembership, our association organizes a diverse range of regional as well as nationwide events.

Welcome MeetingsSince it’s founding year the members ofthe association organize WelcomeMeetings each fall to offer the opportu-nity for contacts and networking betweenformer and new German returnees aswell as American Fulbrighters currently inGermany. The meetings also serve asforums for the discussion of any issuesrelevant to people after a year abroad.

Pow Wows / Seminars Special FocusConferencesDifferent regional chapters of ourassociation organize several national con-ferences and seminars every year, usuallycovering a specific topic.

German-American Pow Wows:1987 Frankfurt

1988 Minorities, Conservatism and

Design, Frankfurt

1989 Playground Future, Stuttgart

1990 The Future of the Information

Society – Personal Communication

in a Crisis? Hamburg

1991 Traffic Concepts for the Future –

How Mobile will our Society

be in the Year 2000? München

1994 Where is our New Frontier?

Stuttgart

1995 First Fulbright Fun & Future

Camp, Lenggries

1996 A Chance for Global Under-

standing, Berlin

1999 Biotechnology, Frauenchiemsee

2001 Nutrition, Calw

2002 Quo Vadis USA, Berlin

2004 EU Enlargement, Berlin

National OfficeFulbright Alumni e.V.

Postfach 10 08 65

D-60008 Frankfurt / Main

Germany

Phone+fax: +49-69-4 05 96 64

office@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de

Advisory BoardDr. Karen Kramer Dr. Ulrich Littmann Dr. Georg SchütteHans-Burkhard SteckDr. Ulrich Wickert

Executive BoardPresident

Joseph Kristensen

president@fulbright-alumni.de

Treasurer

Uwe Koch

treasurer@fulbright-alumni.de

Vice President Communication

Andrea Möller

communication@fulbright-alumni.de

Vice President Events

Ursula Mich

events@fulbright-alumni.de

Vice President Members

Petra Steinmetz

members@fulbright-alumni.de

Coordinators

FAIN:

Martin Marenke

FRANKly:

Silke Wolter

Member Database:

Hermes Winands

Electronic Media:

Dagmar Schreiber

Press/Public Relations:

Gabriele Launhardt

Mailing Lists:

Holger Schöner

New Events Concepts:

Jörg Geier

Strategy Meeting:

Joachim Wahlich

FRANKly 15 • 2004

Fulbright Alumni e.V.

20

Special Focus Conferences1988 The United States and Germany

Corporate Cultures in Comparison,

Mannheim

1989 The French Revolution in American

and German Perspectives, Regens-

burg

1990 Signs for Tomorrow’s Architecture,

Landscape and Urban Development,

Darmstadt

1991 German Reunification and the

Future of German-American

Relations, Berlin

1991 Living and Working in Changing

Structures, Todtmoos

1992 Health, Köln

1993 Market Leadership and Brand

Names, Böblingen

1993 Ecology and Structural Change,

Essen

1994 Organizational Development and

International Competitiveness,

Frankfurt

1995 Environmental Strategy, Heidenheim

1996 Multimedia, Stuttgart

1997 Managing Public Organizations,

Frankfurt

1998 Intercultural Communications,

Frankfurt

1999 Educational Systems, Frankfurt

Regional Chapter ActivitiesRegional chapters organize more informalcultural and social events on a monthlybasis, including lectures, discussions, and”Stammtische”. To find out about the next”Stammtisch” in your area, contact theregional coordinator listed on this page.

Other ActivitiesOur association has put an emphasis onstrengthening personal contacts amongFulbright Alumni all around the world. One example was the 1993 ”EuropeanFulbright Alumni Convention” in Brussels.In 1996, members participated in theWorld Fulbright Alumni Conference inBudapest, Hungary ”The Spirit of GlobalUnderstanding” and in August 1998 weorganized a workshop for all EuropeanFulbright associations in Strasbourg. In2000 30 members participated in the 3rdEuropean Fulbright Alumni workshop inToledo/Spain. Fulbright Alumni fromvarious countries joined our internationalsailing trips on the Baltic Sea ”BrightPeople under Full Sail” in August/Sep-tember 1991, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999,2001 and 2003.The association publishes a national journal "FRANKly", an internal newsletter"FAIN", and an Alumni MembershipDirectory.In service to the general public, the national office provides information andassistance to any private person, univer-sity or institution on questions of culturaland academic exchange with the UnitedStates.Each regional chapter contacts andassists American Fulbright visiting scho-lars in its local area. A host program forAmerican Fulbrighters in Germany wassuccessfully established in 1993.In promoting its political support for theFulbright program, our association staysin close but independent contact with theFulbright Commission in Berlin.Fulbright Alumni e.V. is supported by itsmembers only. Grants and contributionsfrom foundations, corporations and indivi-duals are welcome.For further information, please contact ournational office in Frankfurt or one of ourofficers listed here.

Aachen

Sebastian Bülte

aachen@fulbright-alumni.de

Berlin

Steffen Schmuck-Soldan,

berlin@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de/berlin/

Bremen

Ingeborg Mehser

bremen@fulbright-alumni.de

Dresden

Elke Brosin

dresden@fulbright-alumni.de

Franken

Ulrich Bauer

franken@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de/franken/

Frankfurt am Main

Claudia Detje

frankfurt@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de/frankfurt/

Hamburg

Uta Heyen

hamburg@fulbright-alumni.de

Köln/Bonn

Thomas Dickmann

koeln.bonn@fulbright-alumni.de

München/Südbayern

Birgit Hiller

muenchen@fulbright-alumni.de

Niedersachsen

Gabriele Launhardt,

niedersachsen@fulbright-alumni.de

Ruhrgebiet/Westfalen

Karl-Walter Florin

ruhrgebiet@fulbright-alumni.de

Stuttgart/Südwest

Ulrich Schlecht

suedwest@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de/suedwest/

Regional Chapters

21

AUFNAHMEANTRAG

Entscheidend für den Aufnahmeantrag sind die Kerndaten (ohne*). Die Angabe der Zusatzdaten (mit*) ist freiwillig. Über dieAufnahme entscheidet der Vorstand.

Ich möchte Mitglied werden!

Name: *Geburtsdatum:

Straße/Postfach: PLZ, Ort:

Telefon privat: *geschäftlich:

*E-Mail:

Ich möchte folgender Regionalgruppe angehören: ❏ Aachen ❏ Berlin ❏ Bremen

❏ Dresden ❏ Franken ❏ Frankfurt am Main ❏ Hamburg ❏ Köln/Bonn

❏ München/Südbayern ❏ Niedersachsen ❏ Ruhrgebiet/Westfalen ❏ Stuttgart/Südwest

Ich möchte regelmäßig Regional-Informationen erhalten: ❏ Ja ❏ Nein

In den USA war ich als: ❏ Student ❏ T.A. ❏ Dozent ❏ anderer Status

US-Universität: US-Studienabschluß:

US-Studienfach: US-Jahrgang:

Finanzierung: Fulbright- ❏ Vollstipendium ❏ Teilstipendium ❏ Reisestipendium

❏ DAAD ❏ Direktaustausch ❏ selbst ❏ andere:

*Studienfach/Universität in Deutschland:

*Tätigkeit zur Zeit (Beruf/Arbeitgeber):

*Ideen und Wünsche für den Verein:

Alle meine hier angegebenen Daten sowie später angegebene Änderungen und Ergänzungen werden vom Verein oder im Auftrag des Vereins elektronisch gespeichertund verarbeitet. Sie können im Rahmen der Vereinszwecke an Mitglieder des Vereins weitergegeben werden. Für die Kontaktaufnahme nötige Angaben wie Anschrift oderTelefonnummer, Angaben zum Auslandsstudium sowie Angaben zur Regionalgruppenzugehörigkeit können im Rahmen der Vereinszwecke auch an Nichtmitglieder weiter-gegeben werden, z. B. an einen am Auslandsstudium Interessierten, der Fragen zu meinem Fach oder meiner Uni hat. Alle anderen hier angegebenen Daten gibt der Vereinnur mit meiner Zustimmung an Nichtmitglieder weiter.

Der Jahresbeitrag (mindestens D 25,-- für Studenten und Erwerbslose; Bescheinigung beifügen und mindestens D 40,-- fürBerufstätige) – soll alljährlich per Lastschrift von meinem Konto auf das Fulbright Alumni e.V. Vereinskonto (Nr. 5478 85-600,Postbank Frankfurt, BLZ 500 100 60) eingezogen werden. Die von mir erteilte und unterschriebene Ermächtigung gilt bis aufWiderruf. (Hinweis: Andere Zahlungsverfahren sind nur im begründeten Ausnahmefall möglich.)

Der Fulbright Alumni e.V. ist berechtigt, Zuwendungsbescheinigungen auszustellen.

Ort, Datum Unterschrift

[Bitte wenden!]

FRANKly 15 • 2004

Fulbright Alumni e.V. Membership Application

22

AUFNAHMEANTRAG FORTSETZUNG

Einzugsermächtigung

Von (Name und Anschrift des Kontoinhabers):

Name:

Straße/Postfach: PLZ, Ort:

an den Fulbright Alumni e.V., 60008 Frankfurt/Main.

Hiermit ermächtige ich Sie widerruflich, die von mir zu entrichtenden Zahlungen bei Fälligkeit zu Lasten meines Girokontos durchLastschrift einzuziehen.

Mitgliedsbeitrag D (Studenten/Erwerbslose D 25,--)

D (Berufstätige mindestens D 40,--)

Spende D

Gesamtbetrag: D

Konto-Nummer BLZ

bei (Bank/Sparkasse)

Wenn mein Girokonto die erforderliche Deckung nicht aufweist, besteht seitens des kontoführenden Geldinstituts keineVerpflichtung zur Einlösung. Teileinlösungen werden im Lastschriftverfahren nicht vorgenommen.

Ort, Datum Unterschrift

Den FAIN (Fulbright Alumni Internal Newsletter) möchte ich per E-mail erhalten. ❏ Ja ❏ Nein

An den Fulbright Alumni e.V.Postfach 100 86560008 Frankfurt

Fulbright Alumni e.V.

23

Regional Chapter BerlinIn addition to this year‘s PowWow, thehighlight so far has been our excursion toCaputh, which is a small town about10km from Potsdam. As there were quitea few new faces, meeting at the train station turned into a great exercise inhow to recognize fellow Fulbrighters. Toour knowledge, we were complete by thetime we got to Caputh! Dorothea Müllerand Martin Söhngen had organised a guided tour of Schloß Caputh and we alllearned that neither is Caputh "kaputt"nor pronounced that way. We then walked back to Potsdam and on the way,saw Einstein`s summer house and theEinstein tower. After that much hardwork, we relaxed with Berliner Weisse,Eisbein and other heavy duty Germanfood in the Dutch quarter of Potsdam.

During the European Soccer Champion-ship, it turned out that Berlin‘s Fullies are quite the soccer experts and so ourmonthly trip to the movies was abandoned for a visit to a sports bar inFriedrichshain, which offered fascinatinginsides into Berlin soccer fan sociology.Luckily, the game we saw was the onlyone to include the German team that was worth seeing. Obviously we couldn‘tdo without soccer during our annual 4th-of-July-barbeque, even though theGerman team had left Portugal a longtime before the finals.

Sports aside, there are many activitiesthat the Fulbright Alumni in Berlin areinterested in – from concerts to exhibi-tions, from theatre to lectures, so if youwould like to know more about eventsand meetings (there are a few morecoming up this year!), have a look at theFulbright Alumni Berlin website: www.fulbright-alumni.de/berlin or join usfor the monthly Stammtisch which takesplace every first Monday of the monthfrom 8pm at Cafe Aufsturz onOranienburger Straße.

By Maike Charlotte Fuchs

Regional Chapter Frankfurt am MainGreetings from "Mainhattan"Besides the Fulbright Alumni’s office,Frankfurt also hosts one of the largest

regional chapters. The area belonging tothe regional chapter includes most of the state of Hesse as well as parts ofRhineland-Palatinate, Saarland, Baden-Wuerttemberg, and Bavaria. We haveapproximately 300 members, of whom anaverage of 15 (mostly Frankfurt resi-dents) meet regularly on the 1st Thurs-day of each month in a very relaxedatmosphere at the Künstlerkeller. At ourStammtisch, people of different ages,backgrounds (surprisingly not only bankers and economists) and interestsmeet to eat drink talk and for a friendlydebate. Furthermore it is the best oppor-tunity for a first contact for newcomers or to reawaken the contact for oldermembers. Besides socializing we use theStammtisch to decide on the activities ofthe Frankfurt chapter, e.g. details for thesecond monthly event: The "Movie of theMonth”.

In addition to our monthly events thereare also annual events such as the celebration of the traditional US holidaysIndependence Day and Thanksgiving.Other highlights include visits to theEnglish Theatre Frankfurt or other cultu-ral highlights in the Rhine-Main area,one-day and weekend excursions, anddiscovery journeys in local museum orcompanies (e.g. Lufthansa and FrankfurtInternational Airport). Information aboutupcoming events can either be accessedvia our website (www.fulbright-alumni.de/frankfurt) or by registering to our newsletter (contact: frankfurt@fulbright-alumni.de).

Planned events for the next months aree.g. a welcome (back) party, a visit to aApfelweinkelterei, Thanksgiving dinnerand a visit of a local Christmas-market.We are always looking forward to seenew/old faces and are open for newideas to improve our activities.

Best regards from the chiefsClaudia Detje, Inga Sellien,

Reinhard Koch, Klaus Brüning

FRANKly 15 • What’s going on in the Regional Chapters

Membership Application

What’s going on inthe Regional Chapters

Picknick in the green

The Frankfurt grillmaster is seven year old Karl Ole

24

Regional Chapter NiedersachsenThe Regional Chapter Lower Saxony/North-Hessen meets at a regular"Stammtisch" every second Wednesdayof the month in Hannover. Our "Stamm-tisch" is open to everyone as a place tomake new acquaintances, meet oldfriends, chat, have fun, seek informationand help out in various ways as a currentor future Fulbrighter. Since our RegionalChapter covers a big area, it is not possi-ble for everyone to attend on a regularbasis. Generally, between two and sixpeople show up. We were very happy thata bunch of American Teaching Assistantsattended and enriched our "Stammtisch"last year. Since not everyone can attendthe "Stammtisch" in the middle of theweek, we have some other events whichtake place on the weekends. The mostfrequented is of course the Thanksgivingdinner, which takes place at someone’shome — naturally with a home-preparedturkey! Here is a sampling of some of our other events: In the past summer wevisited the documenta 11 together inKassel. Last Christmas we went to seeCharles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol inEnglish, in February we saw Mozart’sZauberflöte at the Opera, and in May wewent to see the International FireworksContest in Hannover. With the help of ourmember Susanne Kugland, we had theopportunity to visit the Volkswagen Werkin Wolfsburg. We welcome new sugges-tions for outings and get-togethers, sofeel free to contribute your ideas! We also hope to be able to welcome alarger group to our Stammtisch and otherevents in Lower Saxony/North Hessen inthe upcoming year — it would be nice ifmore Fulbrighters would take part.

By Gabriele Launhardt

Contact: Gabriele Launhardt

niedersachsen@fulbright-alumni.de

Regional Chapter MünchenNews from the south: "a bisserl wasgeht allerweil"Since the last issue of the FRANKlywas published quite a while ago, theMunich regional chapter has a lot toreport. A short account of our program duringthe last twelve months might even per-suade Fullis from abroad to visit theBavarian capital sometime and join ourvarious activities.The "über"-summer 2003 gave us theopportunity of realizing some challengingoutdoor projects that had been on ourwish list for a long time: We did a famoushiking trail of 168 km length across theThuringia Forest known as "Rennsteig" inJune and managed to climb some alpineclassics, Germany’s highest mountain, theZugspitze and the nearby Alpspitze inSeptember.December had an extraordinary versionof the christmas carol by the Bader-Ehnert Kommando for the Munich Fullisin store. The title of their play – "DerWeihnachtshasser oder Frohes Fest fürVollidioten" – already promised bitingsatire but the show was beyond allexpectations. Based upon Dicken’s talethe meanie Scrooge was presented as anexample for the aberrations of capitalismwhich were radically uncovered. Thisintelligent political comment on our society was wonderful to watch.

Politics came into play again at ourFebruary-"Stammtisch" (monthly meet-ing). The annual elections brought achange to the by then proportional gen-der of the managing committee. Now thewomen are definitely wearing the pantsat the Isar river. Birgit Hiller has beenreelected as spokeswoman for anotheryear, Melanie Kükenbrink continues herwork supporting American Fulbrightersand returnees and for AndreasSchoberth, the "last man standing", it’sbusiness as usual with the treasury. Onlythe position of the outdoor event coordi-nator changed. After many years of orga-nizing our outdoor events Olaf Kolk step-ped down from his duties to have moretime for his growing family. Many thanksto Olaf and a warm Welcome to LissiSchmitt as our new specialist for hiking,climbing and even caving.Matching our new gender quota we visited a concert of the String of Pearls in March – three women with alluring voi-ces and looks, accompanied by a toughman at the piano presented their newprogram "There’s no place like home".In June we drove to Augsburg to see theAugsburger Puppenkiste, Germany’smost famous puppet theater with theirversion of a children’s book classic, "DerRäuber Hotzenplotz". Even the nonGermans among us who didn’t know theAugsburger Puppenkiste from the TVseries of their childhood enjoyed the

What’s going on inthe Regional Chapters

The Munich Fulbright regional chapter on a hiking tour to the Herzogstand; photo Hartmut Liefke

25

countless creative details and the authen-tic dialect of the hilarious show.But theater visits are not the only activi-ties of our chapter. Since last year wehave also had movies on our agenda on aregular basis. The Fulli movie lovers meetabout once a month to see a current filmtogether.2003 also saw the creation of a climbinggroup. All members agree that going vertical at the climbing gym is not the realthing, so we try to climb outdoors when-ever possible. Even snow beneath therocks can’t stop us. Our first outdoorclimbing trip this year in April thereforeresulted in cold feet. On the other hand,when the sun is burning down on therocks in summer we go for a nice swim inthe Starnberger See after climbing.Mountaineering was not as succesfull inthe beginning this year since the weatherwas rather bad. Only a few hard-boiledFullis finally joined our first tour to themountains near Garmisch-Partenkircheneven though it was raining. These fellowswere rewarded with bright sunshine laterthat day. Our second trip to the Herzog-stand started out much better. The parti-cipants enjoyed marvellous "Kaiser-schmarrn" (a Bavarian sweet dish) at thecabin near the peak and had amazingpanoramic views of the alps in the southand the area with its lakes in the north.Besides our theater and outdoor activitiesthe Munich Fulbright Chapter gathersevery last Tuesday of the month for our"Stammtisch". We don’t have a favoritehaunt any more, but gave rotating loca-tions a try. This way our members, espe-cially those from abroad get to knowmore Munich bars. The location for ournext gathering is announced by email aweek in advance on our local list serve.This modified procedure is a big successas the large number of people showingup for our "Stammtisch" proves.

By Melanie Kükenbrink, Lissi Schmitt and

Andreas Schoberth

Contact: Birgit Hiller

muenchen@fulbright-alumni.de

The Regional Chapter Stuttgart/SouthwestDenise organized a hiking weekend inFreiburg (August 15th –17th 2003). Dueto the presence of Tilmann and Henrikwith their kids, we could prepare theFulbright year of 2020 for their stay inthe United States.

On October 11th 2003, we visited thewine-yards of Stuttgart. The walking-tourenabled us to welcome new faces (bothGerman returnees and American gran-tees). Therefore this event became ourregional "Welcome meeting".

Our annual Thanksgiving Dinner tookplace on November 29 at the apartmentof Jürgen and Pantelis. More than 30Fulbrighter were present to honor ourspecial guests (two turkeys of each 25pound). We enjoyed the presence of theSoderstrom family. Naomi was 2003/04guest professor in Stuttgart and tookhere family to Germany.

During the January "Stammtisch" weusually have our elections. In 2004,however, we had to postpone the vote toorganize the "Winterball". We very muchenjoyed the presence of 180 Fulbrightersund guests in Ludwigsburg. In February,our election-"Stammtisch" took place.The old team (coordinator Ulrich Schlecht,events Lorenz Hagenmeyer, infocenter

Martin Bauer, and treasurer Dirk Linde-nau) was re-elected. Karin Schweizer,who will help with organizing our regionalevents, will support the team.

The German American Center Stuttgartoffered a talk on "US foreign policyduring presidential elections" by Prof.Schirm, which we listen to on March 24th2004. More information was gatheredduring our visit to the planetarium onApril 25th 2004. Quite popular was alsothe 2nd seminar on wine of Lorenz (May15th).

A must throughout the Fulbright-year isthe BBQ on the occasion of July 4th. The event was scheduled for the after-noon, so that we could see the EM-finalsafterwards. Finally, on July 24th 2004, we made a canoe tour from Mühlacker toMühlhausen on the river Enz. Althoughthe weather was nice, some of theparticipants became wet anyway.

For an overview of upcoming events, visit our webpage at www.fulbright-alumni.de/suedwest.

By Ulrich Schlecht

Contact: Ulrich Schlecht

suedwest@fulbright-alumni.de

www.fulbright-alumni.de/suedwest/

FRANKly 15 • What’s going on in the Regional Chapters

A canoe trip; photo Isabelle Boeddinghaus

Day Zero of my adventure. Day One ofthe International Student Orientation at the University of Oregon in Eugene.The sun shines, the campus is green, Iget a folder and take a seat in ColumbiaHall right next to some people I had seenbefore. I do not know yet that they will bemy best friends in the next months.Moreover, I do not know yet that I will endup hugging the Finnish guy in the rowbehind me in a couple of months, sayinggoodbye. The air around me is filled witha jumble of voices. Volunteers of theInternational Student Orientation enterthe stage and play a quiz with us. I amglad that I understand some of theirjokes. Then the director of the Office forInternational Programs takes the stage.She has some warm welcoming words forus and suggests that we turn around andtake five minutes to get to know the peo-ple around us. ”Meet people! Get to knoweach other! Today, find friends for life!””Right now? That is a difficult task”, Ithink, ”I meet new people every day, and I like to talk with as many people as possible in the first days. Later I makefriends for life.” Seldom had I been sowrong. I turn around and shake handswith the Finn. Many of my friends I hadmet in this first week. They all had thesame forms to fill out, they wanted to visitthe coast for a weekend and they did notknow yet where to find the best church. Iam still very surprised that the foundationof good friendships was already laid onthe first day of my Fulbright adventure.

Up to now I studied physics at theTechnical University Braunschweig.

Already after the second semester I feltthat I needed something more technical.Furthermore, for a long time I had beenfascinated about sustainable economicalsystems and environmental protection.Fortunately I did not quit my studies, butdecided to take Environmental ProtectionTechnology as a minor subject. Out of mycuriosity to live with an other languageand culture grew the idea of a year abro-ad. Until the beginning of the fourth yearI had completed all the mandatory clas-ses except one. This one had to be donein Oregon. All the other classes duringthe three quarters could be chosenhowever I liked, and I did it according toprofessional and personal interests andneeds. I chose Chemical Thermodynamicsas well as Acting 1, Statistical Mechanicsand the Optics Seminar as well asTrampolining. The most exciting havebeen the classes about environmental

issues. One of them required me to givepresentations in classes of all levelsacross campus about the university’senergy consumption and the university’suse of alternative energies. In another class I learned about SystemsThinking in opposition to linear patterns of thought. Throughout the year I thought that my classes are well chosen and fit tomy long-term professional goals. But, totell the truth, only the one mandatoryclass was planned a long time before-hand. I am convinced that this has beenthe best for my situation, because I couldadjust my needs according to my moreand more Fulbright stamped view.

What do I think about American environ-mental politics? German media gave methe impression that the US does not careabout environmental issues. Now I know

continued on page 29

In 1996, marking the 50th anniversary ofthe worldwide Fulbright Program, TheAssociation of Friends & Sponsors of theGerman-American Fulbright Program e.V.was founded to enable the private sectorto provide resources for additionalFulbright grants. These grants, called

"Enterprise Scholarships", are a strongstatement by the member organisations,acknowledging the value of the FulbrightProgram for international economic rela-tions and society as a whole. The Fulbright Alumni e.V. joined TheAssociation of Friends & Sponsors in

1999 as an institutional member, and has made substantial contributions on a regular basis to make further grantspossible.Four of the Enterprise Scholars for theacademic year 2003-2004 havewritten to us about their experiences.

“Today, find friends for life“

26

Enterprise ScholarsPowered by the FAeV.

Bernward Fleischhauer and a friend

27 FRANKly 15 • Enterprise Scholars

The Fulbright Scholarships I receivedhave given me the opportunity to studyand live in the San Francisco Bay Area –a region known for its entrepreneurial,innovative, and culturally diverse setting.This opportunity has broadened my per-spective on my studies and career.

As my academic foundation, I chose the"International Business" program atReutlingen University of Applied Sciencesleading to the simultaneous award of theGerman degree "Diplom-Betriebswirt(FH)" from Reutlingen University and theMaster of Business Administration fromone of the AACSB accredited partneruniversities overseas. During this four-year program, I spent two years of studyat Reutlingen University, one year in theUnited States and Spain completing aca-demic trainings, and the fourth year atthe California State University in the SanFrancisco Bay Area.California State University, Hayward wasmy choice for two reasons. First, it gaveme the opportunity to study and work inthe innovative and entrepreneurial settingof Silicon Valley, as well as experiencethe political and social variety of the SanFrancisco Bay Area. In addition, I choseCalifornia State University because of thebroad range of MBA academic coursesoffered.

Even after having lived in different coun-tries prior to my year in the US, I stillcould not have anticipated all the expe-riences I had during my stay in the BayArea. I was impressed by the academicand professional expertise of the pro-

fessors as much as I was fascinated bythe cultural diversity and the variety ofprofessional backgrounds of my MBAclassmates. The range of academic cour-ses gave me the opportunity to create an education best suited to myneeds and interests and helped mestrengthen my knowledge about strategicmanagement practices in companies active on a global level. The entrepre-neurial nature of Silicon Valley has addedgreatly to the content of the courses andopened my mind to the importance ofbeing creative, innovative, and passionateabout my career in a competitive andever changing environment of the busi-ness world.

Most importantly, while working on mygraduate thesis about the development of

renewable energy sources in the US mar-ket, I gained valuable knowledge aboutthe energy industry and became veryenthusiastic to acquire more expertise inthis field. For this matter, I plan to com-plete academic training at an entrepre-neurial global environmental technologystart-up firm, which will provide me with an opportunity to pursue myresearch in the field of renewable energy.

Studying at an American business schoolhas been an essential element of myacademic achievements and has alsoinfluenced the development of my perso-nality. As a result of Fulbright financialand institutional support, my MBA studyin the US has been a very enjoyable andvaluable experience for me.

By Nelli Haar

From Swabiato Silicon Valley

Nelli Haar at California State University

The Fulbright Alumni e.V. is funding TheAssociation of Friends & Sponsors of theGerman-American Fulbright Program e.V.to make more grants available.As public money is getting scarce every-

where, this is your opportunity to returnwhat you have also once received: A scholarship for outstanding academicsand professionals and a contributiontoward mutual understanding.

Pitch in on top of your annual member-ship fee. Don’t forget: It is possible todeduct contributions from your annualtaxes since the FAeV is a non-profitorganization of public utility.

Enterprise Scholars –Pitch in for their sakes!

28

I arrived in the US on September 4, 2003.That is now nearly ten months ago.Although I came here with a lot of expec-tations, I was a still really curious aboutthe things which would happen, which I did not expect.

But first of all I should write about myexpectations. It was my professor inGermany who convinced to go to the US.He had had a Fubright-scholarship andwas totally convinced that I should takethis chance and explore the US. He wasdefinitely right. Although the first twoweeks of my American adventure werereally chaotic – I had to change my majorfrom special education to Psychology – I had the wonderful opportunity to

achieve the Bachelor of Arts in this fieldof studies.Studying in the US meant to me lookingat similar contents with a different pointof view. This became obvious in the firstterm. I thought that American studentsalso had to do a lot by themselves. This isdefinitely true. Nevertheless, the "home-work" looks totally different from what weare doing back at home. The studentswere responsible for writing papers uponpapers. It seemed as if the mass of workwould never end. One of my Professorsand a really good advisor gave me someinstruction on how I could deal with thesudden overwhelming amount of work.On the other hand I missed the free work.Students were meant to learn the contentof a book and what the teacher had said.There are only a few students who reallyput effort in their work and who look forliterature, etc. by themselves. Those stu-dents then are the ones who receive thesumma cum laude or magna cum laudehonors. Although I was disappointed atfirst that I did not get the opportunity todevelop my own thoughts (there neverwas enough time because of theamounts of papers to write), I am gladabout the writing abilities I gained at theUniversity of Oregon. In my mind, writingabout a topic and being able to expresswhat one really wants to say is one of themost important things if you want toachieve a fulfilling career.

I had expected to make a lot of Americanfriends. But most of my friends camefrom different countries all over the worldand many of them were really interestedin politics. Nevertheless, the Americans Ibecame friends with were also interestedin politics. But I was surprised that theydid not do anything or seemed not tocare about voting, etc. I soon had to

recognize that my impression was wrong.They wanted to do something but theywere not informed enough. I recognizedthat American news are not that informa-tive as news in Germany or other coun-tries. They focus a lot on the events inthe country itself, but there is less aboutwhat is going on in the world. Most of my American friends and peer-studentstherefore decided to go to another coun-try for a year or so. I noticed that many ofthem are even more willing to help indeveloping countries and to sacrificesome comfort to be able to give somecomfort to people in need. My conclusionis that Europeans might be more involvedin theoretical politics or in voting, but thatmany American graduates are more sen-sitive to the real needs of the world.

Altogether I can say that this year wasespecially wonderful because it was mylast year before I start working. I realizedthat I have a lot of dreams, such as doingsome extra professions as movementtherapist or social worker. And the effort,which was demonstrated by my Americanpeers and all the other people I met,encouraged me in my wish to go to another country and to work there for acouple of years. Surely, this will not hap-pen before two or three years in future.But I am looking forward to meeting onefriend in Mexico where she is going towork as a teacher.

The year in the US was full of surprisesand I am so happy that I took the oppor-tunity. I would recommend doing this toall students back at home and all over theworld. When you come back you see theworld through different eyes! Thanks toFulbright!

By Antje Oetjen

NOW Exhibition of photographs by Cem Yuecetas

Goethe-Institut, April 30 to May 26, 2004

The concept behind my visuals is twofold. The imagesillustrate the idea of information culture and thespeed in which technology changes the way we dothings, as well as the way we express ourselves.

On the one hand, we are so involved with what existswithin our physical environment, on the other hand,we alienate ourselves seeking refuge in another kindof truth: the search for the perfect knowledge ofwhat exists behind all this chaos. The human orga-nism is struggling to meet and affirm a more suitableversion of itself. Limitless usage of communicationprevents individual discovery between 'you' and 'me'

and the space we are living in. Is this a new dilemma,or has it always been this way?

I created a second series of images to describe thiskind of dysfunctional over-communication whichleads to people's individual loneliness.

Cem Yuecetas

One year in the USA!

Antje Oetjen carving a pumpkin

29

Cem Yücetas 27, studied photography atthe Hochschule für Gestaltung Offenbachand at the Universität für AngewandteKunst Wien before he studied as aFulbright fellow 2003/2004 at theAcademy of Art University San Francisco.

San Francisco, a city that always wantedto be different. It’s beauty was very popu-lar, even before the existence of touristattractions, because of the landscape andthe mild climate. Ships, stopping in thearea in the middle of the 19th century,had to force their sailors back on boardbecause they liked it so much and wan-ted to stay.

But what makes it so special? The hills,the fog, the red bridge, the tolerant beha-viour towards loving the same sex, thecultural life with amazing museums andgalleries, a huge park, a slum next to thecentre and the financial district? Can youfind something here that you can’t findsomewhere else?

Not who you are is important, who youwant to be, becomes the motto. And howdoes the city wants to be? First of all different. Not L.A, it’s all about silicon andmuscles, kind of snobbish. Not NY, every-thing is so fast and people just think ofworking. Not the Middle West, spon-

taneously everybody knows 100 jokeswith original accent and grimace, not theNorth even though you don’t hear nega-tive things about it and not Texas, "don’tmess with Texas". Yes, Texas has alwaysbeen different too, but that’s another story.

Short form: The city is beautiful and itspeople are relaxed, very European a lot ofpeople say, with lots of Asians, very inter-national. Business people walk aroundnext to joggers and tourists and home-less people and junkies ask you formoney on every corner. Everywhere? No,only in the city.

My year in San FranciscoAt the Academy of Art I was a photo-graphy graduate student and especiallytook classes which we don’t have inOffenbach. My goal was to learn newtechniques and the American definition of art. Assignments, class attendance andchallenging critics about my work werepart of my everyday life.

And than there are policies, rules appearing everywhere and for everything,foreseeing every detail in your life. It hasto be this way and not another. And whenyou ask why, you can hear very often:"This is our policy, I’m just doing my job!"But I also had time for new friends,

parties, weekend trips in the area andrelaxing on the beach.I am very happy that I studied in SanFrancisco and learned a lot. This city isdifferent, but its right for me.

By Cem Yücetas

FRANKly 15 • Enterprize Scholars

San FranciscoA hell of a city

Photograph by Cem Yücetas

continued from page 28

that this is and is not true. Two of mythree roommates had no idea why it isimportant to recycle and to use renew-able energies. Everything works finewithout them. In my opinion I lived in avery representative household. Drivinghours with the car to the next larger town,you get the impression that there isenough space for nature and garbagealike. Natural resources are cheap and itis important to live comfortably. On thelevel of smaller companies, it is importantthat everything is profitable. While thegovernment passes laws, money is seldomly available. My impression wasthat most projects were motivated byeconomic reasons and less by enthusi-

asm and understanding. It is a pity but I know that profitable projects work muchbetter than subsidized ones.

Especially Oregon, Eugene and theUniversity had some Brownie points, too.The public transport system in Eugene isvery dense and used paper and bottlesare collected on campus. Some Restau-rants on campus wash and reuse the dishes. This was promoted by researchersfrom the department of environmentalscience. Other groups promote the use ofwind power, and the university gainsforty-five percent of its electricity fromhydroelectric generation. And last but notleast, the state has a cash refund systemfor soda cans. Since most of this is known

but not used very much, I changed myimpression over the last year. Now I thinkthat the people are trying to make all eff-orts profitable. They are on the way, butstill some years behind German standards.

Now, after I returned to Germany, a kindof melancholic mood occupies my mind. I realize that I have two homes or twoliving environments, but unfortunatelythere is only one place where I can live ata given time. In Germany some friendstell me about their plans to go abroadand I think that it is my new task to helpthem make their plans become reality. Sothey will, hopefully, get a second homeand friends for life as I did.

By Bernward Fleischhauer

30

Strategy Meeting 2004, Weilheim i. Obb.In sunny Bavaria, at the foot of the Alps,16 members gathered together on the second weekend in September (10-12 September 2004) to discuss strategic issues concerning ourAssociation. On Friday, after everyonehad arrived at the "Naturfreundehaus"hostel in the Southern Bavarian town on the banks of the Ammer river, the obli-gatory "get-together" set the mood forthe work-weekend to come. TheNaturfreundehaus offered the perfectcombination of work atmosphere andrecouperation.

After breakfast on Saturday, at which a number of discussions had already star-ted, the official work began with apresentation introducing the workshoptopics. The relatively small number ofparticipants made it necessary to reducethe number of workshops planned, and tocombine some topics into one workshop;at the same time, the small number ofparticipants made the discussions quiteefficient. Among the workshop topicswere the relocation of our association’soffice from Frankfurt am Main to Berlin,and concepts for new or varied events.

After meeting up again for lunch, thegroup enjoyed a stroll along the Ammer,

recharging our batteries for the after-noon’s next session of workshops. Thesecond session lasted until the late after-noon. The day ended with an eveningbarbeque dinner, at which some of thecontroversial discussions continued.

All participants met up again Sundaymorning in plenum to present anddiscuss the results of the workshops. All of the workshops presented written suggestions to the board of directors,decision papers for the general assembly,or worked out information and tasks forthe board to work on. Examples herewere suggestions for increasing the

efficiency and attractiveness of the general assembly itself, and a work pro-file for the association’s office.The event came to a close after lunch.Unfortunately the weather didn’t allow fora common walk along the river to roundout the weekend. The board of directorsused the opportunity for a short boardmeeting, as other participants tookadvantage of the tourism activities in thearea, for example the Buchheim Museumin Bernried on the Starnberger Lake.

Our self-proclaimed "Strategy-Dude"(Strategiefuzzi) Joachim Wahlich de-serves a big "thank you" for his superorganization of the event, as does theboard of directors for its excellent docu-mentation of the issues, which enabledstructured and efficient discussion.

In conclusion, the "tough and dry" workweekend in the NaturfreundehausWeilheim dealt with the future strategy of our association in many ways. Themeeting was used to determine our sta-tus quo and initiate corrective measureswhere necessary. The weekend wasrounded out by a very pleasant environ-ment, common activities and the infa-mous "Fulbright-Get-Together-Feeling."

By Michael Tonke

English by Joe Kristensen

Strategy on the Ammer

Some of the participants from left to right: Joachim Totzke, Claudia Detje, Matthias Stecher, Dagmar Schreiber

WORKSHOP TOPICS

• 100th Birthday James William Fulbright

• Membership Fees

• IT concept

• Job description „Beisitzerposten“

• Member recruting concept

• New structure association meeting

• Press concept/public relations

• Regional Chapter definition/manual

• Office of the FAeV: Frankfurt am Main/Berlin

• Event concept

• Cooperations with other Organizations

31

People at the Winterball 2004 (January16th-18th)

What makes the Fulbright Alumni e.V. sospecial? While for sport clubs, the gym isthe "center" of the club, our office plays aminor role. Is the Association thereforedefined by the Fulbright-grant, whichmost of us could enjoy?! I believe thisfact plays a minor role as well, since the year in the States is limited to thequestions "When did you study what andwhere?". After this "initiation rite" theexperiences of the USA are only a sideaspect for most Alumni events. Duringour Stammtische, we talk about every-thing under the sun, and, depending oncurrent politics, of course about America,too.

I believe, that the members themselvesdefine the association. The pre-requisiteof having been in the States for a year isa certain selection, however, without anyelitist motives. The fact of having beenabroad rather reflects, certain cosmo-politanism toward other cultures andmost importantly toward other people.Precisely this spirit makes this associa-tion so special.

The best example for this openness iscertainly the annual get-together at the

Winterball. As the members are distri-buted across Germany, this event opensup the possibility to meet one anothereven after a long time. In 2004 Ludwigs-burg became the Mecca of the dancingFulbright-Alumni. The Restaurant "Piero"offered plenty of space for the first meeting on Friday evening, to greet oldfaces and welcome new people.

In the course of the Winterball weekend,the general assembly (MV) takes placeon Saturday, in order to deal with currentquestions. For the record: The MV 2004took place at the College of Education in Ludwigsburg, although neither the

administrator, nor the janitor seemed toknow about it, therefore the assemblycould only start after a short delay. Afterthe reports of the old board of directors,the new board was elected (see pages 1-3). Afterward, a discussion of a possi-ble relocation of our national office fromFrankfurt am Main to Berlin ensued. The decision was postponed for technicalreasons, and because the requirementsfor an office were still unclear.

A detailed insight into the people of theassociation cannot only be gatheredwhile visiting the events, but more impor-tant while organizing them. Already duringthe Winterball 2003 in Bamberg, theregional chapter Southwest was showinginterest on the Winterball 2004. After acall of Wiltrud Hammelstein (then VicePresident for Events) in the summer of2003, we had been accepted as orga-nizers. As coordinator of the regionalchapter, I was "elected" to be the chief-organizer.

Quickly a quite huge "Orga-Team" wasformed, but due to varying meeting times,a strong fluctuation of the membersoccurred. The search for the right venuewas more complicated, than expected.Either the rooms in Stuttgart were toosmall, or too expensive. Isabelle suggest-ed the Musikhalle in Ludwigsburg. A good decision, as we found out later.

FRANKly 15 • Behind the scenes in Ludwigsburg

Strategy on the Ammer

Behind the scenesin Ludwigsburg

The get-together at the Piero

Fulbrighters at the champagne reception

32

While we were familiar with Stuttgart,Ludwigsburg represented a new territory,which resulted in a quite complicatedsearch for the remaining locations.Carsten Keller could help out, as he hasbeen a resident of Ludwigsburg. With his"can-do"-mentality, he not only knew allinnkeepers at the numerous locations we"tested"– but he was also able to getspecial conditions for us.

A telephone-conference with MartinLöwe, which was interrupted after twohours by the telephone-company, couldclarify our budget. After fixing place, timeand costs of the event, we could designthe invitation. 1200 invitations were stuf-fed into envelopes, and pizza and wine

were served as a refreshment. Due to various piles (members, returnees,grantees, and addresses abroad), weworked ourselves through a funny chaos.The detailed work (DJ, decoration,…)could begin and required further meetings and active discussions, as everybody has had his own opinion. "Are we cooking the soup ourselves, or should it be delivered?" Such and similar questions could – in some cases– only be solved after various meetings.Finally all Gordian knots were broken.

Despite the lack of a sponsor, our budgetcalculation predicted a break-even at130 attendees. We were quite amazed,when the first registrations arrived.

Despite a short deadline, the numberincreased continually to finally settle at180 dancers. Accordingly, we rented larger and larger sections of theMusikhalle. Finally being the sole tenantof the hall, at least for one evening. Dueto the increased rent, the large buffetcould only be extended marginally, despite the strong intervention of ourgourmet Lorenz Hagemeyer.

Back to the Winterball: Like during theevening before, a joyful reuniting(Wiedersehensfreuden) took place duringthe initial champagne reception in theentrance hall, as not all participants havebeen present at the gettogether or thegeneral assembly. Despite the fine dress– in some cases quite colorful – the airwas full of suspense and anticipationbefore the first dance. A small surprisewas waiting for the Fulbrighters when thedoors of the ballroom were opened. While the entrance hall is kept sleek andsimple, the main room is dominated by itsbaroque interior. The best tables wereoccupied quickly and after a quick wel-come speech, the buffet was opened.

Our unwritten rules require a ceremonial"thank you" to the old board of directorsby the new one, as well as the introduc-tion of the "Orga-team". This was donequite quickly, as everybody was lookingforward to the first dance. Our new presi-dent Joe Kristensen started the danceand the floor was packed quite quicklyafterwards. A special dance "Louis" wasprepared by Denise to account for thename of our host-city. A mixture ofAmerican square dance, Irish folk-musicand a German announcer reflected ourinternational spirit nicely. At a later hour,the floor was transformed in a disco,which delighted the young Americanscholars. High heeled shoes, althoughstylishly matching the eveningwear, weresoon abandoned for the ability to really"cut a rug".

The weekend continued with a brunchthe next morning. Depending on the timethey left the party the night before, the

The brunch at the Plaza with a wide variety of foods and tons of coffee

Dancing the night away

33

Fulbrighters arrived earlier or later at theCafé "Plaza". The first coffees seemed towork wonders. While the new boardmembers held their first meeting, theremaining breakfast guests continuedtheir talks of the last evening. The lastevent was a visit of the palace ofLudwigsburg. While "Baron von Bühlow"and the "valet" (Kammerdiener) were telling a lot of gossip of former times, thetour "Behind the scenes" was showingthe most secret places of the castle,including a visit of the rooftops.

The farewell at the Café "Plaza" or at thepalace was not easy; no matter whetherthe goodbye was to old friends or newfaces. Such a weekend is always just tooshort.

Whereas the Sunday after-noon marked the end ofthe event for most of thevisitors, for the "Orga-team" the event was to endwith a celebratory dinner. Asuitable date seemed to beharder to organize than the Winterball itself. There-fore the dinner didn’t takeplace until late March. Theoccasionally complicatedorganization was long for-gotten; instead all theanecdotes were exchanged, making thedinner a marvelous end of the "operationWinterball".We hope that the attendees had as muchfun at the Winterball as we had. We are

looking forward to the Winterball 2005,where we are going to be ordinary participants. But, can Fulbrighters be ordinary? Most probably not!

By Ulrich Schlecht

FRANKly 15 • A book suggestion

Behind the scenes in Ludwigsburg

Speak American!A book suggestion

The palace of Ludwigsburg is well worth a visit

"You’re British, or Australian, or SouthAfrican or Chinese. You probably knowquite a lot about the language and cus-toms in the U.S.A. just from Hollywoodmovies. But are you really prepared foryour trip to America? Are you really readyto do buisiness with an American firm?(…)". This little paperback book is one ofthese gems you discover in some arbitra-ry book/souvenir/newspaper hybrid wai-ting for some arbitrary domestic US flight. The book was standing right next to apaperback version of the AmericanConstitution and caught my eye becauseon its cover it promises to be "A survivalGuide to the Language and Culture ofthe U.S.A.". There are probably somedozen books like this out in bookshopsaround the world and I know a lot ofthem.

But this one is the most comprehensive,concrete and implementable one I eversaw. The reason may be that it was written by an American woman who cameto London as a newlywed and figuredthat she had "the whole English thing

sussed". When she found out that in factshe hadn’t, instead of lamenting she satdown and wrote this book in order for usto have it better. The deed of a saint – asyou might also discover when you read it.

What actually makes it so unique is thefact that it covers two important areas. First, the fact that being a second lang-uage learner of English most of us havebeen taught British English and hencedid never learn the vocabulary andexpressions that you really need in every-day American life. The book does notonly cover vocabulary differences thatcan actually cause you embarrassment(oh yes!) but it also explains ACT, SAT,GPA, M.D., J.D., RA, PE, MCAT, PTA andall these other wonderful abbreviationsthat Americans love to use, especiallywhen it comes to their Education System(we all had to suffer, remember?). Secondly, it covers all the importantdetails of American live that you wishedyou had known before you went overthere. American Society, Eating andDrinking, Getting Around, American

Education and Everyday life are just afew of the chapters this little bible has tooffer. There is even a glossary of about50 most important terms for each chap-ter, explaining everything from "beef jerky,to "Nielsen Ratings". Or did you knowabout "vanity plates" or "gated communi-ties" before you went over there? Theinvestment of about 8 "bucks" for thebook might even save your life, becauseit is full of valuable suggestions, too: "Ifyou are pulled over, do not get out ofyour car. Wait until the officer comes upto your window, place both hands on thesteering wheel and be very, very polite.(…)".Have fun getting prepared!

Speak American: A survival Guide to the

Language and Culture of the U.S.A.

by Dileri Borunda Johnston;

Random House, New York

ISBN 0-375-70468-X; $7.95

By Andrea Möller

34

As expected, arriving was the first high-light. We came by train to Dresden withall its treasures everyone else has alreadyseen and went straight on to the commu-ter train up the Elbe to Königstein. Wesaw how the industrial wasteland ofDresden gave way to the broad valley ofthe Elbe. Around Pirna it became narro-wer and we were right in the middle ofthe treasure trove of Germany. The smallferry took us to the other bank of theElbe and from there we walked to thehostel. Our family of five got two roomswith nothing but the garden between usand the river. We had arrived.

Getting up the next day was easy, for our5 and 6 year olds. Knocking on our door,fully dressed up they asked for permis-sion to conquer the garden, at 6 o'clock!

The days floated by. We climbed up therocks on stairs and ladders, got a tour ofthe regions herbs from the park rangers,biked all the way up to the Czech borderand floated down the Elbe to Pirna,where the valley was wide. Once again,Elke had put together a magnificent program.

51 Cross cultural messengers, granted,half granted or current student or teacherwere the icing on the whole event.

Connecting is a snap. Some were re-connecting their memories with the mostintense experience in times (very) longpast. Some tried to connect their ex-perience of the people they met on theother side of the Houston with the head-lines of the Sächsische Zeitung. Someeven tried to connect their bottom line tothe whole event.

The evenings over the river, darknesscoming slowly, with Czech beer, kids inbed, tired from the day’s activities, solvingthe worlds problems, connecting andplanning the next day – perfect.

The long freight trains, that last year rumbled on the other side were no longercoming. They made sense while clearingcustoms between Germany and theCzech Republic was an issue. Germancars, made in Slovakia, reminded us,Europe is one again.

We left early to see Dresden, a firstglimpse, 90 minutes. That is enough for aquick hike along Prager Strasse, withbuildings that became historic onlyrecently, lunch at the Zwinger, it has beenhistoric all along, and another quick hikeback again.

We already know what will be differentnext time. We figured how to slot in an-other highlight at the end. We will treatourselves with a steamboat trip all theway downstream to Dresden. Thoseancient ships with their stylish saloonsand real 280 hp steam engine are justtoo promising to pass them up yet again.

By Knut Mittwollen

FulbrightFamily Fun Weekend

Gisken and Karl Ole heving lunch in Dresden after their arrivalFulbrighters and friends launching raft on the Elbe

FAMILY FUN WEEKEND

CALENDAR

In 2005, The Fulbright Family FunWeekend is scheduled for May 5th-8th. All participants stay at theNaturfreundehaus Königstein, southof Dresden which was one of the victims of the great flood in 2002.

Thanks to Elke Brosin who is organizing the event since 2001. The lastgathering counted 21 children.Activities range from hiking and survival to rafting, biking and sight-seeing.

Please take a look at photos fromprevious weekends:

www.fulbright-alumni.de/

35

With the friendly support of the GermanAmerican Fulbright Commission I wasable to attend two conferences inWashington DC in fall 2003. The firstconference was the Annual Conferenceof the Fulbright Association. The firstevent – one of the highlights – was theaward ceremony of the Fulbright Prize2003 to Fernando Cardoso, former presi-dent of Brazil. It took place in the audito-rium of the State Department and wasfollowed by a reception in the officialreception rooms on the top floor of thestate department. Another highlight wasthe reception of the Maroccan Embassyin the Smithonian Museum of African Artand the lunch presentation of a youngbiologist who found a new kind of smallmonkey in Madagascar. Alison Gardy ofthe board of directors of the FulbrightAssociation organised a lunch meeting ofall international participants.

Representatives of many countries of atleast five continents introduced theirassociation and the challenges they face.The representatives of Greece extendeda warm invitation to the international con-ference of Fulbrighters "Humanism inAction" taking place in October in Athens.The other conference, a week later, wasorganized by "Round Table USA", a joint

venture of different organisations withGerman-American interests, e.g. DAAD,Bosch Foundation, BMW, AuswärtigesAmt and others. Invited were alumni andcurrent participants of their exchangeprograms as well as politicians and jour-nalists to talk about currents issues inGerman-American-Relations and areas ofdifferent approach as environmentalissues. All participants were invited to areception in the German embassy.Keynote speakers focussed on issues ofdifferent perception of details whereas insmaller workshops media coverage andspecific environmental projects werecovered in more detail.

The 2003 Fulbright Prize LaureateFernando Henrique CardosoDr. Cardozo was born in Rio de Janeiro in1931 and is a sociologist trained at theUniversity of Sao Paulo. He was deeplyinvolved in Brazil's struggle to overcomethe authoritarian military regime and hadto leave the country to escape persecu-tion. During that time he taught in the US,France and Chile. In 1982 he was elec-ted senator and served as foundingmember of the Brazilian SocialDemocratic Party. He served as ministerof foreign relations (1992-1993) andminister of finance (1993-1994) before

he was elected president. He served twoterms from January 1st 1995 to January1st 2003 as president, winning bothelections with absolute majority. His mainfocus was to strengthen political institu-tions, increasing economic stability andexpanding educational opportunities inorder to promote human rights. A 25 per-cent decrease in infant mortality was theresult of his emphasis on improvinghealth care in poor rural areas.

He was selected 1986 as FulbrightProgram 40th anniversary distinguishedfellow. Dr. Cardoso lectured on demo-cracy in Brazil at Columbia University. He received the Fulbright Prize for hislifelong dedication to fostering peace,stability and democratic ideals in Braziland throughout the world.

By Uwe Koch

Fulbright PrizeThe Prize was created in 1993 by the

Fulbright Association. It “honors individuals

who have made extraordinary contributions

toward bringing peoples, cultures, or nations

to greater understanding of others“ and

carries a US$ 50,000 award provided by the

Coca-Cola Foundation.

See also: www.fulbright.org/prize.htm

FRANKly 15 • Washington Conferences and Fulbright Prize

Fulbright Family Fun weekend

WashingtonConferences 2003

Photos courtesy of the American Fulbright AssociationFernando Cardoso

36

Düsseldorf, November 14-16, 2003

The German Fulbright Alumni Associationsets up its annual Welcome Meeting forthose America Fulbright scholars, whojust arrived in Germany, and for thoseGerman Fulbright scholars recently re-turned from the United States. In 2003,date and place of the event suited theschedule of a prominent guest fromSouth Africa: Denis Goldberg.

The LectureDenis Goldberg’s lecture at the WelcomeMeeting took place at Düsseldorf’sfamous new building "Stadttor", where itwas kindly hosted by the BostonConsulting Group. The Fulbright studentsand alumni experienced a very personaland interesting lecture. While DenisGoldberg was reading selected excerptsfrom Nelson Mandela’s book "Long Walkto Freedom", he often added personalnarrations and answered numerous questions from the audience.

A delightful WeekendDue to the active support from inex-haustible members of the FulbrightAlumni Association, the WelcomeMeeting 2003 was organized in a veryprofessional manner. The Get-Togetheron Friday evening, the Welcome Party onSaturday and the Brunch on Sunday mor-ning provided opportunities to share theexperiences of studying overseas.

About Denis GoldbergDenis Goldberg was born in Cape Townin 1933, where he grew up and receiveda degree in Civil Engineering. Becomingconscious of the injustice of apartheid, he became active in the nineteen-fiftiesin the ANC-led Congress Alliance ofSouth Africans of all races opposed toapartheid. Denis Goldberg was detainedin 1960 and spent four months in prisonwithout trial.When the underground armed wing,UmKhonto we Sizwe (Spear of theNation) was founded in 1961 with

Nelson Mandela as the first Commanderin Chief, Denis became a technical officer. In 1963, he was arrested at theRivonia Headquarter of their army. Hewas sentenced with his comrades in1964 at the end of the famous RivoniaTrial to four terms of life imprisonment. Nelson Mandela writes in his book:"Although a capital trial can be quite grim,our spirits were generally high. Therewas a good deal of gallows humouramong us. Denis Goldberg, the youngestof the accused, had an irrepressiblesense of humour and often had us laug-hing when we should not have been."In prison, Denis Goldberg took degrees inPublic Administration, History and Geo-graphy, and in Library Science. He washalfway through a law degree when hewas released in 1985 after 22 years inprison. He went into exile in Londonwhere he joined his family.In London Denis Goldberg resumed hiswork in the ANC in its London officefrom 1985 to 1994, when NelsonMandela's Government was elected tooffice. Denis Goldberg was a spokes-person for the ANC and represented it at the Anti-Apartheid Committee of theUnited Nations.After the first nonracial elections in SouthAfrica, Denis Goldberg founded the

development organization CommunityH.E.A.R.T. in London in 1995 to help toimprove the living standards of BlackSouth Africans more quickly. CommunityH.E.A.R.T. stands for Health EducationAnd Reconstruction Training – www.com-munity-heart.org.ukIn summer 2002, Denis Goldberg retur-ned to South Africa and worked for sometime in the government as an advisor tothe Minister of Water and Forestry.Furthermore, Denis Goldberg is watchingover some of the projects of theCommunity H.E.A.R.T.

May his dedicated life encourage with-standing injustice, to remain unbrokenand to work for a brighter future of those,who are not privileged by race andwealth.

By Ulrich Hueck

Welcome Meeting2003

Denis Goldberg and a group of Fulbrighters

PLEASE NOTE!

WELCOME MEETING 2004

November 12-14 in Munich

37

The famous explorer and naturalistAlexander von Humboldt referred to theCanary Islands as the "happy islands"when stopping over at Tenerife at thebeginning of an expedition to SouthAmerica in 1799. The Romans named thearchipelago the "islands of the blessed" –the remainder, as legend has it, of themysterious lost continent of Atlantis.Humboldt was pursuing studies ofdistinct climatic and geologic regions aswell as plant distributions, which develop-ed into the main focus of his scientificwork. He aimed to create an "…under-standing of nature as a whole, proof ofthe working together of all the forces ofnature...", thereby laying the foundationsfor academic study of nature. In this spiritand the zeitgeist of the 21st century, themembers and friends of the SpanishFulbright Association set out to exploreTenerife anew – this time during SemanaSanta in April 2003. The task force com-prised the Spanish Fulbrighters as well asone American, one Italian, two Germans –and four children! whose waist-high per-spective and insatiable curiosity provedan invigorating addition to the group. The 5-day tour consisted of learning inthe field about the island’s geological andsociological history, flora and fauna, aswell as its mythology and traditions; evenHumboldt might have preferred this to hisyears of study in the libraries and collec-tions of Berlin. Whilst he was accompa-nied by the Frenchman Bonpland, hisbotanist friend and master of the Spanishlanguage, the Fulbrighters were fortunateenough to count in their midst AgustínGuimerá – a native islander, historian,excellent story-teller and tour guide all inone. Keen to present his island from aperspective different to that of package-holiday organizers and sun-and-beachtourists, he had invited his Fulbright fami-ly on this most memorable and uniqueexcursion last year.As a token of welcome and hospitalitythe president of the county hall of Puertode la Cruz made available a coach, la

guagua, enabling us to reach towns andwilderness alike from our comfortablehotel in this Tenerife’s largest city.The protocol demanded that our delega-tion first be introduced to the oldestdweller of the island, El Drago. Measuringsome 17 metres in height and agedanywhere between 500 and 3000 years,this tree is rightly the symbol of Tenerife,generously lending its name to anythingfrom bistros and shopping malls to carrepair shops and wine labels. But thehealth of this botanic Methuselah is atrisk thanks to air pollution and vibrationsfrom the nearby traffic, as well as watershortages due to growing urbanisation.

Gleaming under a dazzling sun against anazure sky, the sparkling white instrumentsof the Observatorio Astrofísico markedone of our morning destinations in the fardistance. This internationally acclaimedsolar observatory, built in 1965 andresembling a park of gigantic futuristicmushrooms, was originally used for stellarobservations of the night sky.Unfortunately, such nocturnal studies areno longer possible since the expansion ofnearby Puerto de la Cruz and the airporthave increasingly corrupted the atmos-phere.

Tenerife’s main attraction, the volcano El Teide, is omnipresent throughout theisland. Not only is the mountain awe-inspiring, but it is also a striking reminderof the geological past of the archipelago,which were formed in a series of volcaniceruptions around 15 million years ago.The last eruption was in 1909, but, asfolklore has it, only the demon Guayota,who lives in the crater of El Teide andwho the Guanches believed would rise upone day and steal the sun, knows whenthe dormant giant will next awake. In themeantime, he continues to tell his ancientstory in the cinema of the visitors centreof the El Teide National Park, showing offhis real character in a video that com-bines computer simulation and soundtechnology with dramatic effects.

The largest part of the El Teide NationalPark is occupied by Las Cañadas delTeide, which are the remaining base wallsof an ancient crater of the volcano. Oneof these is Los Roques de García, whichdecorated the 1000-peseta notes in thepre-Euro age – illustrating the contrastbetween the ephemeral nature of bank-notes and the longevity of the Earth’scrust. Continuing our tour, we were struckby the snow-white and fluffy appearanceof el mar de nubes – sea of clouds –which was an astounding backcloth tothe harsh grey volcanic fields.

The evening of this day, which had takenus to altitudes of some 2500 m, wasspent in the hotel bar on the ninth floor –an opportunity to readjust our bodies tothe sea-level atmosphere of Puerto de laCruz, and also to judge the talents ofEmilio and Víctor in their joke-tellingcompetition.

Higher than the hotel bar but lower thanEl Teide lies the historic town of Orotava,the beauty of whose fertile valley promp-ted Humboldt to fall to his knees andthank God. Until the Spanish conquest inthe 16th century Orotava formed part of

FRANKly 15 • Fulbright travellogue Tenerife 2003

Welcome Meeting 2003

Fulbright travellogueTenerife 2003

Agustín Guimerá and Alexander von Humboldt

38

Taoro, the richest of the nine Guanchekingdoms of Tenerife. The town is famousfor its celebrations at Corpus Christiwhen religious pictures made of volcanicearth are crafted on the paving stones of the main plaza. Orotava was settledmainly by Andalusian families, whoseArabic influence is reflected in the formof Moorish arches or beautiful arabes-ques adorning numerous buildings.

El Sauzal, the finca of Agustín’s family, isa home of an entirely different style.Hardly can this secluded residence everhave received such a group of 42 touringfriends, ‘Los Japoneses!’, who marvelledat orchards and vineyards and tasted theunforbidden fruits of Níspero and Pitangatrees. With the Atlantic Ocean making fora gorgeous backdrop this idyllic placeseemed only moments away from paradi-se. The museum of nearby La Barandatold the story of wine making on theisland, and thirsty visitors could takehome a wealth of regional wines bearingillustrious names, such as Humboldt, Las Cuevas del Rey, Crater, Viña Norte or Bodegas Presas de Ocampo.

Later, in Tegueste, an unmatched feast ofpuchero canario was revealed in therestaurant El Masón del Drago, makingus feel like the Spanish king and his

entourage, who had wined and dinedhere on their recent visit.

The University of San Fernando at LaLaguna is the only alma mater in theCanary Islands. Opened in 1701, it istoday the seat of La Real SociedadEconómica de Amigos del País deTenerife. This institution emerged fromthe period of enlightenment at the end ofthe 18th century when the modernisationof Spain and the promotion of both itsintellectual and economic resources wasa revolutionary idea. The society espe-cially encouraged craftsmanship and agriculture on the island, as well as theimprovement and expansion of its tradingactivities with India and the Americas. The archive library deserves a specialmention, hosting as it does two copies ofthe Encyclopaedia by Lambert andDiderot, thus testifying to the society’seminence and importance for the archi-pelago and the Spanish mainland of thetime. Nowadays, La Laguna is Tenerife’s second most important town still havingretained large parts of its essentiallySpanish character. This is even morenoteworthy as tourism and developmentin the Canary Islands have taken their toll by ridding a great many number ofregional towns and villages of their

original character. Notwithstanding the continuing rain the next morning, our cheerful brigadefollowed the call of the wild to the AnagaHills. Covering the north part of Tenerife,these mountains are in geological andbotanical terms the oldest zone of theisland. Idleness and boredom during the two-hour coach journey were kept at bay when Agustín read from LosSabandeños’ La Cantata del MenceyLoco – a literary heritage from the conquest in the 15th century – andexplained the history and role of theAnaga National Park. On board la guaguawere also the park director, Cristóbal, andtwo of Agustín’s siblings, Charo andMalule, who all excelled in their roles astour guides for the day. Charo, a teacherherself, commented on the schoolingsituation of this region, which faces particular difficulties caused by the re-moteness and sparseness of the popula-tion in this area. For example, internetaccess is still the exception here, whileone-classroom teaching is common prac-tice due to the small number of childrenper age group.

A botanical rarity, the natural forest oflaurisilva is an important water and timberresource for the region, where the rareand delicate Anaga violet defends itshabitat in a dense jungle of laurel trees,epiphytes and lichen. Underneath, theroad tunnel to the hamlet of Taganana,built in the 60s and running across theridge of the Anaga Hills, is an example ofthe infrastructural improvement of theregion.

Over a marvellous lunch in Taganana, weenjoyed the company of a few local resi-dents, which soon resulted in a livelydiscussion of the ecological and econo-mic topics of concern in Anaga in parti-cular as well as Tenerife in general.Everyone agreed that the number of tou-rists in Anaga will have to be controlled ifthe precious equilibrium between manand nature is to be preserved. The pro-

Wiltrud Hammelstein, Christiane Fertig and Spanish Fulbrighters tasting sherry

39

motion of culturally-based tourism couldhelp to boost knowledge and awarenessof this region beyond the boundaries ofthe Canary Islands. The local residents mentioned with regret that Anaga hassuffered a marked population exodusfrom rural to urban zones over the pastfew decades. Naturally this process hasentailed an ageing of the population andwill definitely provoke a gradual diminish-ing of traditional activities in the not sodistant future. One participant in thedebate aptly summarised the uniquenessand importance of Anaga for the wholeof Tenerife with the words: El que no havisto Anaga no ha visto Tenerife. Anarthistorical rarity, on the other hand, was

the triptych by the 16th-century Flemishartist Marcelus Cofferman, which reachedTaganana as payment for sugar from anAntwerp dealer. It can be admired in thechurch of Santa Maria de las Nieves,which is picturesquely situated just outsi-de the village centre.

Santa Cruz was the destination for thelast day and the programme began with afleeting visit to the elegant Hotel Mencey,home to paintings by Martín Gonzálezthat decorated several entire walls. A sightseeing walk took us to theresidential colony of Bauhaus homes that blended engagingly with the neigh-bouring belle-époque villas. This leafy

quarter mirrored the days when anaffluent middle class prospered in SantaCruz thanks to the thriving industries ofbanking, commerce and early tourism.

As lunchtime neared, the appetite of thegroup’s culinary division needed whetting,whereas the spirits of the aquatic divisionhad risen as high as the sun on this glo-rious day. Whether partaking of a finelunch in one of the town’s restaurants, orswimming in the Atlantic and sunbathingon Saharan sand at Las Playas de lasTeresitas, this afternoon was undoubtedlythe laziest of the entire week.

In the elegant Casino de Tenerife inSanta Cruz we were welcomed by thesecretary of the casino who invitedMariano, in his capacity as chairman ofthe Spanish Fulbright Association, tomake an entry in the guest book onbehalf of the group. During the closingsession that followed, we exchanged ourthoughts and feelings about the eventsand impressions of the time spent onTenerife, and likewise voiced our opinionsabout the ecological and cultural impor-tance of the island today and for thefuture. We unanimously agreed ourresponsibilities, both as members of theFulbright Association and as individuals,to raise awareness and broaden under-standing about the island, and the needto protect its unique biodiversity. We were grateful for this opportunity to getto know Tenerife in so privileged a way.

A casino of a different kind was theCasino Taoro in Puerto de la Cruz, wherewe enjoyed unquestionably the most glamorous cultural encounter of ourCanarian adventure. We amused oursel-ves watching – or joining – the sophisti-cates at the gaming tables, and, as theevening progressed, the acrobatics of ahot-blooded Brazilian dance group. Thereal meaning of "Rien ne va plus!" wegrasped only the next day as the planetook off and we watched the island fadeaway into the distance. By Christiane Fertig

FRANKly 15 • Fulbright travellogue Tenerife 2003

Enjoying Tenerife’s beautiful and extraordinary landscape; photos Wiltrud Hammelstein

40

When I wrote my last article on the creation of the Fulbright Alumni e.V. Logo,I did not know that the responsibility for itwould stay with me forever.

It happened in 1990, one year after myreturn from the US. at the annual conven-tion (back then we decided to combine itwith a now famous winterball to attractmore members). President Antje Hilde-brandt transformed myself from the usualnagging "just member" to a "BeisitzerLogo". I had argumented that "I don’tneed a post to be reliant", but the boardhad made their experiences…

Until then, the association had used asimple and effective letterform. But withthe number of members growing andbeginning professionalization of the workin the office and the regional chapters,the idea became popular to present our-selves to the public with an own sign.

Shortly after my election (I still lived withmy parents because of my uncertain pro-fessional future) people, unknown tomyself called (at eleven p.m.) to verify mycompetence for this job (we usually wentto bed at ten thirty).

To find sponsors, ideas, designers and a jury I turned to our members with awritten concept for the project. I wantedthe highest possible acceptance for thelogo. Only two designers were found. I included the results of the question-naries (of Sigrid Böhler) and the strategymeeting in Schotten into a concept andbriefing for our sign. This information was sent out to about 50 Eastern andWestern German Colleges. The boardwas calling for a design contest.

Six months later, on July 18, the juryincluding Ingeborg Cleve, Antje Hilde-brandt, Jürgen Simon and myself met to

find a sign and crown the winner of thecontest. Other jury members (WolfgangHastert, Claudia Sternberg und BerndWeiler) had received copies of the sub-missons up front.

The briefing was used as a base for decisions. As additional criteria we de-fined a modern look and simplicity (visuallegibility).

We sorted 48 designs into groups withsimilar visual properties. Some designsvaried only minimally. We started by sorting out the ones we unanimouslyrejected. Then, we each chose designs we foundworth fighting for and started the dis-cussion, comparing the advantages anddisadvantages to find our favourites.

We knew that it is impossible to find asymbol which represents our associationand all it stands for without the possibilityof misinterpretation.

Well yes: the logo needed getting used to.And it does not work without the line"Fulbright Alumni e.V." (unless you knowit). But it has an own character and bydealing with it one discovers many goodfacets. Once you know it you also recallit. Even without the line.

It is loaded with meaning as we were sur-prised to find. Interpretations point in theright directions: sending, receiving, mobili-ty, communicating, between cultures,bridging. And the human factor is themost important: A group of divers indivi-duals with numerous differing back-grounds and aims. This flexibility in thelogo was more important to us than aserious and "straight" representation. Thelogo is aestetically pleasing and up todate yet not catering to a certain trend(this still holds true).

We also chose it because it does notshow off. We (including it) do not takeourselves so very seriously. We were no young careerist elite. And even if wewere we could not identify with thisvision.

We unanimously voted for this logo. Westill are enthusiastic about it and hopedfor a controversial discussion which neveroccurred.

During that time we mastered the changein German zip-codes, my professionalmove to Prague for a year, the organiza-tion of a Welcome Meeting in Frankfurt, anew board every year and the search fora sponsor.

The logo has been used on businesscards, letterforms, T-shirts and numerouspublications since. My battle for the useof the right typeface (lettering) in con-junction with it remains one of life’s greatchallenges.

By the way:The designer, Michael Volkmer, is a well-known designer and not a student any-more. He leads a thriving and acclaimedadvertising agency in Wiesbaden and hasthus become a colleague of mine.

I will gladly continue volunteering to bethe CI chief for the FAeV. Thanks for yoursupport.

By Silke Wolter

Did you know…

PLEASE NOTE!

ANNUAL CONVENTION AND WINTERBALL

2005

January 28-30 in Hamburg

The strategy meeting allowed for a little relaxation

and replenishment after all.

The Fulbright Alumni e.V. is a non profit organization.

Join the group of active members to influence de-

cisions and our future development.

41

So you knew things are different in theStates. But were you aware of how diffe-rent Germany is after one or more yearsabroad?

Culture shock is the expected confrontation with the unfamiliar.Reentry shock is the unexpectedconfrontation with the familiar.

Paige 1984 in Martin 1984:149

Returning home can be a challenge initself. The problem with it: you may nothave anticipated this. You and yourfriends have changed, not everybody isreally interested in your experiences, and you may feel homesick. For some,this is shocking after the first euphoria tobe back home. Rest assured, this is fairlycommon.

Knowing that this will happen is notenough when it happens. Psychologistsadvise to train and assist professionalswith their whole family prior to returninghome. Not only kids need special attention.

If you oppose everything in your new(old) life, you may in consequence isolateyourself. A common reaction is seekingrefugee in returning to the States. Butthis will not help in tackling the problem.

There are many suggestions on how tocope with reverse culture shock. In theend, you will develop a balance between

your cultural experiences and you willhave gained intercultural competence.

Taking responsibility for your developmentis the key. Be open and proactive.

• When coming to the US, you had a planof what to do and how to do it. You needto remember how you managed the initialculture shock if you had one and to makejust such a plan for your return home.

• When talking about your experiences,some at home may take it as a critique.There is no need to hurt your friends orfamily, whether you are aware of it or not.Give yourself and the others time to cope.Ask for help if you need it.

• Concentrate on the things you missedwhile abroad. Play with your pet, sit in acafé or hike on well known grounds.Make yourself comfortable. It will makeyou feel better about returning.

• Write to and talk with your friends in theStates, your department, your internatio-nal and your German friends who are inthe same situation.

• Look out for "veterans". If you want toremain anonymous, use a weblog or chatrooms in the www to find others to talkto. Or write a journal.

• Look out for organizations where yourexperience is welcomed and needed:

Your university may look for students counselling other students interested inan international exchange. Volunteers may be needed for a host program for international students.

• Watch out for original language filmsand discussion groups.

• There are lectures, exhibitions, concerts,and other events organized by differentinstitutions in different cities. For examplethe Amerikahaus or ZENAF (Zentrum fürNordamerika-Forschung in Frankfurt/M.).

• In the business world, there are nume-rous Alumni organizations as well. Oneexample is the DAJV (Deutsch-amerika-nische Juristen-Vereinigung e.V.).

And last but not least, the FAeV wel-comes new members even before theybecome members. It is a perfect place tosocialize and become active. Diversity andEnergy are our main motors.

The regional chapters offer a monthly"Stammtisch" and special monthly events.It is not uncommon for returnees tobecome chiefs of their regional group.See also page 23.

Look at your photos whenever you needto. Return readjustment is a transition. Give yourself a break!

By Silke Wolter

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