Funnel 40/2, Inhalt - Fulbright-Kommission

Dear Partners, Supporters, Grantees,
and Alumni of the Fulbright Program,
FROM THE DIRECTOR 3
FOR THE GERMAN-AMERICAN Fulbright Commission and its secretariat the year 2004 started with a
rather special event—in March we celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Berlin Seminar. For our American
grantees, the Berlin Seminar has always had a very special meaning: on the one hand, it is a true family
event (and reunion for the Fulbright alumni), offering multiple opportunities to meet other Fulbrighters
from Germany and neighboring countries, often resulting in life-long
friendships. On the other hand, it provides the chance to experience a city
first hand, that for over 50 years has been the very geographical and political
focus of East-West-relations, a melting pot of different cultures and
beliefs, and a symbol of freedom. Berlin is a city, “where continents meet,”
hence our motto for the fiftieth Berlin Seminar, which—for the first time—
was organized in close cooperation with the German Fulbright Alumni
Association. They did a tremendous job in putting together an intensive
two-day program of high-profile seminars and workshops on the topic of
European enlargement with a group of outstanding speakers—a heartfelt
“thank you” again from the secretariat for this fruitful collaboration! Their
program was complemented by Fulbright roundtables on current issues
such as “Elite Universities” or the “bachelor-master” transformation and its implications for transatlantic
exchange. Over 450 participants enjoyed the intellectual discourse and the multitude of social and cultural
events by and for Fulbright grantees, alumni, and guests from other European countries. The Berlin
Seminar closed with a one-day workshop on “The University and Islam,” an exchange of views between
Germans, Americans, and participants from the Muslim world. New topics such as these add to the traditional
tasks of the Fulbright program.
Contrary to the general trend as reported in the media, the Fulbright Commission in Berlin again saw
an increase in applications from German citizens for Fulbright programs in 2003. During the academic
year 2002/2003 we have supported more than 600 individuals—approximately 300 from each country.
I hope that the year 2004 will be just as successful from our program’s point of view—in spite of a momentarily
difficult global political situation.
Dialogue between countries is impossible without the exchange of ideas and the physical exchange of
the most promising young students and scholars. In times like these the Fulbright Program remains an
excellent investment into both our countries’ futures. As the new Executive Director of the German-American
Fulbright Commission I am delighted to be able to contribute towards this goal.
All the best,
Rolf Hoffmann
THE FUNNEL • VOLUME 40 • NUMBER 2 • SUMMER 2004