Fulbright Alumni Association
Fulbright Alumni Association: Fulbrighters for life
The Fulbright Alumni e.V. has been engaged in various activities, continuing on its mission to engage grantees well beyond their exchange experience by joining the association and becoming "Fulbrighters for life".
Fulbright Association 32nd Annual Conference Conference
In October of 2009, Barbara Weiten, President of the Fulbright Alumni e.V., represented the German association at the Annual Fulbright Alumni Conference in Washington, D.C., titled "Mutual Understanding Amid Global Economic Challenges". She held a roundtable discussion on attracting new members to Fulbright alumni associations worldwide.
Fulbright Alumni Welcome Meeting: Living the Fulbright Spirit
The Fulbright Alumni e.V. invited the newly arrived American Fulbright scholars to this warm-up event in Frankfurt/Main on the first weekend in November of 2009, as well as the recently returned German grantees to ease their way back into their homeland. They were joined by an equally strong group of alumni whose Fulbright year may have dated back two or twenty years. This annual meeting served as a unique opportunity to meet fellow Fulbrighters, share experiences, make new friends and meet the old ones. The mix of age groups and both nationalities again provided the perfect background for a rewarding and fun meeting. Following the traditional Friday get-together at the Frankfurter Rudergesellschaft on the banks of the river Main, the group of about 75 Fulbrighters convened on Saturday morning at the impressive Poelzig Building of today’s Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-University. Built in the late 1920s as the headquarters of the infamous IG Farben conglomerate, it bears significance for German-American relations, inasmuch it became the principal location for implementing the Marshall Plan and devising the concept for the Federal German Government. The building has served as the headquarters for the US Army's V Corps and the Northern Area Command (NACOM) until 1995. Under the motto "Living the Fulbright Spirit", the morning was spent on interactive sessions to re-live and express the experiences that participants from both countries share through their Fulbright year.
- Participants of the Fulbright Alumni Welcome Meeting 2009 re-live and express the experiences of their Fulbright year in a workshop atmosphere.
Later, the group gathered at the Frankfurt offices of our generous sponsor Boston Consulting Group, engaging in several workshops focusing on issues such as "How to survive Germany", "Reverse Culture Shock" or "German-American-Relations" in general. The afternoon was highlighted by our guest speaker, historian Prof. Joel Harrington, who had been a Fulbright grantee in Germany over twenty years ago. He shared his personal impressions, while making a strong case for the importance of exchange programs. The day was concluded with a festive dinner and dedicated dancing into the wee hours of the morning, followed by the traditional brunch and a guided city tour of Frankfurt on Sunday.
- Guest speaker Prof. Joel Harrington engaging in a lively discussion with participants of the Fulbright Alumni Welcome Meeting 2009.
Fulbright Diversity Grantees
The Fulbright Commission took the opportunity of their annual Thanksgiving Dinner on November 24, 2009 to officially honor this year’s participants of the Diversity Initiative in the presence of the newly appointed U.S. Ambassador to Germany, Philip D. Murphy. The Diversity Initiative provides an opportunity for foreign exchange to German high school graduates and young students coming from mixed ethnic or migratory backgrounds, who tend to be underrepresented in academic exchange programs. This initiative is co-financed by the Fulbright Commission and its Friends’ and Supporters’ Association (Verein der Freunde und Förderer des deutsch-amerikanischen Fulbright-Programms, VFF) with a significant contribution by the Fulbright Alumni e.V. With this financial support, and its involvement in the selection process of the grantees, the German Alumni Association substantiates its goal to foster mutual understanding among nations worldwide.
Fulbright Association Winterball and General Meeting
This year’s Fulbright Winterball took place at the Godesburg castle near the city of Bonn. Visitors from near or far indulged in the sight of a winter wonderland of snow-covered vineyards along the Rhine river. Those staying in the hotel just below the Godesburg could watch the castle light up against the dark sky as the night fell and they were changing into formal attire. Temperatures below freezing and a light snow storm setting in made it impossible to take the mere 15-minute walk up the hill, especially for those ladies already tiptoeing in their dancing shoes. Some taxi drivers were still brave enough to ride up the icy road – but how about going down again later? Well, Fulbrighters aren’t easily discouraged, so an impressive group of 150 attendees eventually gathered in the grand knights’ hall of Godesburg castle. Built in the 13th century and combined with modern architecture, it offered a wonderful ambiance, making everyone feel like kings and queens upon entering the grand knights’ hall. Colorful light beams and gigantic candle holders on each table flooded the room in a festive atmosphere.
- Historic Godesburg castle provided the festive background for the 2010 Fulbright Alumni Winterball.
The guests of honor included Mrs. Janice G. Weiner, Consul General at the US Consulate in Düsseldorf as well as Dr. Rolf Hoffmann, Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission, who greeted the crowd with some opening remarks. Honorary guest, former Executive Director of the Fulbright Commission and member of the Fulbright Alumni Advisory Board, Dr. Ulrich Littmann entertained the audience with the surprising revelation that in the very same halls of the Godesburg he had celebrated on the occasion of reaching the agreement about bi-national financing of the German-American Program in the early 1960s. So the Fulbrighters were walking – and dancing – on hallowed ground, indeed. The dancing, dining, musical entertainment and lively conversation continued well into the early morning hours, and everyone made it safely down the castle hill eventually. After what felt like only a few minutes of sleep, the members re-assembled in staggering completeness for brunch at Café Opera in downtown Bonn. From here they parted to their homeward journey or still participated in a guided city tour.
Traditionally, the annual general meeting of the German Fulbright Alumni Association was also held on the Winter Ball weekend. Among the outgoing board members’ reports on their work in 2009 as well as the election of a new board (as listed below), the agenda included various topics such as the preparation of the association’s 25th anniversary in the year 2011 with an international conference in Berlin.
The newly elected Fulbright Alumni e.V. board members for 2010 are:
- President - Barbara Weiten
- Treasurer - Claus Vollrath-Rödiger
- Vice President for Communications - Stephan Meyer-Brehm
- Vice President for Events - Timo Klein
- Vice President for Members - Benjamin Becker
This group will be assisted by an extended board of twelve members, attending to a wide range of subjects vital to the association.
To find out more about the Fulbright Alumni e.V., our activities and how to become involved or join us as a member, visit our website at www.fulbright-alumni.de.
Stephan Meyer-Brehm
Vice President for Communications
Fulbright Alumni e.V.
Photo credit: Stephan Meyer-Brehm, Wiltrud Hammelstein and Timo Klein.