German American Conference at Harvard
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The German American Conference at Harvard (GAC) is a student-led conference organized on a yearly basis since 2008.[1] The conference brings together American and German leaders from business, politics, and academia with students.[2][3] By building a community of aspiring and established leaders in the United States and Germany, the conference aims at bettering transatlantic relations.[4]
According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt the German American conference has developed into an important "transatlantic summit".[5]
Until 2014 the conference was called German Conference at Harvard.[6]
| Year[7] | Theme | Dates | Co-Chairs[8][9] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Germany in the Modern World | 12 April | |
| 2009 | Division and Unity | 19-20 February | |
| 2010 | Addressing Global Challenges: Directions for a New Decade | 19-20 February | |
| 2011 | Future | 18-19 February | |
| 2012 | Decidedly Indecisive? The German Angst of Leadership | 17-18 February | |
| 2013 | The End of the West as we Know It? | 15-16 February | |
| 2014 | The US and Germany: Drifting Apart? | 14-15 February | |
| 2015 | Germany and the U.S.: Building Our Future | 30-31 October | |
| 2017 | Connecting Future Generations | 7-9 April | |
| 2018 | In Our Own Hands | 5-7 October | Rahel Dette |
| 2019 | Breaking Barriers | 1-3 November | Katharina Hoebel; Philipp Simons |
| 2020 | Neustart | October - November (Virtual Event Series) | Tim Menke; Katharina Hoebel |
| 2021 | The Future of Problem Solving | 21-24 October | Reimar Weissbach |
| 2022 | If not now, when? | 28-30 October | Maike Sieben; Cecile Meier-Scherling; Linn Bieske |
| 2023 | Think Beyond | 27-29 October | Liudmyla Kurnosikova; Sebastian Berns; Kai Krautter |
| 2024 | Hard Conversations | 15-17 November | Lukas Manske; Thilo Kerkhoff; Stephanie Armbruster |
| 2025 | (Transatlantic Partnership at a) Crossroads | 14-16 November | Karlotta Garinet; Johannes Magdowski |
There was no conference in 2016 because the conference date was moved from fall 2016 to spring 2017.
Innovation Lounge
Since 2015 the German American Conference at Harvard features an Innovation Lounge. Participants are given the chance to interact with Startups, Think Tanks and industry leaders from both sides of the Atlantic.
Scholarships (2025)
- Hertie School Scholarship, supports a written or video essay on Eastern German identity and transatlantic relations with a prize and invitation to GAC 2025.
- SDAW Travel Scholarships, offers several travel grants for students or early career researchers in social sciences or humanities to attend GAC 2025.
- Harvard Club Rhein Ruhr Scholarship, provides travel funding, free admission, and discounted reception tickets for one pre selected candidate from NRW.
- Harvard Club Rhein Main Scholarship, awards two students travel funding, free admission, and discounted reception tickets based on a CV and short video submission.
- The Halle Foundation Scholarship, fully funds selected students from Georgia universities to attend GAC 2025 based on academic merit and interest in German American relations.
- Fulbright Germany Scholarship, provides travel support for the three winners of the GAC 2025 Essay Competition.
- QuantCo Travel Scholarship, covers flights, hotel stay, and an exclusive dinner for selected German university students attending GAC 2025.
Topic Streams & Events (2025)
Business, Economy, and Trade
- Unleashing Private Capital: What Germany Can Learn from the U.S. to Fund Innovation and Growth
- From Engine to Ecosystem: Redefining Germany’s Role in the Global Economy
- 188th Energy Talk at the Reichstag: LNG as a Driver of Transatlantic Growth
- Translating Research into Startups: Clearing the Commercialization Path
- Partners Under Pressure: Strengthening Economic Resilience in an Era of Distrust
- Caught in the Crossfire: How German and U.S. Companies Can Compete in a Protectionist World
- Beyond the Combustion Engine: How Germany and the U.S. navigate the New Automotive Order
Innovation and Technology
- Inventing the Future: Transatlantic Lessons in Innovation Policy
- AI Safety and Security
- The Future of AI
- From Earth to Orbit: Entrepreneurship in the New Space Economy
- Go Global or Go Home: The Transatlantic Startup Launchpad (Pitch Competition)
- Hunting the Next Unicorn – A Deep Dive into Startup Dynamics (Workshop)
Society and Culture
- Highs and Lows – How to Rise and Fall in Music, Politics, and Business
- Influencers – between personal stories and opinion leaders
- Football or Football – between NFL Games in Germany and the World Cup in America
- Laughing Through Uncertainty: Comedy in Times of Crisis
- What Is West? Exploring Shared Values, History, and Unity
International Relations and Politics
- Politics of Outrage: When Populism Becomes the System
- Europe Rearmed? Rethinking Transatlantic Defense and Strategic Autonomy
- Diplomacy Under Pressure: Transatlantic Security in an Age of Strategic Rivalry
- No Decisions About Ukraine Without Ukraine
- Tech, Trust, and Transatlantic Power
- Free Press, Fragile World: Journalism and Democracy Across the Atlantic
- Strategic Realities: Military Perspectives on Global Security (Military Interaction Program)
- Forecasting the Future: Geostrategic Outlooks (Workshop)
- The Fast State: An Interactive Debate on Government Reform (Workshop)
- The EU in a Post Liberal World (Workshop)
Sustainability and Social Causes
- Breaking the Bias: Equitable Education by 2030
- Crossing Lines: Migration Tech, Trust, and Transatlantic Policy
- The Future of Medicine: Biotech to Digital Health Across the Atlantic
- Bridging Worlds: Indigenous Sovereignty, Climate Policy, and Global Responsibility
- Carbon, Capital, and Chaos: Diverging U.S.–Germany Climate Visions
- Rewriting the Future of Global Aid: Germany’s Role in a Post USAID Era