Fulbright Grantees and Alumni from Europe and beyond attended the Fulbright Academy's Conference in Berlin, Germany on Friday through Sunday, March 3-5, 2006. Individuals who have an interest in the Fulbright program also attended , including hosts of current and past grantees. The conference language was English.

In total, there were 140 registered attendees from 25 countries:  Australia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Korea, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Palestine/Gaza, Peru, Poland, Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.

• Copies of Keynotes and other presentations
• Berlin Conference Schedule

Keynote Speakers
(click name for information about the speaker, click The Presentation to see their presentation)

• Dr. Glenn Markoe, Curator of Classical and Near Eastern Art, Cincinnati Museum of Art; The Presentation
• Dr. Norman Neureiter, Director of the Center for Science, Technology and Security Policy, AAAS; The Presentation
• Dr. Anthony Worby, Senior Research Scientist, Australian Antarctic Division, Glaciology Program and Secretary of the Australian Fulbright Association; The Presentation

Conference Sponsors and Partners:

• Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
• American Association for the Advancement of Science
• Boston University
• Charite Hospital & the Berlin Museum of Medical History
• Cincinnati Museum of Art
• European School of Management & Technology 
• Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology
• Fulbright Alumni, eV. (German Fulbright Alumni Association)
• Fulbright Commission in Germany
• Fulbright Commission in Italy
• Fulbright Commission in Poland
• Fulbright Commission in Sweden
• Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program
• German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• Moroccan Fulbright Alumni Association
• US Consulate, Jerusalem
• US Embassy, Belgrade
• ZDF.de - Zweite Deutche Fernsehen
• And other individuals and organizations.

Background:

Organized in 2003, the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology (FAST) is a membership organization established by alumni of the Fulbright Exchange Program and other individuals interested in science and technology innovation. It is an independently funded, membership organization and is not affiliated with the US State Department or any of the agencies or commissions involved in administering Fulbright exchanges.

Through its programs, FAST seeks to create new international ties among alumni, current grantees, Fulbright hosts, and others interested in international exchange. FAST programs are designed for people in the natural and social sciences, engineering, technology, and medicine, and for those whose personal or business interests relate to those fields. FAST has supporters in countries from around the world. Among its various activities, FAST organizes events and networking programs where members and supporters can meet and exchange ideas and research results and develop new friendships – in the spirit of the Fulbright Exchange Program.

This Conference was held in Berlin because the German-US exchange program is the largest of the Fulbright exchanges, with over 600 grantees participating each year. Our conference will be held immediately before the 52nd Fulbright Seminar, a program organized each year by the German-American Fulbright Commission. That seminar brings hundreds of current grantees to Berlin for 4-days of tours, programs, and fun, and FAST Conference attendees attended the opening reception.

As a way to support the Fulbright Exchange Program, all current grantees - faculty, teaching assistants, and students - were given a $60 discount on the registration fee.  Discounts were also given to alumni from developing countries.  We are grateful to the sponsors and individual donors who make it possible for us to provide these discounts. 

A current Fulbright grantee filmed parts of the conference and interviewed attendess as part of a project to collect insights into the history and impact of the Fulbright program.  The DVD documentary will be released in the summer of 2006.  To order a copy, please call the Academy at 207-799-3098.  Registered participants also were asked to submit a personal statement / Fulbright experience for us to review.  You can read these statements by clicking here.

Friday Evening - 3 March:

• Dinner for early arrivals at Brauhaus-Mitte, Karl-Liebknecht Str. 13 
• Discussion on international scientific collaboration among Fulbrighters

Saturday - 4 March:

• Morning tours, including programs at the European School of Management & Technology and the Berlin Medical Historical Museum.
• Lunch on your own with other grantees.
• Conference opening and keynote presentation on Climate Change by Dr. Tony Worby of the Australian Antarctic Division.
• Three panel discussions on Science policy, Teaching science (especially in K-12 classrooms), and Science & International Development.
• Round-table discussions during dinner on topics such as biotechnology, education reform, business, international development, and the global Fulbright network.
• Evening speakers: Dr. Glenn Markoe of the Cincinnati Museum of Art on the science behind presenting and conserving art and cultural artifacts.  In addition, Mr. Eric Howard gave an introduction to the Fulbright Academy of Science & Technology.

Sunday - 5 March:

• Morning tours, including a tour of the ZDF TV studio, the Pergamon Musuem, the Museum of Natural History, and the Berlin Zoo. 
• Lunch on your own with other grantees.
• Four panels on Engineering & science research, Conducting & protecting innovation, Medicine & biology, and Internet for education.
• Poster session and reception, with posters describing research by current student and faculty grantees and alumni. 
• Evening reception/dinner with over 350 Fulbright grantees and alumni (all disciplines).

Note:  Dr. Norman Neureiter of the American Association for the Advancement of Science was an invited keynote speaker, but he was unable to attend.  He is a former Science & Technology Advisor to the US Secretary of State, former Vice President of Texas Instruments-Asia, and Fulbright grantee to Germany in 1955.  Click here for a written copy of his prepared remarks. 

For more than a decade, Berlin has been the capitol of reunited Germany. The conference hotel is on Alexanderplatz, in the heart of Berlin. It is within easy walking distance of many of Berlin’s famous museums, the Berliner Dom, City Hall (below), and other government buildings.

Berlin is home to 3.4 million people. Because of its central location in Europe, numerous international corporations have offices in Berlin. As the seat of the German Federal Government, Berlin is also at the political crossroads of German national, regional and local politics.

Berlin's natural and cultural diversity are amazing, including over 150 theatres and playhouses, more than 170 museums and collections and innumerable parks and natural areas. Environmental policies and urban/regional planning have been based on principles of sustainability: reducing the use of energy, water and soil and maintaining a functional and social mix in the city.

During your time in Berlin, you will be introduced to some of this diversity. The conference fee includes science-related tours on Saturday morning and on Sunday afternoon. These are special tours, organized for us by local Fulbrighters and experts. Several tour topics have been suggested: engineering marvels, preservation of cultural artifacts, medical research, geography/regional planning, and energy research. If there is a tour theme that particularly interests you, please contact us before the end of December, and we will try to organize it. Send a message to: conf@FulbrightAcademy.org