Fulbright Commission Berlin Seminar (March 22, 2010)

Fulbright Commission Berlin Seminar
Berlin, March 22, 2010
Ambassador Philip D. Murphy

Dr. Hoffmann,
Dr. Götz,
Dr. von Weizsäcker,
deutsche und amerikanische Fulbrighter,

es ist mir eine Ehre, diese illustre Gruppe von Teilnehmern des anerkanntesten und renommiertesten Austauschprogramms der Welt begrüßen zu dürfen.

Sie sind Personen, die besondere Leistungen erbringen und Führungsrollen einnehmen. Sie stehen für die Vielfalt in unseren beiden Ländern.   Herzlichen Glückwunsch Ihnen allen.

[It is an honor to greet this illustrious group of participants in the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world. 

You are individuals of achievement and leadership. You represent the diversity of both our countries.   Congratulations to you all.]

The German Fulbright program is one of the world’s most successful Fulbright programs.   All together, more than 40,000 American and German citizens have been awarded scholarships under the Fulbright program in almost every area of importance to the German-American relationship. Fulbright alumni have forged important ties between our two countries. They are a testimony to the breadth and depth of the world-class talent that Germany and the United States have shared with the world. 

You, the next generation of Fulbrighters will surely be at the forefront of seeing our partnership grow and expand.

You have some excellent role models.  The German Fulbright Alumni Association has 1200 registered members who actively contribute to Fulbright activities and collaborate closely with the Commission on a range of projects.  For example, the Fulbright Association of Friends and Sponsors funds the Diversity Initiative which provides the opportunity for German students with immigrant backgrounds – an under-represented category of exchange students -- to visit the United States.   We must seek to provide more opportunities for those in our societies who may be less privileged, but who are equally talented and deserving of the chance to participate in educational exchanges.

I would also like to commend the board and staff of the Commission.  When it comes to leadership in international education, one does not find more committed and dynamic partners than the German Fulbright Commission.  Dr. Götz, Dr. Hoffmann, we rely on the strategic vision and partnership of you and the staff and board of the Commission. Your input about how we can re-vitalize transatlantic ties though more exchange, more academic excellence in our programs, more cultural competency training for future young leaders, more diversity and more European cooperation in programs, networks and new initiatives is welcome and very much appreciated.   Educational exchanges are in many ways the most powerful tools we have to increase mutual understanding and collaboration.  Therefore at the Embassy and our five Consulates, one of our most important tasks is to expand those ties.  But this is not a job that any government can achieve on its own.  It requires the participation across the full spectrum of society: the business community, media, science and technology, and academia, among others.

I believe we should extend networks among academic institutions to help us find solutions to the challenges which confront us today.  There are local and regional issues that communities in the United States and Germany share.  But increasingly the focus of our bilateral partnership is global.  As we meet, the second annual German American Energy Conference is also convening in Berlin.  Issues such as climate change and energy security require partnerships between higher education and government.  It is those partnerships that yield innovative breakthroughs and new solutions.   I am convinced that the diversity of resources that we can bring to bear on these challenges – from government, from the U.S. and German academic and research communities –  can and will be transformative.   In the field of climate change and the environment– and in many other areas – there is tremendous opportunity for synergy and collaboration.

New technologies have also changed the potential for debate between communities.  The brave citizens of East Germany who joined hands in 1989 did not need YouTube and Twitter to come together – but imagine what they could have done with these tools!   By the same token, new technology has also changed how we carry out international relations.  Until recently, as Secretary Clinton has observed, “diplomacy was the domain of privileged men working behind closed doors.”  Today, the image of diplomacy confined to government-to-government relations is as antiquated as using quill pens and parchment to do your research papers.  And I would remind you all – here where Angela Merkel has shattered what we call the “glass ceiling” to hold the position of Chancellor – that affairs of state are no longer the sole preserve of men.

The old hierarchies and barriers to communication are melting away. No one holds a monopoly on information.  People across the world, in all cultures, are no longer willing to be passive consumers of information. They are seeking out the information they want, when and how they want it, and they expect to participate actively in shaping their information environment.  And so, while providing people with opportunities to experience the United States and Germany firsthand is an essential part of maintaining and strengthening our transatlantic dialogue, I also believe we can leverage technology to deepen existing contacts and create new platforms for collaboration.   One thing is essential -- that we build on the long tradition of cooperation and dialogue between American and German students and educators.

In the past seven months, I have met with young people in regular town halls around this country.  It is fascinating but I always have one long term goal in mind.  Our discussions are always fascinating and I learn a great deal through them.  As was talk with the young people, I always have a very specific long-term goal in mind: My goal is tThat twenty years from now, the 20 year old students I meet in Berlin, Leipzig or Bremen are as convinced and as proud of the German-American partnership as the generations of Germans who experienced the Airlift, President Kennedy’s visit to Berlin, or the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

Last December President Barack Obama received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. By emphasizing common interests and promoting collective action for positive change, he has built a powerful movement for change and captured the imagination of many around the world.  The Nobel Peace Prize has always recognized and celebrated the power of inspiration – as Dr. Martin Luther King said, the power to bend “the moral arc of the universe.”

Ein anderer Nobelpreisträger, Al Gore, zitierte in seiner Dankesrede den norwegischen Dramatiker Henrik Ibsen.   Ibsen schrieb: "Eines Tages wird die jüngere Generation an meiner Tür klopfen."   Da sind Sie nun.  Sie nehmen an einem Fulbright-Programm teil und klopfen jetzt an unsere Tür.   Wir müssen heute über die schwierigen Fragen und Probleme sprechen, mit denen wir konfrontiert sind.   Dann können wir in zwanzig Jahren mit Stolz gemeinsam auf unsere Leistungen zurückblicken.

Ich danke Ihnen allen für Ihr Engagement und Ihren Enthusiasmus.

[Another Nobel Prize laureate, Al Gore, quoted the Norwegian playwright, Henrik Ibsen, in his acceptance speech.  Ibsen wrote, "One of these days, the younger generation will come knocking at my door."   Well, here you are.  By participating in a Fulbright program, you are knocking at our door right now.   We need to talk now about the difficult questions and challenges that face us today so that twenty years from now, we can together look back in pride at our accomplishments. 

Thank you all for your commitment and enthusiasm.]