The annual German-American Conference at Harvard University brings together participants from culture, academia, politics, business and many more sectors, and it is organized by students. Every year, the topic promises excellent debates, and this year was no different.

EUROBIZ student Evelyn Pazan and a Daily Campus reporter went to see debates for herself on this year’s topic “Rethinking Transatlanticism”:

“From Oct. 9 to 11, I attended the German American Conference at Harvard University, an event meant to bring together academics, professionals and politicians to consider the challenges and successes that both Germany and America face. Despite the differences between the colliding languages and cultures, one thing stuck out to me. We, as people and countries, are much more alike than we think, and we need to use that to our advantage.”

The topics range across different arenas and sectors, with panels addressing everyday work to including soccer:

Diffulties are plenty: “Much like Germany, America is experiencing growing social and political divisions that make common ground hard to come by. Debates on both sides within America are focused on more ideologies and manifestos and less on shared goals, erasing opportunities for collaboration and improvement.

Not only does this make bipartisan cooperation nearly impossible, but it threatens the international relationships that helped America and Germany remain prosperous and strong for so long.”

Ultimately, though, Evelyn concludes, “I experienced firsthand how much we can learn when we’re willing to listen to one another, language barrier or not. Despite vastly different values and histories, Germans and Americans have similar aspirations and concerns.”

Read the entire article here. Congratulations, Evelyn!