Fulbright Alumni Reception in Frankfurt

Over 100 Fulbright Alumni gather in Frankfurt

November 10, 2007. Fulbrighters, German and American, past and present, met up once again for an alumni welcome meeting on Saturday, November 10, in Frankfurt. Public Affairs Officer Jim Seward gave opening remarks to a crowd of 100, only a small fraction of the more than 40,000 participants who have taken part in Fulbright sponsored exchanges between the United States and Germany since its beginnings in 1952. Mr. Seward discussed the ways in which the Fulbright program enhances mutual understanding, often simply through the individual interactions of Americans in Germany and Germans in the U.S., non-official yet nonetheless a part of public diplomacy. He stressed the importance of fostering cross-Atlantic ties through invaluable programs such as those sponsored through the Fulbright association. A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Mr. Heiko Engelkes, himself a Fulbright alumnus from the early years of the program. Both American and German alumni as well as present Fulbright scholars had the chance to meet and participate in workshops during this weekend event.