The German American Conference at Harvard (GAC) is a student-led conference organized on a yearly basis since 2008. The conference brings together American and German leaders from business, politics, and academia with students. By building a community of aspiring and established leaders in the United States and Germany, the conference aims at bettering transatlantic relations. According to the German newspaper Handelsblatt the German American conference has developed into an important "transatlantic summit".
Until 2014 the conference was called German Conference at Harvard.http://www.bfna.org/article/annual-german-conference-at-harvard-university
List of Conferences +YearThemeDatesCo-Chairs2008Germany in the Modern World12 April2009Division and Unity19-20 February2010Addressing Global Challenges: Directions for a New Decade19-20 February2011Future18-19 February2012Decidedly Indecisive? The German Angst of Leadership17-18 February2013The End of the West as we Know It?15-16 February2014The US and Germany: Drifting Apart?14-15 February2015Germany and the U.S.: Building Our Future30-31 October2017Connecting Future Generations7-9 April2018In Our Own Hands5-7 OctoberRahel Dette; Rajib Mondal2019Breaking Barriers1-3 NovemberKatharina Hoebel; Philipp Simons2020NeustartOctober - November (Virtual Event Series)Tim Menke; Katharina Hoebel2021The Future of Problem Solving21-24 OctoberReimar Weissbach2022If not now, when?28-30 OctoberMaike Sieben; Cecile Meier-Scherling; Linn Bieske2023Think Beyond27-29 OctoberLiudmyla Kurnosikova; Sebastian Berns; Kai Krautter; Sebastian Degner; Anita Shanker; Peter Horowitz2024Hard Conversations15-17 November Lukas Manske; Thilo Kerkhoff; Stephanie Armbruster2025(Transatlantic Partnership at a) Crossroads14-16 NovemberKarlotta Garinet; Michael Gritzbach; Johannes Magdowski2026Rethinking Transatlanticism09-11 OctoberSandrina Murphy, Emma Buelte, Jeremias Thiel
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
Former Speakers (selection)German Missions in the United States Norbert Lammert, Former president of the German Bundestag Frank-Walter Steinmeier, former Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Foreign Affairs Sigmar Gabriel, former Federal Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy of Germany Wolfgang Schmidt, Federal Minister for Special Affairs, Head of the Chancellery Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, former German Federal Minister of Defense Friedrich Merz, Chancellor of Germany Yves Leterme, Secretary-General of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, former Prime Minister of Belgium Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference General Wesley Clark Robert Zoellick, 11th President of the World Bank General Michael Hayden, Former Director of CIA & NSA Frank Mattern, Director of McKinsey & Company and Global Head of Recruiting Dr. Miriam Meckel, Chief Editor, WirtschaftsWoche Thomas Gottschalk, German TV Host and Entertainer Dr. Peter Wittig, German Ambassador to the U.S. Ska Keller, Vice-president and Spokesperson for migration of the Green Group in the European Parliament Ingo Zamperoni, former U.S. Correspondent of ARD and ARD news anchor Kai Diekmann, former Chief Editor BILD Ranga Yogeshwar, German TV Host & Scientist Prof. Claudia Kemfert, Head of the department of energy, transportation and environment at the German Institute for Economic Research in Berlin / DIW Berlin Stephan Gemkow, CEO Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH Michael Hüther, Director of the German Economic Institute and prominent economist Ambassador Wendy Sherman, Deputy Secretary of State (Biden Administration) Ambassador Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative (Biden Administration) Governor Eric Holcomb, 51st Governor of Indiana, USA Hazel Brugger, Swiss American German comedian, satirist, writer, and former “heute-show” correspondent Heidi Reichinnek, German politician, Member of the Bundestag and leader of Die Linke
Related Formats German British Conference at Oxford (GBC): Starting 2026, several GAC alumni have initiated a new conference at the University of Oxford and Saïd Business School. This conference takes inspiration from the German American Conference, as well as other global professional gatherings, to bring German and British students, young professionals, politicians, and experts closer together and build bonds between both countries' societies.
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