Fulbright in a Post-Truth Age 23 ly FrankThe Fulbright Alumni e.V. Magazine 28 Issue 2017 Contents Letter from Introductions the Editor Letter from the Editor 3 Greetings from the President 4 Meet the Board 5 Meet the Extended Board 6 Dear readers, Fulbright in a Post-Truth Age Post-truth, an adjective that relates to circumstances in which engage this topic from multiple perspectives. Tim How Macedonian Teenagers Live the American Dream by Producing Fake News. which “objective facts are less influential in shaping public Verheyden, Fulbright alumnus and senior reporter and And How We Should Stop Them, by Tim Verheyden 10 opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief” anchor with a public broadcaster in Belgium, impressively has been named the international word of the year by shows how fake news come into existence, and who profits Don’t Throw Stones If You Live In a Bubble, by Simon Shuster 12 Oxford Dictionaries in 2016. With Great Britain leaving the from spreading them. In “Don’t Throw Stones If You Live Reflections from a Russian Alumnus, by Maxim Suchkov 13 European Union and Donald Trump winning the American In a Bubble,” TIME magazine correspondent Simon Shuster presidential election, facts seem to become less and less points to the danger of dismissing Trump voters while Pulse of Europe: The Success Story of a Citizens’ Movement relevant factors in defining public discourse. Emotions living in a bubble ourselves. Maxim A. Suchkov, political such as fear, distrust, and suspicion give rise to populist analyst and expert of the Valdai Discussion Club and in Times of Alternative Facts, by Wiltrud Hammelstein and Ines Winkler 14 movements, and result in nationalist tendencies all over Russian International Affairs Council, shares a personal Association Information 18 the globe. account of the meaning of Fulbright for the German- Events Russian relations. Finally, Wiltrud Hammelstein and Ines th The 2017 edition of the FRANKly explores the meaning of Winkler show how Fulbrighters take an active part in the 6 Global Diplomacy Lab in Buenos Aires 20 exchange programs such as Fulbright in an age of ‘alterna- celebration of our European values in “Pulse of Europe: Welcome Meeting 2016, Hamburg 22 tive facts’ and authoritarian predispositions. Promoting The Success Story of a Citizens’ Movement in Times of Winter Ball 2017, Mainz 24 the transnational exchange of knowledge and culture, Alternative Facts.” ENAM Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan 26 Fulbright assumes an ever more important role in forming young minds to take an active part in our democracies. I would like to use the remaining lines to thank Astrid The Presidential Elections and the 2016 Fulbright Conference 28 US. Representative for Maryland’s congressional district Weingarten, our graphic designer, Martin Kohler, who never Fulbright Alumni Diversity Weekend in Frankfurt 30 and former Fulbright scholar John Sarbanes stresses that fails to support in times of need, as well as our proofreaders WATER ACT 2 – Heritage and Innovation in Ifrane, Morocco 32 “[o]ne of the important ways of exercising soft power is Andreas Schoberth and Hans-Christian von Steuber, and, public diplomacy. Within the public diplomacy realm, you of course, all contributors to this year’s edition. Family Weekend, Königstein 34 can’t find a program that is more critical, more successful Berlin Seminar 2017 36 or more respected than the Fulbright Program.” Sarbanes That said, I hope that the FRANKly serves to induce Members 39 thus rightly points out the crucial role exchange programs discussions, and to keep us connected through accounts Regional Chapters such as Fulbright play in shaping public discourse. of events and the activities of our regional chapters. Enjoy reading! Stuttgart 40 With existential budget cuts facing the Fulbright program, Leipzig 40 it becomes ever more important to reflect on the meaning Mannheim-Heidelberg 42 of Fulbright and our Alumni Association. I am proud to present the articles in this year’s edition of the FRANKly, Franziska Schmid Hamburg 43 Frankfurt, August 2017 Munich 44 Rhein-Ruhr 46 Franken 47 Imprint Frankfurt 48 FRANKly No. 28 Editor: Design: Winter Ball Announcement: Programs of the Association ISSN 1865-5645 Franziska Schmid Astrid Weingarten Sabine Brambach October 2017 astrid(at)weingarten-art.de Proofreaders: Printing and Lettershop: Jürgen Mulert Award on Mutual Understanding 50 Copyright by Andreas Schoberth, Cover Photography: www.weimarlanddruck.de Fulbright Alumni e.V. Hans-Christian von Steuber Florian Grigoleit 2018 General Assembly and Winter Ball Announcement 52 Sandweg 81 60316 Frankfurt am Main Germany 2 FRANKly 28 · The Extended Board Letter from the Editor · FRANKly 28 3 Greetings from Meet the Fabienne Rudolph the President Board Dear Fulbrighters and Friends, It is my pleasure to introduce our annual 28th FRANKly Nevertheless, I also believe that just complaining about Fabienne Rudolph magazine 2017. First, I want to honor the great editorial decisions and turning one’s back against the United Vice President Events work of our editor Franziska Schmid, and thank her for her States, as many Europeans do now, is very easy – far easier Bernd Riedel engagement with last year’s as well as this year’s FRANKly. than taking action. I can therefore only encourage you to Fabienne Rudolph graduated with a BA from Hochschule Furthermore, I would like to thank the authors for their make best use of this situation, and more than ever en- Darmstadt, majoring in Digital Media/Sound before contributions to this somewhat political FRANKly issue. gage in arguments and protests against the budget cuts, receiving a Fulbright stipend and moving to Boston, MA in and against any form of anti-cultural and populist politics. 2013. Whilst there she attended Northeastern University This is the first time that my thoughts and feelings about We all made great experiences during our Fulbright, and and successfully graduated with a M.Sc. in Music Industry the topic of our magazine do not increase my excitement understand more about American culture and transatlantic Leadership in May 2014. Upon returning to Germany, about writing greetings for it. However, the topic of our partnership than many others. I believe that it is our duty Fabienne has continually been active in the Fulbright magazine has probably hardly ever been as important to stand not only for Fulbright, but also for the idea of Alumni Association, attending regional events of the as “Fulbright in a Post-Truth age.” I believe that the title transatlantic and global friendship, proposed by Senator Frankfurt, Mannheim-Heidelberg and Berlin regional of this year’s FRANKly has been chosen very wisely, and Fulbright in 1946. This starts through simple conversations chapters. She currently works at Boosey and Hawkes that it is time to talk about the Fulbright program and the with fellow German citizens, and ends in political debates Music Publishing as a Copyright and Creative Services current US government. between nations. It has to be part of our daily lives no Florian Grigoleit Administrator. matter who we talk to or at what level we interact. It is We were looking back at more than 70 years of worldwide more important now than ever to talk about America and transatlantic exchange and 65 years of German-American Germany, to share our experiences, and to foster mutual partnership through the Fulbright program when the US appreciation, comprehension, and intercultural exchange. Bernd Riedel government proposed a 47% budget cut to the Fulbright This is the least we can do to prevent political populists, Vice President Members program in 2017. To me, this statement symbolizes not who have gained power in many countries during the last only a lack of interest in transatlantic relations and mutual years, from dividing our nations and breaking the intercul- Bernd spent two years as a Fulbrighter in New York at understanding, but also in other nations and global issues tural bonds that have been built during the last decades. the Parsons School for Design (2011 - 2013). As a Parsons in general. Dean’s Scholar, he completed an MFA in Transdisciplinary Although times as Fulbright scholars have been easier, I Design and was a DARPA-funded researcher at the Parsons After World War II, Senator J. William Fulbright had the hope you enjoy reading our 28th FRANKly and get involved Institute for Information Mapping. His focus lies on the idea of sending young students and researchers abroad to in as many conversations, discussions, and debates as Martin Kohler use of design to navigate complex systems and speculate promote worldwide peace through mutual understanding. possible in order to fight intercultural division, and protect on possible futures. He co-founded the Ellery Studio for When he signed the Fulbright Act in 1946, his words were: the Fulbright program, as well as Senator Fulbright’s idea Creative Strategy and is a faculty member at the Design “In the long course of history, having people who under- of a peaceful world. Academy Berlin. stand your thought is much greater security than another submarine.” The current global developments may Bernd was elected Vice President Members in March therefore not exactly be the outcome of what he expected 2017. He welcomes new Fulbright grantees and is eager to for the 2010s. Although we have been facing budget cut promote collaboration and creativity within the Fulbright proposals in the past already, it somehow seems to be Vanessa Wergin alumni network for an even more inspiring and valuable more threatening and severe this time, not least due to experience. other political decisions that were made and implemented by the US government so far. Vanessa Wergin 4 FRANKly 28 · Greetings from the President The Board · FRANKly 28 5 The Board The Extended Board from left to right: Franziska Schmid, Florian Grigoleit Dunja Nofal, Treasurer Holger Schöner, Henning Blunck, Florian Grigoleit is a Ph.D.