Reunion held jointly with Hertie Summit featured talks on multilateralism, healthcare, sustainability and more.
Over 250 MPP, MIA, Executive MPA and PhD alumni gathered in person on campus and at the Harnack Haus in southwest Berlin for our annual Alumni Reunion, which took place for the first time as a joint event with the Hertie Foundation’s annual Hertie Summit from 17 to 19 June. Under the theme “Advancing sustainable societies”, both the Hertie School and the Hertie Foundation enabled exchange and debate on a variety of pressing issues relevant to today.
To kick off the three-day event, Dean of Research and Faculty Mark Hallerberg hosted a fireside chat with 2022 Alumni Achievement Award recipient Jeff Kwasi Klein (MPP 2017), who was officially recognised for his leadership in fighting racism and discrimination. Following the ceremony, Klein moderated the opening panel, “Multilateralism in times of crisis – How to shape a sustainable future?” featuring Damian Boeselager, Member of the European Parliament and 2018 dual-degree graduate of the Hertie School and Columbia University; Marina Henke, Hertie School Professor of International Relations and Director at the Centre for International Security; and Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Ukraine to Germany Maksym Yemelianov, who in his opening statement warned against fatigue and erosion of support against Russia’s war over time and underscored the importance of upholding shared values, collective responsibility and international law in Europe and beyond.
The talk was livestreamed to the alumni community and the public via the Hertie School’s YouTube channel.
On day 2, the Alumni Reunion and Hertie Summit resumed at the Harnack Haus, where both graduates and members of the wider Hertie community regrouped for a day full of workshops and panel discussions led by professors, external experts and newly launched Berlin Alumni Chapter Interest areas specialising in topics such as health and sustainability. Selected topics from the many sessions include:
- “Digital and human: What are important pillars of the future of healthcare?” – with Sascha Al Dahouk (Executive MPA 2017) and Monika Rimmele (MPP 2010) of the Berlin Alumni Chapter Health Interest Area, and Professor of Health Governance Mujaheed Shaikh
- “Driving the energy transition: How can the EU hydrogen economy be expanded?” – with Yair Reem (EMPM 2010), the Berlin Alumni Chapter Sustainability Interest Area and the Hertie Energy and Environment Network (HEEN)
- “Perpetually uncharted territory? Ideas for digitalising the education system from policymakers and practitioners” – with Anna Prisca Lohse, Judith Rohde-Liebenau and the newly launched Hertie Education Network
- “Why remembrance matters: The antisemitic expropriation of the Hermann Tietz department stores (later Hertie) through the Nazis” – with Alexander Busold and Laura Franken (both MPP 2016), Max Tirey (MPP 2021) and the Her.Tietz Initiative
- “Lower costs, improved health: Do we need a new approach to the German healthcare system?” – with German Federal Minister of Health Karl Lauterbach, physician and senior consultant Henriette Neumeyer, health economist Ricarda Milstein, Christina Noll and Florian Graz
The official portion of the Alumni Reunion and Hertie Summit concluded with an outdoor party and live music in the garden of the Harnack Haus on a hot summer Berlin evening. Take a look at more pictures here.