The United States Meets Europe: A Forum for Young Leaders

The United States Meets Europe is a network of likeminded individuals from across the world, who have an active interest in international affairs, cultural exchange, and the European-American relationship. Members can join the forum by taking part in a USAME Weeklong Seminar. The forthcoming USAME Weeklong Seminar will be held in Washington DC & New York on 3rd – 9th January 2011, and will focus on the following theme: “Beyond Mars and Venus: The Transatlantic Relationship in the New World Order.”

The Forum is aimed at young professionals and students, economists, diplomatic and political representatives, and civil society practitioners. The weeklong seminar will consist of lectures, seminars, workshops and panel discussions by leading figures from the fields of politics, diplomacy, civil society, academia, and the private sector, which will offer a range of perspectives on the issues at stake, the challenges ahead, and the new strategies and approaches being taken to address these challenges. The program will be complemented by cultural and social activities that will provide an opportunity to experience the diversity of the respective cultures and provide networking opportunities between the participants themselves, as well as between the participants and speakers.

In particular, the next USAME Weeklong Seminar will focus on the following themes:

* The State of Transatlantic Relations Today: Confronting Immediate Issues and Identifying Future Challenges
* Foreign Policy in an Increasingly Multi-Polar World: The Application of Hard and Soft Power by the US and Europe
* The Future of International Governance: Reforming the UN Security Council and the Role of the G20 as an Engine of International Decision-Making
* How can Europe and the US Work with Developing Countries to Support Progress in Addressing Poverty, Corruption, and Infrastructure?
* NATO and the Future of International Security Organisations: Managing Threats from State and Non-State Actors
* In the Wake of the Global Financial Crisis: Coordinating the New International Financial Architecture and Preventing Future Crises
* Climate Change: US and European Perspectives

Institute for Cultural Diplomacy

The Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is an international, not-for-profit, non-governmental organization with headquarters in Berlin, Germany. The goal of the ICD is to promote global peace and stability through strengthening and supporting intercultural relations at all levels. Over the past decade the ICD has grown to become one of Europe’s largest independent cultural exchange organizations, whose programs facilitate interaction between individuals of all cultural, academic, and professional backgrounds, from across the world. 

Previous events held by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy include “A World without Walls: An International Congress on “Soft Power”, Cultural Diplomacy and Interdependence”, which marked the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.  In February, 2010, the ICD hosted the Berlin International Economics Congress: An Interdisciplinary Analysis of the Roles of Global Politics & Civil Society in International Economics. In May 2010 the ICD hosted The International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy 2010.


Eligibility of Participants

The Weeklong Seminar is open to students and young professionals with an interest in transatlantic relations, as well as international stakeholders from civil society, the media, the private sector, and international politics.

Application, Fees and Accomodation


The participation fee for the next USAME Weeklong Seminar is $265 (or 195 Euros), which should be transferred by individuals after they have been accepted to the program. 

As a not-for-profit organization the ICD is able to book accommodation for the preferred rate of $67 per night (or 49 Euros) (to be shared with another participant). 

For further information, please contact at: usame@culturaldiplomacy.org