The New Concept

The New Europe is the general theme of this year’s European Forum Alpbach. New is also the Forum’s concept – which is increasingly returning to its roots: Most of the programme sections will be openly accessible to all participants, there will be no ‘closed shops’ anymore. Not only will the composition of the panels, workshops and seminars be diverse, the whole audience will be more international than ever before. By this we are making sure that our dialogues and debates are truly discursive. And last but not least, the Forum along with its topics will have a more lasting effect: The themes of this year’s Forum will recur in various formats throughout the year – right up to EFA 23. By adopting these approaches, we have achieved yet another goal: an integrative programme. This is reflected in our new programme structure:

The two weeks of the European Forum Alpbach, 21 August to 2 September, will take place as follows: During the first one, the so-called Conference Week, there will be a varied range of compact formats, such as lectures, plenary events, workshops and hikes, but also, of course, lots of opportunities for networking and sharing ideas. The focus on agenda setting and business networking will be particularly appealing to people from German-speaking countries (DACH region). While the conference language is English, individual formats may also be held in German. Insider tip: Those who appreciate such a wide range of activities will find that the period from Monday (22 August) to Thursday (25 August) will best suit their preferences. Tech fans will get their money’s worth from Thursday to Saturday, during which time there will be a special focus on technology.

During the second week, the Lab Week, we will be exploring matters in further depth. In small groups composed of international participants, innovative formats will be employed in which we will delve into the key questions raised during the first week. In the context of retreats lasting several days, we will be working with international stakeholders on selected topics, and developing ideas and solutions for Europe’s future. Open, creative formats provide the opportunity to share ideas; plenary events round off the day’s schedule. Recommendation: Plan a multiple-day stay! (Sunday to Tuesday or Wednesday to Friday)

In order to better integrate scholarship holders and their views into the overall programme, the Alpbach Seminars (previously referred to as Seminar Week) will be incorporated into the programme of the entire 14-day event. This, too, is in line with the Forum’s founding principle: to strengthen Europe by engaging in cross-generational dialogue.