This virtual program brought together gender equality experts in Ukraine and Germany, in order to strengthen and promote long-term cooperation between both countries. 25 women’s rights activists and gender equality experts from all over Ukraine met with representatives of women’s associations and NGOs working for the protection and equality of women in Germany. The practical focus on successful case studies from both countries was rounded off with the participants developing concrete plans to expand and continue their collaboration in their home communities.

Cultural Vistas implemented the exchange together with its long-term Ukrainian partner, the International Centre for Policy Studies. The program was made possible with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office.

In 2019, Cultural Vistas conceived and implemented a program that provided civil society leaders from Ukraine with an overview of techniques used in Germany’s memorial culture. 15 participants from the areas of memorial preservation and conservation, science, archaeology, ethnology, and pedagogy from different regions of Ukraine took part in the program. In expert discussions and workshops, the participants received new insights into Germany’s approaches to remembering the more challenging aspects of its history, while making new contacts for cooperative projects in the future. Following their return to their different regions in Ukraine, participants organized local events to share their newfound knowledge with a wider audience in their communities.

The program was funded by the German Federal Foreign Office. Cultural Vistas administered the program with its Ukrainian partner, the International Centre for Policy Studies (ICPS).

In 2016, Cultural Vistas organized a high-level visitor program for Ukrainian journalists to help strengthen civil society in Ukraine, focused on the topic of press-government interaction. Participating journalists represented media from the national and regional levels, and included reporters from TV, online, print, and radio media outlets. Meetings took place with journalists from German news media such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Der Tagesspiegel, Radio Berlin Brandenburg, the Federal Press Conference, and Der Spiegel, as well as with government officials in the Bundestag, German Federal Press Office, and the Federal Foreign Office.

Following their time in Berlin, participants published articles and reported in their own media about press-government interaction in Germany. In addition, they held presentations for their colleagues on aspects of press-government interaction that could be applied in their work in Ukraine.

The Welcoming Communities Transatlantic Exchange brings together teams of integration practitioners from the United States and Germany to share best practices in integrating newcomers into their communities. A strong focus is placed on refugee integration and engagement of the receiving community. In 2016, Cultural Vistas organized a program for 40 participants from both countries, including meetings with integration practitioners and local government representatives in Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Mannheim, Dresden, Altenberg, Pirna, and Berlin.

WCTE is funded by the Transatlantic Program of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through funds of the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWi), as well as by the U.S. Department of State, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Heinrich Böll Foundation North America. Click here for more information on WCTE and how to apply.

In 2015, Cultural Vistas organized a weeklong workshop for government communications officials from Ukraine who represented the national, state, and local levels. The program focused on strategic communication, including the goal of improving interaction with the media. Participants met with their German counterparts and communications trainers from a range of companies and government agencies, and were able to further hone their communications practices in a follow-up workshop in Kiev.

The Ukraine Strategic Communication Workshop was funded by the Embassy of the United States of America to Germany. Cultural Vistas administered the program with its Ukrainian partner, the International Centre for Policy Studies.

Each year, Cultural Vistas organizes a two-week study tour in Berlin and Munich for students in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from historically black colleges and universities near Atlanta. Participants visit companies and research facilities to learn about future career prospects in Germany through study, internships, and work. The program is funded by The Halle Foundation. More information on the STEM LAUNCH program can be found here.

Co-hosted by U.S. Ambassador John B. Emerson and the U.S. Embassy in Berlin, the Transatlantic Symposium on Innovative Approaches to Integration convened over 100 U.S. and German integration practitioners from the local, state, and federal levels to share best practices and discuss the worldwide refugee situation in 2016. The symposium featured a discussion between U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Refugees, Population, and Migration, Anne Richard, and the German Federal Chancellery’s Director of the Department for Global Issues, Mathias Licharz, as well as a series of workshops. Please click here for video footage and more information on the symposium.

For 37 years, Cultural Vistas administered the Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship, a transatlantic initiative that annually provided 15 accomplished Americans the opportunity to complete a comprehensive professional development program in Germany. Throughout the program year, Cultural Vistas arranged customized seminar programs in Berlin, Brussels, Stuttgart, Hamburg and other European cities, giving the fellows unique insights into German and European policy and business practices through high-level meetings with leaders in their career fields. More information on the now-discontinued Robert Bosch Foundation Fellowship can be found here.

Further specialty visitor programs administered around the world by Cultural Vistas can be found under http://culturalvistas.org/our-programs.

Are you interested in Cultural Vistas supporting your professional exchange or customized visitor program abroad? Please contact us at info@culturalvistas.eu for more information. We look forward to sharing our expertise in customized international programs.