Review of the European Forum Alpbach: student reports

I first heard about the European Forum Alpbach in the summer of 2021. The Forum has existed since the end of the Second World War. It was founded with the idea of bringing together young people with decision-makers and experts from the fields of politics, science, culture and economics. The Forum creates a space for dialogue between science and practice, thereby establishing an intergenerational exchange. Months later, I saw a message on the Kufstein University homepage that the application period had started. In retrospect, I am very grateful that I took the initiative, applied to Club Alpbach Tirol and was able to experience the forum as a scholarship holder.

TWO INTENSE WEEKS IN THE ALPBACHTAL

On August 19th, I set off for the beautiful village of Alpbach in Tyrol. From the very first day of the forum, there was a particularly positive, motivated and familiar atmosphere, which did not fade away until the end. The mountain village radiated a special atmosphere. On the one hand, the seclusion in the mountains at an altitude of 1000 meters and at the same time the internationality of people from all over the world united in one place. The topic of the 2022 forum was The New Europe, divided into four main topics:

• Securing Europe's future in a globalized world
• Climate opportunity
• Financing the future of Europe
• The future of democracy and the rule of law in Europe

INCREDIBLE ENCOUNTERS POSSIBLE

A specially created app provided an overview of the formats taking place. For example, I listened to an expert discussion on the complexity of supply chains, worked in a workshop on the topic of a revolution in inclusion, and took part in a hike to decarbonize and secure energy. The content was extremely varied and often it was very difficult to choose between formats taking place at the same time. I found the so-called fireside chats, which were organized especially for us, to be the most exciting. In a small group, we scholarship holders had the opportunity to engage in direct dialogue with experts and ask them our questions. The invited guests at the fireside chats were as diverse as I had come to expect in Alpbach. For example, I had incredible conversations with:

• the NEOS party leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger,
• the economist Jeffry Sachs on the topics of sustainability and the war in Ukraine,
• sustainability, innovation and climate policy expert and co-founder of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group, Tara Shirivni, on sustainable energy systems and impact investing,
• the financial journalist Niko Jilch on the subject of cryptocurrencies and
• Senior Research Fellow Yu Jie on the role of China and its relations with Europe.

After some fireside chats, there was still a lot to talk about. I was happy to exchange views with the other members of the audience for a long time, putting the comments of the various speakers into context.

SEMINARS FOR SCHOLARSHIP HOLDERS

In addition to all these sessions, I was able to take a creative/competency-oriented and a scientific seminar as a scholarship holder. In the first week, I chose “Hoagaschtn: Tirol Improvisation”. Here we had a long conversation with a freeride skier who likes to escape his native and overcrowded Alps and has discovered the fresh snow in Southeast Europe for himself.

We also met a dairy farmer from Alpbach who provides for herself and her family entirely by herself and who only saw a supermarket from the inside for the first time this summer. The impressions they gathered were captured in a creative video project.

In the second week, I attended “Europe's Struggle for Technological Sovereignty”, where we listened to keynote speeches on the topics of quantum computers and European dependence on technology and discussed them from different angles.

TIME FOR IMPORTANT ACTION AND CONVERSATIONS

In addition to all the professional input, the scholarship holders also organized an Alpbach Pride and a Fridays for Future demonstration. One afternoon, I hiked with my club and the two clubs from Vorarlberg and Salzburg to an alpine hut, where we had a great time singing together and got to know each other better. Every evening, when the formats came to an end, we gathered in the “Jakober” and “Böglerhof” restaurants and celebrated the end of the day. In a relaxed atmosphere, I talked to Rodolphe De Campos, CFO of IKEA Austria, about sustainability at IKEA and discussed the necessity of meeting the 1.5 degree target with Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg. Above all, however, the evening hours were a boisterous time that I enjoyed spending with the other scholarship holders.

The forum ended with a moving closing event. Using the fishbowl method, various speakers had their say and shared their personal highlights, impressions and encounters. The round started with cheerfulness and deep gratitude and ended with very touching words from a Ukrainian woman and another speaker who put the global events honestly and critically into context with the forum. In the end, all words had been said and all that remained was an emotional farewell.

PPERSONAL CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Alpbach was one of the best things that could have happened to me this summer! Besides all the intensive discussions and professional input, I met wonderful people and had a lot of laughs and fun. The European Forum Alpbach may have ended on September 2, but the special memories and deep friendships will stay with me for life.

In conclusion, I can only advise you not to wait for a chance encounter, but to mark the application deadline for the next European Forum Alpbach in your calendar and thank me later!

Amelie Wirth, BA
Student in the Master's program in Energy & Sustainability Management
Kufstein University