The German American Conference at Harvard

The conference describes itself as the world’s largest student-led conference on transatlantic relations. It began in 2008 as the German Conference at Harvard, a one-day student meeting, and took its present name in 2014. Seventeen editions have been held. The conference now brings more than 1,000 people to Harvard for three days of panels, workshops and keynotes.

Students at Harvard organise and run the conference, independently of the Council and of Harvard University. The Council passes on each organising team’s experience to the next, and keeps alumni and speakers in touch between editions.

Next edition

Rethinking Transatlanticism

9–11 October 2026, Harvard Kennedy School

Get tickets Full programme

Official trailer, German American Conference 2026. Plays from germanamericanconference.org.

Past speakers

Ursula von der Leyen

President of the European Commission

Politics
Friedrich Merz

Federal Chancellor

Politics
Katherine Tai

Former US Trade Representative

Trade
Frank-Walter Steinmeier

Federal President

Politics
Wendy Sherman

Former US Deputy Secretary of State

Diplomacy
Olaf Scholz

Former Federal Chancellor

Politics
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann

Chair, European Parliament defence committee

Defence
Wesley Clark

Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe

Military
Julianne Smith

Former US Ambassador to NATO

Security
Stephan Harbarth

President of the Federal Constitutional Court

Law
Emily Haber

Former German Ambassador to the United States

Diplomacy
Nicholas Burns

Former US Ambassador to NATO and to China

Diplomacy
Heidi Reichinnek

Co-leader of Die Linke in the Bundestag

Politics
Joe Kaeser

Former President and CEO, Siemens

Business
Gina McCarthy

Former Administrator, US Environmental Protection Agency

Environment
Lothar Wieler

Former President, Robert Koch Institute

Health
Luisa Neubauer

Climate activist, Fridays for Future

Climate
Paul Ronzheimer

Journalist, BILD

Media
Hazel Brugger

Comedian

Culture
Thomas Hitzlsperger

Former Germany international footballer

Sport

This year’s speakers on germanamericanconference.org

Photo credits

Photographs from Wikimedia Commons, cropped.

Ursula von der Leyen: European People's Party, CC BY 2.0
Friedrich Merz: Steffen Prößdorf, CC BY-SA 4.0
Katherine Tai: Stephanie Chasez, public domain
Frank-Walter Steinmeier: Press Service of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, CC BY 4.0
Wendy Sherman: US Department of State, public domain
Olaf Scholz: Nebojša Tejić, public domain
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann: Superbass, CC BY-SA 4.0
Wesley Clark: US Army, public domain
Julianne Smith: US Department of State, public domain
Stephan Harbarth: Matthias Busse, CC BY 3.0
Emily Haber: Marc Müller, CC BY 3.0 de
Nicholas Burns: US Department of State, public domain
Heidi Reichinnek: Sandro Halank, CC BY-SA 4.0
Joe Kaeser: Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY 4.0
Gina McCarthy: EPA, public domain
Lothar Wieler: DFG bewegt, CC BY 3.0
Luisa Neubauer: Superbass, CC BY-SA 4.0
Paul Ronzheimer: Superbass, CC BY-SA 4.0
Hazel Brugger: Stefan Brending (2eight), CC BY-SA 3.0 de
Thomas Hitzlsperger: Dictum Media, CC BY 3.0

2008 to today

German American Conference editions by year, theme and dates
Year	Theme	Dates
2025	Transatlantic Relationship at a Crossroads 14–16 November	14–16 November
2024	Hard Conversations 15–17 November	15–17 November
2023	Think Beyond 27–29 October	27–29 October
2022	If not now, when? 28–30 October	28–30 October
2021	The Future of Problem Solving 21–24 October	21–24 October
2020	Neustart Held virtually during the pandemic October–November , Online	October–November Online
2019	Breaking Barriers 1–3 November	1–3 November
2018	In Our Hands 5–7 October	5–7 October
2017	Connecting Future Generations 7–9 April	7–9 April
2015	Building Our Future No conference was held in 2016 30–31 October	30–31 October
2014	The US and Germany: Drifting Apart? First held under the present name 14–15 February	14–15 February
2013	The End of the West as we Know It? 15–16 February	15–16 February
2012	Decidedly Indecisive? 17–18 February	17–18 February
2011	Future 18–19 February	18–19 February
2010	Addressing Global Challenges 19–20 February	19–20 February
2009	Division and Unity 19–20 February	19–20 February
2008	Germany in the Modern World The first conference, as the German Conference at Harvard 12 April	12 April

Held in February until 2014 and in the autumn from 2015, except in 2017, when it took place in April. There was no conference in 2016.

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