Conference

The German American Conference

The German American Conference at Harvard (GAC) is one of the largest student-led conferences in the United States focusing on transatlantic relations between Germany and the U.S. It’s held annually at Harvard University and organized by a team of students and young professionals from both countries. The conference brings together leaders from politics, business, academia, media, and civil society to discuss pressing issues impacting Europe, the U.S., and the broader global community. It’s meant to foster dialogue, networking, and innovation among the next generation of transatlantic leaders. It includes panels, workshops, keynotes, and networking events, giving attendees opportunities to engage directly with high-profile speakers and decision-makers. Past speakers have included German chancellors, ambassadors, CEOs, activists, and tech leaders. Below is some more information on previous conferences.

  • 2024 – Hard Conversations
  • 2023 – Think Beyond
  • 2022 – If not now, when?
  • 2021 – The future of Problem Solving
  • 2020 – Neustart
  • 2019 – Breaking Barriers
  • 2017 – The German American Conference (Upcoming)
  • 2015 – Germany and the U.S.: Building Our Future
  • 2014 – The US and Germany: Drifting Apart?
  • 2013 – The End of the West as we Know It?
  • 2012 – Decidedly Indecisive? The German Angst of Leadership
  • 2011 – The German Conference at Harvard
  • 2010 – Addressing Global Challenges: Directions for a new Decade
  • 2009 – Division and Unity
  • 2008 – Germany in the Modern World

Former Speakers (selection)

General Michael Hayden
Former Director of CIA & NSA
Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier
Minister for Foreign Affairs
Robert Zoellick
11th President of the World Bank Group; Chairman of Goldman Sachs’ International Advisors
Dr. Ursula von der Leyen
German Minister of Defense
Thomas Gottschalk
German TV Host & Entertainer
Peer Steinbrück
Former German Federal Minister of Finance
Dr. Thomas de Maizière
German Federal Minister of Defense
Thomas Masiziere Harvard GAC
Yves Leterme
Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD, former Prime Minister of Belgium
Brigitte Zypries
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
Kai Diekmann
Former Editor-in-Chief of BILD
Dr. Peter Wittig
German Ambassador to the US
Hans-Dieter Heumann
Minister and Political Department Head, German Embassy Washington
Bärbel Höhn
Chair of the Committee on the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety
Bärbel Höhn Harvard GAC
Ranga Yogeshwar
German TV Host & Scientist
Claus Kleber
Anchorman of Germany's leading daily TV news program "heute journal" on channel ZDF
Claus Kleber Harvard GAC
Wesley Clark
US Army General (ret.) & former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
Prof. Dr. Klaus Scharioth
Dean of the Mercator College for International Affairs
Prof. Claudia Kemfert
Head of the department of energy, transportation and environment at the DIW in Berlin
Peter Schaar
Chairman of the European Academy for Freedom of Information and Data Protection (EAID)
John Kornblum
Former US Ambassador to Germany & Chairman of Lazard & Co
Reinhard Bütikofer
Member of the European Parliament & Co-chair of the EGP
Stephan Gemkow
CEO Franz Haniel & Cie. GmbH
Alexander Graf Lambsdorff
Member of the European Parliament
Martin Hirsch
High Commissioner for Active Inclusion Against Poverty and for Youth in the French Administration
Adam Posen
Deputy Director of the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington, DC
Kent Nagano
American conductor and music director of the Munich State Opera
Matthias Kleiner
President of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)
Kleiner
Daniel Schrag
Member of the President's Advisory Council on Science and Technology
Jürgen Kluge
Former CEO of Haniel & Cie. GmbH & Senior Advisor at Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Ludger Volmer
Former Deputy Foreign Minister of Germany
Peter Bofinger
Professor of Economics at Würzburg University and Member of the German Council of Economic Experts
Jeremy Rifkin
President and Founder of The Foundation on Economic Trends
Jeremy-Rifkin Harvard GAC
Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld
Chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Alcoa Inc
Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld Harvard GAC
Prof. Dr. Karl Kaiser
Senior Associate Program on Transatlantic Relations at Harvard University
Dr. Peter Frey
Editor in Chief/Director Main Editorial Office of ZDF
Jakob Frey Harvard GAC
Prof. Michael Ignatieff
Edward R. Murrow Professor of the Practice of the Press, Politics and Public Policy Harvard Kennedy School
Michael Ignatieff Harvard GAC
Cem Özdemir
Co-chairman of the German political party Bündnis 90/Die Grünen
Cem Özdemir Harvard GAC
Julianne Smith
Senior Vice President of Beacon Global Strategies
Wolfgang Ischinger
Chairman of the Munich Security Conference
Olaf Scholz
First Mayor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg