European Forum Alpbach Will be Opened by Moldovan President Maia Sandu
The Moldovan President, Maia Sandu, will attend the opening of this year's European Forum Alpbach (EFA) together with Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen on August 22. At the start of the event, they will jointly address the EFA's annual theme, The New Europe, and discuss what consequences, in light of Russia's Invasion of Ukraine, Europe must draw from its current weakness and its inaction in the past.
The President of the Republic of Moldova, Maia Sandu, will attend the opening of this year's European Forum Alpbach. / Picture: © Wikimedia Commons / The Presidential Office of Ukraine / Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
The 77th edition of the event will take place from August 21 to September 2 in Alpbach and is designed along the four major challenges for Europe's future.
The Climate Opportunity, Securing Europe's Future in a Globalized World, The Financing of Europe's Future and this year's new theme The Future of Democracy and the Rule of Law in Europe. These thematic tracks will be discussed by representatives from politics, business, academia and civil society.
In addition, Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer, Shalini Randeria, the new Rector of the Central European University, and the First Vice-President of the European Parliament, Othmar Karas, will also discuss the EFA annual theme this evening.
In addition, other top international politicians will be present again this year. Among them are EU decision-makers such as Josep Borrell, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and state guests from the Western Balkans such as Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania.
Important representatives of business and science will also participate in the EFA. For example, Kaidi Ruusalepp, former CEO of Nasdaq Tallinn Stock Exchange and founder and CEO of Funderbeam, global financing and trading platform specializing in blockchain.
European central bank chiefs will also attend the forum in Alpbach. Robert Holzmann from the Austrian Central Bank, Yannis Stournaras from the Bank of Greece, Madis Müller from the Estonian Central Bank and Pierre Wunsch from the Belgian Central Bank and Stefan Ingves from the Swedish National Bank will attend the forum.
What is the EFA?
The European Forum Alpbach is a platform that advances ideas for a self-determined and democratic Europe. Young people and emerging leaders come together with the most innovative minds, decision-makers and experts in politics, business, science and culture from around the world to work on a common mission.
In 1945, Otto Molden, then a student in Vienna, founded the annual "International University Weeks" in the Tyrolean village of Alpbach together with Simon Moser, a lecturer in philosophy in Innsbruck. In 1949, this event was renamed the "European Forum Alpbach". In the early years, participants included mainly young people who were actively involved in the resistance against National Socialism. Otto Molden envisioned a comprehensive renewal of intellectual life in Europe. The aim was to strengthen a political unification of Europe, which was seen as the only way to exclude warlike conflicts between the European population in the future. Simon Moser wanted to create new structures at the universities and advocated an interdisciplinary exchange. These interests developed into a dialogue that over the years linked not only science and politics but also the cultural sphere and economic developments. In particular, mediation between science and practice was an important goal from the beginning.
How is the EFA organized?
The event takes place over two weeks. According to organizers, in Conference Week, from August 22 to 27, visitors inside can expect numerous lectures, chats and hikes. In the second week, Lab Week, from August 27 to September 2, participants will be invited to contribute to the content.
In workshops lasting several days, which will be open to all Lab Week participants, they will take an in-depth look at the key questions concerning Europe's future and will have the opportunity to work on selected topics with international stakeholders and renowned experts in an exclusive setting.
The open exchange between the participants and the intergenerational dialogue make the European Forum Alpbach a special and above all unique event in Europe. In the mornings, scholarship holders from all over the world are immersed in customized seminars; in the afternoons, they become part of the program - for example, with the help of creative and participatory formats where students actively help shape the discussion.