Advanced American Seminar in New Orleans

The group in front of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (photo credit)

The inaugural Advanced American Seminar was completed last week, bringing Austrian students to New Orleans and Washington, DC.

The program is a cooperation between the Universität für Weiterbildung Krems, the Austrian Marshall Plan Center for European Studies at the University of New Orleans, and the Austrian Embassy in the United States. Together, they curated an immersive program for the students in New Orleans and Washington, DC, thereby exposing them to two very distinct American cities and their cultures.

In New Orleans, the focus was on the regional economy and environmental challenges, with visits to some of the economic drivers, including the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, the Port of New Orleans, as well as the World Trade Center New Orleans. A highlight was a conversation with Mayor LaToya Cantrell at the City of New Orleans.

In addition, the group took a deep dive into New Orleans history and culture at the The Historic New Orleans Collection and learned from experts at Tulane University and The University of New Orleans - and got to experience Halloween Night in the French Quarter.

After their transfer to Washington, DC, the focus shifted to American politics and the Presidential Election. Students heard from diplomats at the Austrian Embassy, from experts at the The Brookings Institution, the Bertelsmann Foundation, and The World Bank Group, as well as from from political scientists at Georgetown University and The George Washington University, from Congressional staffers on Capitol Hill, and from the American Jewish Committee (AJC). The highlight of this portion of the program was of course Election Night in Washington, DC.

The Center thanks its partners in making this program a reality and is looking forward to host the next cohort!