FOCUS ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY

CAREER ADVICE FROM EMILIO GALLI ZUGARO ALLIANZ ALUMNI ACADEMY 2014 IN BUDAPEST HIGH PROFILE INTERVIEW WITH GUNTER PLEUGER UNDERSTANDING THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE JACKPOT PROJECTS – AN EASY PLACE FOR STARTUPS

ASA Alumni Magazine, April 2015 No. 7

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dear Alumni,

According to a survey from the NGO Citizens for Europe, which ranked the diver-

sity of German foundation boards, the Allianz Cultural Foundation – with its inter-

national advisory board and Alumni Council – took one of the top places. “Diversity”

is a permanent theme of our podium discussions and fish bowls, in which the situ-

ation of migrants and minorities is regularly discussed – for example, the Roma in

Europe. These ten million people – the largest minority group in Europe – urgently

need to be “integrated” into the collective consciousness of Europeans. In 2012 the

ACF drafted a passport for Roma evicted from Germany. You can order a copy from

us: www.amarodrom.eu/duldung-deluxe-passport

by Michael M. Thoss

NOTE OF THE ALLIANZ CULTURAL FOUNDATION

FOCUS ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY – Making the most of cultural diversity p. 4

The programs of the ACF – Culture needs an open space and a partner to create it! p. 5

The U.S. perspective on multiculturalism p. 6

A European view on cultural diversity p. 7

Encouraging people – Alumni on cultural diversity p. 8

---HIGH PROFILE A long hike to a high peak p. 10---INTERNAL AFFAIRS – Unity in diversity p. 12

Discussing European disintegration p. 14

Understanding the Ukraine conflict p. 15---REFLECTIONS Europe, look east – Where life is not peaceful p. 16---JACKPOT PROJECTS Let’s talk about startups! p. 18---CAREERS Emilio’s career advice p. 20---PORTRAIT OF AN ALUMNA Feeling foreign in both places p. 22

Please find the digital version

for browser, Android and iPhone at

www.kulturstiftung.allianz.de/en/alumni

To me the essence to multicultur-alism is connection. But to connect with others it takes courage and openness. We have chosen pictures of Rio de Janeiro-based photogra-pher Calé who portrays intimate moments of connection in public spaces – and captures reactions of both irritation and joy.

Another Allianz Alumni Academy took place and fulfilled us with memorable moments and inspired many to enhance their European initiatives. This time, the Academy served us with interesting fish-bowls, diverse discussions, tasty dinners but most importantly, enabled us to re-connect in person. The European motto “In Varietate Concordia” suits the Allianz Alumni Academies perfectly.

What is the link between culture and entrepreneurship? Allianz Cultural Foundation offers its alumni support through the Jackpot Projects scheme to build bridges between cultures and disciplines and to create con-nections across Europe. One of those Jackpot Projects is the European Startup Initiative. We dedicated one article in this issue to this fresh initiative. You can also read about some other outstanding cultural projects. Enjoy!

With right-wing movements on the rise in Europe, we must remember the many benefits of multiculturalism for the Euro-pean Union. Protected by the Charter of the Fundamental Rights of the EU, it is our responsibility as European citizens to turn tolerance, cooperation and peace into reality to thrive in a globalized world.

The philosopher Michel de Mon-taigne is being credited for stating that the most universal quality is diversity. In Europe, the concept of cultural diversity also seems to have reached the status of a universally celebrated quality. However, the concept and the surrounding dis-cussions often remain hazy. Thus, we have chosen cultural diversity as the focus topic of this issue and hope that you’ll enjoy the different perspectives offered on the subject in this magazine.

Cultural diversity is unavoidable in modern nations, yet still impossible for nations to get quite right. This is evident in the array of national responses we’ve seen to diversity, and the particular ways each nation has at times failed to embrace it. Yet, as colleagues and friends of the ACF explain in these pag-es, there is no institution more dependent on its commitment to diversity than the Euro-pean Union.

Allianz Summer Academy 2015The Alumni Network continues to grow, and

preparations are underway for this year’s Allianz

Summer Academy (ASA) in Kempfenhausen.

We will once again be welcoming students from

Università Luigi Bocconi Milano, Central Euro-

pean University Budapest, Ludwig-Maximilians-

Universität Munich, and Princeton University;

and will for the first time welcome students from

Uppsala University to join us at the shores of

Lake Starnberg to discuss “Europe at a Turning

Point: Economic Crisis, Social Disintegration,

Political Change.”

EVENTS OF THE ALLIANZ CULTURAL FOUNDATIONEuropean Voluntary Service for All A meeting in Berlin on April 22 – 25 kicked off

the two-year pilot project European Voluntary

Service for All (EVS4ALL). Funded by the Eras-

mus plus program, the Allianz Cultural Founda-

tion and 13 partners from six countries,

EVS4ALL will give more inclusion to young

people with fewer opportunities who have so far

been underrepresented in the existing program.

With EVS4ALL we take a first step towards the

implementation of a “European Year of Volun-

teering for Everyone,” as described in the mani-

festo “We are Europe!”

www.manifest-europa.eu

The White SeaThis year’s literary event of the event series “The

White Sea” will be held by the municipality of

Salonica under the title “Reinventing Diversity.”

Different generations of Mediterranean authors

are invited to reflect connecting and separative

elements of their transnational heritage. With

its international reputation as a cosmopolitian

metropolis and a long history of multi-ethnic

coexistence, Salonica will take center stage. Au-

thors and artists from Greece and neighboring

countries will discuss the future of the multicul-

tural city and its major challenges in the 21st

century.

3EDITORIAL

Andreas Lorek

Anna Lászlo

Naďa Kovalčíková Stephanie Carstensen

Patience Haggin

Nicolas Zahn

4 Focus

MAKING THE MOST OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY

Europeans as well as non-Europeans are quick

to identify Europe as a continent with many

different cultures that seem to be living to-

gether just fine. Is Europe thus a beacon for

cultural diversity? What does cultural diver-

sity even mean? Why does or should it matter?

And if so, what can we do to promote it?

Cultural diversity is a concept very similar

to optical illusions. The longer you stare at

it and try to understand it, the more con-

fused you get. In this Focus we are trying to

start a discussion on our understanding of

cultural diversity and its role within Europe.

Besides asking questions, we are also giving

room to your opinions by letting you, members

of the ACF Network, share your thoughts on

the subject on the following pages.

But first: why the Focus on cultural diversity?

After all, we are still in the recovery phase of an

economic crisis and face geopolitical turmoil

abroad as well as growing social pressures at

home. Why talk about culture now? While it is

undeniable that economics and politics are vi-

tal, the role of culture should never be under-

estimated. Jean Monnet, one the Union’s

founding fathers and a chief architect of Euro-

pean unity, is even believed to have stated: “If I

had to do it again, I would begin with culture.”

Whether culture should be the starting point of

a project aimed at integration is, however, con-

tested by scholars such as Monika Mokre who

published a paper on European cultural poli-

cies and European democracy and works for

the European Institute for Progressive Cul-

tural Policies. She maintains that a focus on

culture, especially cultural differences, in the

beginning is counterproductive to a project of

integration. The EU and its predecessors were

right to focus on economics.

But she also admits that culture cannot be

fully detached from economic and political

considerations. The spill-over effect of the Eu-

ropean integration process also extends to the

realm of cultural policies which lie at the heart

of questions of identity.

So, the big question is: what stands at the end

of this process? A common European culture

and thus a common European identity? This is

exactly where cultural diversity comes into

play. Few people suggest that Europe should

have one culture. On the contrary, from man-

agement literature to high politics, it seems that

cultural diversity has become an end in itself,

and one that is worth promoting. Consequent-

ly, we need to balance between cultural diver-

sity in and among member states and a com-

mon European cultural heritage. To this end,

starting in the 1980s and institutionalized with

the Maastricht Treaty, the EU engaged in what

Mokre calls cultural diplomacy.

The tensions are evident from Article 151: the

community shall “contribute to the flowering

of the cultures of the member states, while re-

specting their national and regional diversity,

and, at the same time, bring their common

cultural heritage to the fore.” The goal is not to

come up with a unified culture but to find ways

of dealing with cultural diversity. Let us take a

critical look at a common catchphrase and let’s

discuss cultural diversity!

by Nicolas Zahn (ASA 2013)

Jean Monnet: “If I had to do it again, I would begin with culture”

5Focus

CULTURE NEEDS AN OPEN SPACE AND A PARTNER

TO CREATE IT!

Das Weiße Meer – The White Sea: Literature around the Mediterranean Since 2012 the literature festival “The White

Sea: Literature around the Mediterranean” is

on tour in the Mediterranean world. Initiated

by the Allianz Cultural Foundation in collabo-

ration with Literarisches Colloquium Berlin,

the series started in Berlin and made stop-overs

in Trieste, Tirana and Alexandria. The talks,

readings and workshops focus on the distinct

cultural environment of the Mediterranean, its

history, heritage and its present, all of which are

marked by opposites. Authors of different gen-

erations, nationalities and backgrounds from

the area are invited to engage in a dialog, reflect

about dividing and aligning lines and build a

bridge between the different cultures.

In 2014 the Allianz Cultural Foundation won

the German Cultural Support Award

(Deutscher Kulturförderpreis) of the Associa-

tion of Arts and Culture of the German Econ-

omy at the Federation of German Industries

(Kulturkreis der Deutschen Wirtschaft im BDI

e.V.) for this program.

Debate on Europe 2014 in Bucharest and Belgrade Since 2006 the Allianz Cultural Foundation has

been organizing the lecture series “Debate on

Europe” together with its partners to generate

interest for current topics of European integra-

tion on a transnational level. The guest speakers

are well-known and committed European voic-

es from culture, politics, business and science.

The aim is to create a “European public sphere”

(Jürgen Habermas) and strengthen the identifi-

cation with the European project. In 2014 the

debates took place in Bucharest, Berlin, Athens

and Belgrade.

The event in Bucharest tackled the topic “1914–

2014. What if Europe Fails?” relating to the cen-

tenary of World War I. Would something simi-

lar be possible today? Writers and scholars from

ten European countries discussed this topic in

correlation with the current tension in Eastern

Europe. “What we talk about when we talk about

Europe.” In Belgrade intellectuals dealt with con-

temporary questions which affect the European

continent, starting from the discussion on the

dominant concepts of Europe to the questions of

the role of culture in today’s democratic societies.

Parallel Lives – The 20th Century through the Eyes of the Secret Police The interdisciplinary European documentary

theatre project aims to create a meeting plat-

form for artists from different, formerly com-

munist countries. It promotes the confronta-

tion of various creative methods and techniques

and working with documentary material.

The project supports the work of artists focus-

ing on themes of the recent past from former

socialist countries. The use of documentary

material raises awareness of various aspects of

the past and present and of social and political

life. The world premiere was at the Interna-

tional Theatre Festival Divadelná Nitra. The

productions were presented in their respective

countries of origin in 2014.

Texts by Anna Lászlo (ASA 2008)

Allianz Cultural Foundation is a supporter of cultural programs which strengthen European integration. Since 2000 their projects tackle key aspects in culture and contribute to building bridges between Europe’s peoples.

THE PROGRAMS OF THE ACF

Impresssions from “Parallel Lives”

6 Focus

THE U.S. PERSPECTIVE ON MULTICULTURALISM

When back in 2010 Angela Merkel famously

stated that “multiculturalism has failed, ut-

terly failed” in Germany, her choice of words

shocked observers in the U.S. In the States, the

idea of a politician making such a statement is

completely unthinkable. But Germany’s

“multi-kulti” is not multiculturalism as U.S.

Americans understand it.

Present-day Americans understand multicul-

turalism as the balm for our troubled history,

a value integral to our national character.

They associate multiculturalism with the fa-

mous metaphor of our nation as a “melting

pot.” The term, which comes from the title of

a 1908 play about Russian immigrants, de-

scribes the “fusion” of various cultures “melt-

ing together” into a harmonious whole. To

an American ear, multiculturalism means

a society of mutual tolerance in which the

members of various cultures are wel-

comed.

If a U.S. politician were to declare multicul-

turalism a failure, her comment would in-

evitably be interpreted as a call to return to

the era of racial segregation in the U.S., when

immigrants from “undesirable” ethnic groups

were restricted and non-whites treated as

second-class citizens. Even more shocking is

former German chancellor Helmut Schmidt’s

2004 comment that the Turkish migrants who

entered Germany as “guest workers” in the

1950s and 1960s should never have been ad-

mitted. From the lips of a U.S. presidential

contender, the statement that a particular im-

migrant group should never have been admit-

ted would constitute political suicide.

Chancellor Merkel’s remark jars the Ameri-

can ear because it is precisely the opposite of

political rhetoric here. We need look no fur-

ther than the 2004 speech that propelled

then-senatorial candidate Barack Obama to

national fame. “There is not a black America,

a white America, a Latino America, an Asian

America. There’s the United States of Amer-

ica,” he famously said. This is one example of

a rhetoric that inspires Americans to take

pride in multiculturalism as a national value.

Yet the American commitment to multicul-

turalism has always been more in name than

in deed. Even as the “melting pot” metaphor

became popular in the twentieth century, the

States continued to enforce restrictive ethnic

quotas for immigrants and to oppress Afri-

can-Americans under an infamous system of

Jim Crow laws. And the States’ ongoing prob-

lems with racism cannot be denied. Over the

past few years, immigration debate has be-

come heated. And a few high-profile shoot-

ings have sparked debate over racism within

the criminal justice system. The “melting

pot” is a legacy of American lip service to

multiculturalism, rather than practice of it.

Since the 1960s civil rights movement, diver-

sity has been treated as a value in itself. The

term multiculturalism prompts images of a

racial utopia in which various cultural groups

live side by side in harmony. This dream has

never truly existed in the U.S., but Americans

have not abandoned it.

Given this national rhetoric, many Americans

heard Merkel’s statements as blatantly intol-

erant. U.S. news reports erroneously linking

Merkel’s statement with far-right, extremist

neo-Nazi movements left Americans with a

much more discouraging picture of contem-

porary Germany than is deserved. Similar

comments by UK Prime Minister David

Cameron and former French president Nich-

olas Sarkozy have given casual U.S. observers

a poor impression of present-day European

nations.

Too many U.S. onlookers forget the ways

their own country has failed to create multi-

cultural harmony. Despite its “melting pot”

rhetoric, the U.S. certainly has not made a

perfect success at multiculturalism. The only

difference is that its politicians are less will-

ing to acknowledge this.

by Patience Haggin (ASA 2013)

Germany's “multi-kulti” is not multiculturalism as U.S. Americans understand it

7Focus

A EUROPEAN VIEW ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY

In today’s globalized world, where economic and

cultural ties between states are well established,

it seems natural that people want to go abroad

– for instance, to pursue job opportunities. In

some cases, however, people are forced to leave

their home country to escape persecution, tor-

ture or death – the current crisis in the Middle

East comes to mind. The spectrum of circum-

stances that can cause migration and in turn

lead to multicultural societies is a broad one.

In 2010 German Chancellor Angela Merkel de-

clared that “multiculturalism has failed.” From

a European perspective, such a statement is

problematic for a number of reasons. His-

torically, migration and multicultural societ-

ies are integral parts of our cultural heritage.

Economically, some European states depend

on the steady influx of personnel from abroad

to compensate the continued aging of their

populations. Culturally, Europe benefits from a

lot of the new perspectives and ideas immigrants

bring into society. From the perspective of inte-

gration, Merkel’s statement paves the ground for

discrimination because it implies that a peaceful

coexistence between natives and immigrants

based on equality is not possible.

Recent right-wing populist developments in

Europe have given this statement another

meaning: Policy-makers have failed to create

transparency on the economic and cultural

benefits of migration and to enhance tolerance

and acceptance for immigrants. Over the past

years, right-wing opinions have become in-

creasingly widespread in Europe. Formed on

the basis of Euroscepticism, nationalism and

hostility towards foreigners, political parties

such as Front national in France, UKIP in the

UK or Partij voor de Vrijheid in the Netherlands

have gained strength and confidence. Addition-

ally, since autumn 2014, the German civil

movement Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against

the Islamisation of the West) has brought thou-

sands of people onto the streets, who share the

view that immigrants do not belong in Europe.

Voicing xenophobic views is becoming socially

acceptable across society, thus eroding the very

foundation of the European Union. This is

truly worrying. By its very nature, the EU is

built on the principles of peace, cooperation

and tolerance, which is particularly apparent in

its initial beginnings: After World War II, the

European Coal and Steel Community (ECSC)

was established because the founding fathers

believed in building a united Europe to foster

peace and stability and to set an end to the fre-

quent wars which had dominated the European

continent. Though the ECSC founding treaty

required states to cooperate which had been en-

emies just a few years before, tolerance triumphed

and a fruitful cooperation began.

Furthermore, discrimination of people because

of their race or religion is a violation of elemen-

tary rights: Article 1 of the Charter of Funda-

mental Rights of the EU states that human dig-

nity is inviolable and must be respected and

protected. The document also asserts that any

form of discrimination shall be prohibited and

cultural, religious and linguistic diversity be re-

spected. Of course the Charter also guarantees

freedom of expression and information. Such

freedoms are essential. It is not acceptable, how-

ever, to exploit them to voice xenophobic

opinions.

Pegida has sparked counter rallies across Ger-

many to campaign for a diverse and open soci-

ety, rivalling and even exceeding this move-

ment in numbers. Multiculturalism is at the

very center of Europe and an essential part of

our norms and values. It is up to us to prevent

anti-immigrant thoughts from spreading and

to protect and foster the tolerant Europe we

know and live in. “Difference is of the essence

of humanity ... it should therefore never be the

source of hatred or conflict. The answer to dif-

ference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fun-

damental principle of peace,” as Nobel Peace

Prize winner John Hume once said.

by Stephanie Carstensen (ASA 2008)

Migration and multicultural societies are integral parts of our cultural heritage

8 Focus

Diversity is a concept often invoked in political discussions, especially in the European context. But what is cultural diversity and under what circumstances can societies benefit from it? We talked to Allianz Alumni to get a better understanding of cultural diversity and its significance for Europe.

ALUMNI ON CULTURAL DIVERSITY

If one wants to hear first-hand thoughts on cul-

tural diversity, what better sample to take than

alumni from the ACF Network? At the Allianz

Alumni Academy 2014 in Budapest, we talked

to several members from different backgrounds

and ASA generations to get a feeling for their

views on cultural diversity.

What is their understanding of cultural diver-

sity? Is it a value in itself, is it inherently good

or bad? Can and should cultural diversity be

actively promoted? Where do alumni see cul-

tural diversity in their environment and how

do they perceive it? And last but not least, keep-

ing in mind European policies and initiatives

to promote and foster cultural diversity: What

is the relationship between Europe and cul-

tural diversity in the opinion of our alumni?

A first interesting finding during the interviews

relates to the definition of cultural diversity.

Although the term is widely used, it was some-

times hard to actually define what is meant by

it. It almost seems that cultural diversity suffers

from being so overused and over popularized

that its meaning got lost on the way, leading us

to a point where arguably everybody talks

about cultural diversity, but does not envision

the same concept. Luckily, we found a small

common denominator: Cultural diversity

means that various cultures are present in a

given point and time.

Defined as a straight concept like this, alumni

pointed out several times that cultural diver-

sity is a fact of our time. However, this fact

alone is not the whole story. Cultural diversity

really becomes fascinating when one starts to

build upon the fact of diversity and looks at its

social consequences and implications.

Our interviewees experienced cultural diver-

sity directly themselves, be it through their

studies in a different country, at the workplace

or in their personal environment. From sharing

a dormitory with nationals of three countries,

trying various cuisines in one evening to en-

countering surprising new customs at a wed-

ding or having to constantly counter stereo-

types, experiences of alumni with cultural

diversity varied greatly. Unsurprisingly, then,

when it came to judging the value of cultural

diversity, answers widely differed, ranging from

clear endorsements to views that are more

skeptical.

For the positive aspects, much as for the defini-

tion of cultural diversity, it was not that easy to

name the actual benefits even though almost

We should not take cultural diversity for granted. By nature, humans might tend to surround themselves with people from the same culture. Marc Kempf, Munich/Germany

Cultural diversity works as a mirror to reflect on your own culture. Cillian O’Donoghue, Brussels/Belgium

ENCOURAGING PEOPLE

9Focus

all interviewees stated that cultural diversity

is a positive thing. Alumni pointed out the

social benefits of cultural diversity, namely

that diversity allows us to pick and choose the

best parts. Different cultures bring with them

new sets of ideas and perspectives, which ben-

efits us since we can create new insights and

potentially improve our surroundings, e.g. by

reacting to problems that were not apparent

before.

On the negative side, when diversity “doesn’t

work out,” cultures do not get along which can

range from everyday harassment to outright

conflict between various groups. This division

is also apparent on the political level where

alumni identified two camps: one camp sees

diversity as a threat to democracy because it

undermines the set of common values that

underpin a democratic society. The second

camp sees diversity as a key resource and po-

tential solution since we need new perspec-

tives in a globalized world.

Having identified that cultural diversity can be

negative and positive for a society, this in turn

leads to the question under which circum-

stances cultural diversity can become a posi-

tively associated value. In this regard, alumni

pointed out the importance of a framework for

dealing with cultural diversity. They also iden-

tified key pillars of such a framework in order

to benefit from cultural diversity. One key pil-

lar is empathy and mutual respect. Without it,

benefitting from cultural diversity seems al-

most impossible as there will not be any cul-

tural exchange. Instead, members of a given

culture are locked in a constant competition

against other cultures, asserting their superior-

ity. One part of this pillar is also self-restraint

to a given point. “We should not be imposing

our ideas onto others.”

Another key pillar which facilitates mutual re-

spect is uncovering connections between cul-

tures. As one alumnus put it: “There are some

fundamental [values] that all of us subscribe

to, so to celebrate diversity we have to find the

commonalities and make them visible to every-

one.” Finally, inclusiveness is also important.

Since we want to benefit from cultural diver-

sity, alumni pointed out that the goal cannot

and indeed should not be to have a European

culture. Being inclusive thus does not mean

integrating different parts into one new culture

but rather having a set of fundamental shared

values and diversity around it. Here, alumni

identified clear room for improvement as some

national and European policies targeted at cul-

tural diversity are being perceived as exclusive,

be it to residual cultures or non-Europeans. In

fact, alumni were eager to point out that cul-

tural diversity is a global issue and does not

stop at the European borders. The current po-

litical landscape still neglects this.

Interestingly, although alumni identified cul-

tural diversity as a fact of our time, they had

conflicting views on its origin. For some, cul-

tural diversity happens organically and is

sometimes even inherent to a given place. For

others, cultural diversity, at least in order to be

beneficial, needs political input. Given a hu-

man tendency to surround ourselves with

equals, states can set incentives and contribute

to the aforementioned framework. Since alum-

ni also understood cultural diversity as a pro-

cess, there is a need for ongoing involvement

by all stakeholders, especially where they have

neglected the process of cultural diversity, e.g.

by not thinking clearly about integrating mi-

grants into the workforce.

On a European level, the fact that the EU brings

together cultures should be promoted even

more in the future. However, as one alumnus

stated, one has to be careful not to focus only

on elites with programs like Erasmus, but

rather to “encourage people from all walks of

life to work abroad to ensure that the next gen-

eration is more pro-European and open to-

wards cultural diversity.”

by Nicolas Zahn (ASA 2013)

The EU values cultural diversity very much but only as long as we are talking about European cultures. This is a problem. Ioana Puşcaş, Geneva/Switzerland

We need empathy in order for cultural diversity to work. Jehona Gjurgjeala, Prishtina/Kosovo

10 High Profile

A LONG HIKE TO A HIGH PEAK

Dr. Gunter Pleuger, born in 1941, entered the German Foreign Service in 1969. After being stationed in various places around the world, he served as State Secretary from 1999 to 2002 in the Federal Foreign Office, and subsequently as Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations in New York until 2006. From 2008 to 2014 he held the office of President at the European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder).

How was your 2008 transition from the Ger-man Federal Foreign Office to the European University Viadrina? Dr. Gunter Pleuger: I was somewhat prepared

for the University, because after retiring from

the Foreign Service I lectured at the University

of Potsdam from 2006 to 2008. The invitation

that came from Frankfurt to serve as President

of Viadrina was unexpected, as I didn’t know

anyone there. I found out that it was in fact the

most international German university, and

that the position was connected to my earlier

activities in diplomacy and international poli-

Gunter Pleuger at the panel at the Economic Forum in Krynica-Zdrój

the Federal Foreign Office, of course within

the framework set by the federal government.

As a university we can’t make policies, but we

can give impulses through research and educa-

tion. I can give you a good example: In 2010 we

established the so-called “Trialogue” between

Germany, Poland and Russia, to be carried out

by the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toru,

the Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

in Kaliningrad and the European University

Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder). All three univer-

sities participated enthusiastically. Shortly

thereafter the three Foreign Ministers from the

tics. What particularly appealed to me was that

the University’s mission statement contained a

commitment to building bridges with Poland

and Central and Eastern Europe. That’s why

I said yes.

In retrospect, what did your work in the Fed-eral Foreign Office and at Viadrina have in common? Pleuger: Let’s start with the differences. I be-

lieve that you can shape and make policies in

11High Profile

compromise so that both negotiations partners

can go home and say, “We gave something, and

we got something.” Both have to be winners.

Multilateral diplomacy works differently be-

cause you don’t make decisions via compro-

mise between two diplomats, but via a majority

decision at a conference. For that you need to

gather votes in order to reach a majority. Al-

though you work for “victory” by a majority

decision, bilateral diplomacy also comes into

play. To obtain a two-thirds majority in the UN

General Assembly you need to convince 128 of

the 193 members. There are two possible ways

of doing so: either you convince the delegation

that your interests are also their interests, or,

when that doesn’t work, you make a deal and

promise the other side that if they vote for you

on your issue you will support them on another

issue of their interest. That’s how you gather

votes – but the prerequisite for this process

is that you have earned enough trust because

both sides have to be convinced that they can

rely on the deal to be implemented.

Decisions by multilateral organizations such

as the UN Security Council can be difficult to

achieve. There are many factors that can make

reaching a quick decision difficult. The states

that make decisions have different interests and

different degrees of power. In the multilateral

sphere, the states on the Security Council have

the most power. The five permanent members

have the power to veto.

But I can also give you an example of effec-

tive work: when violence broke out in Haiti

in 2004, the President of the Security Council

called all of the members on a Sunday morn-

ing. The Security Council met at 4 pm. By 7

pm it had made all the necessary decisions, and

by 10 pm that same evening the first French

and American soldiers that were sent in the UN

peacekeeping mission were in the air and on

their way to Haiti.

At the Economic Forum 2014 in Krynica the crisis in Ukraine, where we were meeting for the first part of the interview, was discussed at great length. What is your personal per-spective on this crisis and what possible solu-tions do you see? Pleuger: Only through diplomacy and ne-

gotiations can you find solutions to political

problems where in the end everyone supports

and is willing to implement the same agree-

respective countries also met in Kaliningrad

and agreed to establish a Trialogue between the

three countries at ministerial level. The Ger-

man Foreign Minister at the time, Mr. West-

erwelle, said that our Trialogue Project was the

model for that agreement. That was of course

very encouraging, and beginning in 2012 we

started the organization of a conference enti-

tled “Russia and Europe: Historic Experiences

and Strategic Partnership.” It took place in

April 2014, in Kaliningrad, and attained par-

ticular significance against the background of

the Ukraine Crisis. We asked what a partner-

ship between Russia and the EU would look

like after the current crisis had been overcome.

It was an outstanding conference, and perhaps

it also provided input for the political debate

of the three governments. That’s how I see the

connection with my previous work.

Of your stations abroad, what was the most important for you? Pleuger: That’s easy; it was my last posting

as Ambassador to the United Nations, dur-

ing a time when Germany had a two-year

position as a non-permanent member on

the Security Council from 2003 to 2004 when

the Iraq crisis was at the center of deliberations.

That was the most difficult issue I’ve experi-

enced in nearly 40 years in the Foreign Service.

Discussions were conducted with the greatest

seriousness, and naturally, the high point was

the presentation of the American position by

Secretary of State Colin Powell on February 5,

2003. There was a really eerie atmosphere, be-

cause almost everyone in the room knew that

Mr. Powell – who we all held in high regard as

a person – wasn’t telling the truth in his ac-

count. The feeling was that the decision to wage

a war, in which thousands of people would die

had already been made by the U.S. government

without justification by the facts and based on

fiction. I believe that the German position on

the war in Iraq – to not legitimize it by a Secu-

rity Council decision – was the right decision.

That was certainly my most difficult and most

important mission.

Do you sometimes lose a bit of your faith in words? Do you think that everything should be done differently or more effectively? Pleuger: There you have to consider a series of

factors: foreign policy and diplomacy in par-

ticular, is like a long hike to a very high peak.

You have to deal with colleagues who are totally

independent of you. That’s why there are no

solutions in bilateral diplomacy where there’s

a winner and a loser. No diplomat goes back

to his Foreign Minister to tell him that he has

lost. An agreement can only be achieved by a

ment. That means that all parties engaged in

the conflict have to talk to each other and try

to negotiate a solution that ends violence and

lays the groundwork for establishing a peaceful

development.

I think that the efforts made initially by the

“Weimar Triangle” of France, Poland and Ger-

many and now within the “Normandy Group”

consisting of France, Ukraine, Russia and

Germany are on a possible track for a solution,

provided the Minsk agreements are faithfully

implemented by all parties. The Security Coun-

cil Resolution that has transformed the Minsk

agreements into an internationally binding de-

cision of international law is an important step

forward but lacks a stipulation that would assist

and protect the OSCE inspectors. A helpful step

could be the decision by the Security Council

to send a peace keeping mission made up of

the five permanent members of the Council

to Ukraine in support of the OSCE mission.

So far OSCE inspectors have very often been

prevented to do their job.

Finally, it might be helpful to reestablish both

the G8 and the Nato-Russia-Council as a ne-

gotiation forum. In the end, lasting, perma-

nent and peaceful cooperation in Europe will

require not just the end of the Ukraine crisis

but also a definition of how a strategic relation-

ship with Russia could look like in the future.

Interview by Andreas Lorek (ASA 2006)

There are many factors that can make reaching a quick decision difficult

12

“In Varietate Concordia” is not only a European motto but a concept urging us to understand that difference enriches human interactions. Variety is a positive asset and enables us to reflect on our own culture as well. Diversity can lead to an atmosphere of social trust and growth to attain peace and prosperity through respect of differences. Allianz Alumni Academies represent a platform for young professionals and students to share values, discuss ideas and grow together through common projects.

UNITY IN DIVERSITY

Internal Affairs

Participants of the Allianz Alumni Academy 2014

Inspirational, stimulating, meaningful and in-

tercultural are the most repeated attributes

when alumni describe the experience of the

Allianz Alumni Academy 2014. A new year has

started but the last year stays with us in our

memories of the gathering in Central Europe

at the Central European University in the beau-

tiful historical city of Budapest.

Most of us arrived after a busy working week

on Friday, the 28th of November, to see friends

again, get new ideas, new energy and motiva-

tion to learn about and work on common proj-

ects and initiatives that matter for Europe.

Almost 70 young professionals and students

from various countries reconnected with old

friends, got to know the new members of the

alumni group including our American friends

from Princeton and discussed Europe’s chal-

lenges and future. The recent alumni survey

showed that the opportunity to get together,

discuss and enjoy each other’s company are the

main motivators for the European connections,

which the alumni keep and develop between

themselves on a regular basis. As usual during

alumni reunions, not only bright minds have

worked their brains thanks to interesting ses-

sions, but the Academy and the Hungarian

Almost 70 young professionals and students from various countries reconnected

13

salient issue of the “Russia and the rest” ap-

proach of the former Soviet Union empire chal-

lenging the 21st century political (dis)order.

Speakers provoked multiple questions and

contributions from all those interested in po-

litical dilemmas that Europe has been facing

during the past months in an everchanging

world. Intellectually stimulated and hungry

participants were treated to a tasty buffet lunch

in a typical Hungarian restaurant.

Instead of an afternoon siesta we all headed

back to a workshop about boosting our careers.

It highlighted a few key ways to write a success-

ful application for everyone who is interested

in finding or changing a job or to apply for a

university program. We could all agree that

expert insights on professional growth are al-

ways useful.

Active alumni then presented their projects and

new initiatives and impressed with their skills,

achievements and interesting ideas to apply

their talents, their know-how and their multi-

national and multicultural connections into

practice.

The AAA’s Saturday menu could not have

ended better than with a tasty dinner on a boat

symbolically floating on the Danube river, the

European Union’s longest river connecting ten

European countries. The icing on the cake was

some relaxing time in spa or discovering what

the local bars had to offer.

The next day, the day of departure, was marked

by the Alumni Council presentation and elec-

tions of new members that will represent alum-

ni interests and enhance and facilitate the con-

versation between ACF’s management and the

generations of alumni who want and can be

part of Europe’s better future while being

“United in Diversity.”

The AAA 2014 eventful menu was delicious.

We made the most out of the time together and

we all look forward to our next Alumni Acad-

emy. Carpe diem, alumni friends. Until we

meet again!

by Naďa Kovalčíková (ASA 2009)

End of the weekend: walk in the historical city of Budapest

Meeting good friends

cuisine have thoroughly fulfilled alumni ex-

pectations and their stomachs as well.

The appetizer on the intellectual menu was the

welcome address by the President and Rector

of the Central European University, John

Shattuck, and it was elegantly complemented

by Henning Schulte-Noelle’s key-note from the

Board of Trustees of the Allianz Cultural

Foundation. Everything was perfectly planned

and arranged as usual thanks to the team of the

Allianz Cultural Foundation (ACF) that made

it so easy and nice this time again.

The second day was opened by several speech-

es of ACF and university representatives

who served us with two parallel fishbowl

discussions moderated by our talented

alumni fellows. The first fishbowl discus-

sion was about new dividing lines of Cata-

lonia, Flanders and Scotland – a Europe of na-

tion states or of regions. It triggered a vivid

debate on intercultural, national and regional

challenges of states and communities sharing

the same or similar values but different lan-

guages, cultures and/or historical roots.

The second fishbowl discussion – Putin and

Europe. How should Europe position itself to-

wards Russia? – raised a wide awareness and

provoked a number of questions regarding the

Farewell speech of Henning Schulte-Noelle

Fishbowl discussion

We could all agree that expert insights on professional growth are always useful

Internal Affairs

14 Internal Affairs

DISCUSSING EUROPEAN DISINTEGRATION

Scotland’s narrow 2014 vote to reject indepen-

dence marked the first time a democratic

movement for statehood has come so close to

succeeding and prompted discussion across the

continent about what would happen should

such a movement succeed. Allianz alumni de-

bated the motivations and consequences of

such independence movements in a “fishbowl”-

style discussion where policy experts swam

along with students.

In fall of 2014, 55 percent of Scottish voters re-

jected independence in an election with record

turnout. A disappointment to Scottish nation-

alists but a wake-up call to the international

community, the close vote renewed attention

on other regions that have called for indepen-

dence, such as Catalonia.

Scotland’s close vote had many across the con-

tinent asking how a breakaway state might gain

membership in the European Union. Former

European Commission President Jose Manuel

Barroso has indicated that any newly indepen-

dent state would have to apply for European

Union membership through the usual

channels.

“What is clear, I think, is that there is no

automatic EU membership for regions who

get out of their own countries,” Judit

Törökné Rózsa, a civil servant responsible for

the European Regional Development Fund at

the European Commission, and one of the first

“fish” in the Academy’s bowl.

Independence supporters have said Scotland

would have had a quick route to membership,

as it already meets the economic and human

rights standards comfortably. Opponents have

suggested that member states that have resisted

regionalist movements at home would not be

so quick to accept Scotland. Even more unclear

is which currency an independent Scotland

would use.

Despite the identity rhetoric of nationalist

movements, Allianz alumni found room for

debate on their true motivations. Harold James,

a professor of European history at Princeton

University, argued that Scottish nationalists

were motivated by a preference for social poli-

cies far more liberal than England’s. “Scotland

has a different kind of political environment

than the majority in England. It’s more left-

wing,” James said. Until now, he remarked, the

UK has addressed these issues by granting

Scotland local authority on certain matters. He

noted that northern Englanders are often lib-

eral as well, and wondered aloud whether some

northern Englanders might prefer to be part of

an independent Scotland.

Scottish nationalists have promised to put the

matter of independence away for a generation.

But in the meantime, they have certainly

caught the notice of observers in the UK and

elsewhere. Allianz alumni wondered whether

the close vote would give Scotland greater le-

verage to bargain for autonomy within the UK,

or whether independence movements might

gain so much traction that the EU would create

a mechanism to regularize them.

The Catalonian independence movement –

which also drew attention for its support last

year – also has its roots in political motivations,

explained Felipe Basabe Llorens, head of bud-

getary affairs for the Instituto Cervantes, who

is half-Catalan and half-Basque.

“We have entered the trap of an identity fight,”

Basabe Llorens said. “What should have been

a simple discussion on the separation of powers

[on issues such as taxes] has ended up falling

into the trap because of internal politics within

the Catalan party system.” In recent decades,

support for Catalonian independence has shift-

ed from right-wing parties to the center-left, he

explained. This shift has coincided with a pe-

riod of economic decline in Catalonia, as much

of the media industry has left Barcelona.

Independence movements also found fervor

last year in Catalonia, where voters turned out

for an unofficial referendum in November not

recognized by the Spanish government. In the

straw poll with a turnout estimated at around

40 percent, over 80 percent of Catalonians

voted to create an independent state. Previous

unofficial referendums have shown similar lev-

els of support, albeit with lower turnout.

In any case, the rise of regionalist movements

may have consequences for the modern nation-

state. As regions demand – and receive – great-

er recognition, some wondered whether the

nation-state may lose its supremacy in the

continent.

“The idea of a nation-state is more problematic,

as the state can no longer be seen as the primary

focus of a culture,” stated Juraj Chmiel, the

Czech Republic’s ambassador to Hungary and

former minister for European Affairs.

by Patience Haggin (ASA 2013)

Policy experts “swam” along with students in two fishbowl events

Regionalist movements may have consequences for the modern nation-state

15Internal Affairs

UNDERSTANDING THE UKRAINE CONFLICT

Despite the diversity of European backgrounds

and professional experiences, the seven panel-

ists participating in the fishbowl discussion

“Putin and Europe: How should Europe posi-

tion itself towards Russia?” agreed on a crucial

common point: The ongoing tensions between

Russia and Ukraine present a unique opportu-

nity for the EU to act unilaterally and gain ex-

perience and respect from the international

community as a peace broker. Other potential

decision makers in the negotiation process,

including the United States and NATO, have

distanced themselves from the conflict or not

taken decisive action, paving the way for the

EU to lead negotiations and offer practical

solutions.

The panel was moderated by Monika Kokštaitė (ASA 2011) and Elona Xhaferri (ASA 2009) and

included Henning Schulte-Noelle (Board of

Trustees – Allianz Cultural Foundation),

Arnoldas Pranckevičius (Adviser to the Presi-

dent of the European Parliament), Uwe Puetter

(Central European University), Desislava Kara-

asenova (University of Sofia), Serge Pukas

(Polish Academy of Sciences), Johanna

Schmidt-Jevtic (Ludwig Maximilians Univer-

sity – Munich), and Stefano Riela (Bocconi

University). The panelists indicated that recent

developments in the Donbass region, including

Russia’s continued forays into Ukrainian terri-

tory, have only served to keep both sides on

The fishbowl panelists and the moderators

A unique opportunity for the EU to act unilaterally and gain experience and respect

edge and prevent serious resolution discussions.

“There is a degree of fear and uncertainty,”

said Pranckevičius. “Russia is breaking the

rules in an assertive way. It feels encircled and

let down, having lost territory and influence

in the region over the past two decades.”

Riela noted that the EU “controls bargaining

power with Russia” due to its financial le-

verage over the country from economic

sanctions. As a result, according to Riela,

“Putin is turning elsewhere, in particular

China, to deal with sanctions.” However,

Riela and other panelists doubted whether

Russia’s new relationship with Beijing and the

recent successful natural gas pipeline negotia-

tions between the two countries would neces-

sarily be enough to fully counteract the effects

of the EU’s sanctions.

The panelists indicated that if the EU wants to

fully exploit its bargaining position with Mos-

cow, then member states must formulate a com-

mon policy for dealing with Putin’s regime.

Pukas argued that this is especially true for en-

ergy relations – there has long been an internal

divide between Western EU member states,

which have generally had cordial relations with

Russia, and Eastern EU member states, which

have had strained relations with Russia.

Pukas stated that this divide could be bridged

by “establishing an energy union, fully inte-

grating the internal energy market, and creat-

ing a process for the common negotiation of

prices with suppliers,” which the new EC is

serious about implementing. However, a fully

functioning energy union could take years to

implement – until then, Russia will hold some

leverage in energy discussions with Brussels.

The panelists remained hopeful of a solution

to the Russia-Ukraine situation in the near

future. After all, they noted that Putin is

operating on borrowed time – as oil prices

continue to fall and the ruble continues to

depreciate, there is an increasing likelihood

that Russia will have trouble paying off its for-

eign debt. In other words, Russia will have to

come to the bargaining table at some point as

it weakens financially – the Russian govern-

ment recently announced that the economy

will likely fall into recession in 2015, so nego-

tiations may come sooner rather than later.

Regardless of what course of action the EU

decides and what policies it decides to imple-

ment, Schulte-Noelle indicated that the EU

should “be unified and send a clear message

to Russia and Ukraine.”

by Andrew Sartorius (ASA 2013)

16 Reflections

to Europe, in the West and the East, and pro-

vided both a perspective and an alternative for

former Soviet-ridden states. It is indisputable

that the EU definitely has brought peace and

stability to Eastern Europe and offered a per-

spective to those states. However, more than ten

years after the EU’s Eastern enlargement, those

countries obviously perceive a lack of commit-

ment of the EU and NATO in guaranteeing their

security. Considering the crisis in Ukraine in

particular, the threat Russia poses to their own

territorial integrity leads the three Baltic States

More than one year has passed since the citizens

of Ukraine started their demonstrations on the

Maidan in Kiev, demonstrations against the re-

jection of the EU Partnership and Cooperation

Agreement between Ukraine and the European

Union. Citizens protested against President

Yanukovich’s decision not to approach towards

Europe, towards Western norms and values,

towards a European dream.

But what has happened since? Elections,

Crimean secession, the shooting down of

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and a civil war

in the Donbass region – a lot of developments

affecting the lives of millions of people in the

“Border Country,” which is the original meaning

of “Ukraine.” And the European response to the

crisis in the country at its border – a crisis initi-

ated by a decision about the direction of the

country? How did the EU reply to the incidents

in Ukraine?

The EU imposed sanctions on Russia, the state

that is perceived of adding fuel to the fire in

Ukraine. Further commitments include the

facilitation of talks regarding Ukraine’s gas

supply by the former EU Commissioner for

Energy, Günther Oettinger, monetary assis-

tance to avoid the threatening bankruptcy of

the country or other diplomatic initiatives.

A single member state, Lithuania, provides

military equipment to face the threat they per-

ceive to be emanating from Russia in the East.

The EU was meant to bring peace and stability

WHERE LIFE IS NOT PEACEFUL

EUROPE, LOOK EAST

Europe is obviously lacking commitment and neglecting the importance of a neighbor

Ukraine is at a crossroads – as is the European Union. However, while people in Ukraine are protesting and fighting for their country’s direction, Europe is choosing to wait – neglecting and abusing its own and Ukraine’s destiny.

17Reflections

move could be expected, leading heads of state

and government like German Chancellor Angela

Merkel or President of France François Hollande

publicly reiterated that they did not see any near-

time perspective for Ukraine in either the EU or

NATO. Does this really appear to be a commit-

ted approach of the West?

The underlying problem is probably not a gen-

eral disinterest or a desire not to become

involved with the internal affairs of Ukraine

but more the EU’s lack of awareness of its

own direction. The dominating topics dur-

ing the past years were economic and legal

ones – the euro and debt crises and leaders’ at-

tempts to solve them as well as the general EU

reform finally undertaken with regard to a com-

promised Lisbon Treaty, which were undisputa-

bly topics of crucial importance. However, since

Lisbon and with regard to the economic crisis,

a real vision for Europe in 20 or 50 years is miss-

ing. Where does Europe want to go? What is

supposed to be Europe’s future shape? And

probably most important, what role is the EU

willing to play regionally in Europe but also on

the stage of world politics? The crisis in Ukraine

reveals that the EU is struggling with its own role

and identity both in Europe, with its neighbors

and on the global stage.

The probably most severe and constraining

problem the EU faces is that its leaders have lost

The citizens of Ukraine demonstrating on the Maidan in Kiev

ambitions to raise long-term goals for Europe.

Instead, they have been occupied with extin-

guishing the fires and thus reacting to crises. Yet,

a strong Europe does not only need the ability

to react but also to act proactively. European

leaders need to propose a new vision to their

citizens. Ukraine and the European approaches

to its Eastern neighbors show that ten years after

the Eastern enlargement, Europe needs a new

coherent vision.

From the end of the 1960s, the former German

chancellor and Nobel Peace Prize winner Willy

Brandt revolutionized his country’s foreign

policy with his “Ostpolitik” during the Cold War.

Today, voices claiming a new Cold War is ap-

proaching are getting louder and louder.

To that end, the time has come for the EU as

Brandt’s successor in the club of Nobel Laureates

to reconsider its Eastern policies and to establish

a new vision towards its Eastern neighbors.

The European Security Strategy claims: “Europe

has never been so prosperous, so secure nor so

free.” It is true, Europe is a success; yet, in

Ukraine we see the limitations for this success

today – limitations for our children. But I hope

the Europeans love their children too.

by Hans Siglbauer (ASA 2013)

into pledges towards the EU and NATO for pro-

tection. Accordingly, their national efforts for

defence have increased in the second half of

2014.

Ukraine finds itself in the same problematic

situation. It is not an EU member but part of the

European Neighborhood Policy. Yet, Europe is

obviously lacking commitment and neglecting

the importance of a neighbor – a key state for

Europe’s own security. Major pipelines pass

through Ukraine, severely threatening the secu-

rity of Europe’s supply of oil and gas from Russia

and on which Europe is still very dependent for

its economic success.

Ukraine – on the Russian and European periph-

ery – could be transformed into a center of grav-

ity bridging Europe with Russia, the Caucasus

and Central Asia. Still, Europe is persistently

overlooking the strategic role Ukraine plays in

its policies.

The CSCE Final Act of 1975 guarantees every

state in Europe a free choice of military alliance.

In December 2014 Ukraine decided to abolish

its non-aligned status and is now moving to-

wards application for NATO and EU member-

ship. This is Ukraine’s right and should be re-

spected by both sides, Russia and Europe.

Russia sees itself threatened by such a develop-

ment and justifies its involvement in Ukraine

just out of this fear that is now becoming reality.

On the European side, in late 2014, before

Ukraine made this decision but when such a

The crisis in Ukraine reveals that the EU is struggling with its own role and identity

18

LET’S TALK ABOUT STARTUPS!

When you hear the word “startup,” you think of creative and innovative people who try to enter a market, of accelerators and incubators. But every big company started out once small. The alumni who initiated this Jackpot Project looked at this topic from a European perspective. Here are some of their results.

The European Startup Initiative (esi) is a non-

profit project which facilitates the interaction

among startups, accelerators and decision mak-

ers across Europe. esi was founded by four

alumni and young Europeans who are passion-

ate about entrepreneurship – Agata Jaskot (Po-

land), Andrea Contigiani (Italy), Fabrizio

Dell’Acqua (Italy) and Thomas Kösters

(Germany). They aim to elaborate a vision

for a more entrepreneurship-friendly Europe

and to initiate and stir horizontal EU-wide

dialog among players and stakeholders. The

originating spark of this project came about dur-

ing the Allianz Alumni Academy 2012 in Berlin,

when the team heard about the possibility to get

funding for alumni projects through the Alumni

Jackpot Project scheme. Thomas worked in the

area of entrepreneurship networks. Andrea’s

Jackpot Projects

Agata Jaskot as moderator of the expert panel

PhD studies focus on entrepreneurship, and he

thought that this project is an “excellent combi-

nation between working on topics I like and try-

ing to give a little contribution to the construc-

tion of a better Europe.” Fabrizio is a founder of

startups in Italy, and Agata “felt the curiosity to

work on a topic which is slightly different from

the ones I work on a daily basis.” They all believe

that there is an urgent need to make Europe an

easier place for pursuing an entrepreneurial

career.

In fact, esi consists of complementary projects.

A series of interviews with European entrepre-

Europe lacks an entrepre-neurship culture conducive to founding new companies

19

piece. Most respondents agree also that bank-

ruptcy and labor termination laws are too

strong in the EU. Entrepreneurs often lack

capital to start and grow a company, and find

it difficult to obtain financing. Getting funding

from private investors and banks is hard, get-

ting public funding – even harder. Other chal-

lenges for startups are finding skilled employ-

ees, the strong competition, lack of good

(Internet) infrastructure and expanding

abroad.

During the event in Berlin, the esi team re-

ported on their results and activities. They

confronted the results with the opinion of the

specialized public and started a debate about

possible improvements to EU entrepreneur-

ship. Around 100 stakeholders (startuppers,

accelerators, investors and EU representatives)

attended to discuss the challenges facing future

European entrepreneurs. The debate was con-

centrated in two panels with ten speakers –

“The EU Startup Ecosystem Today” – and

“How to Make Europe an Easy Place for Start-

ups.”

The whole team is fascinated about the experi-

ence of Jackpot Projects. Andrea stated: “The

primary element is really the passion for the

idea you are pursuing. You need to really be-

lieve in what you are doing and realize how it

can be beneficial to you and people around you.

Once you have found that right idea, you need

to find a good team. Team work is hard in itself.

If team members do not fit well together, things

get even harder.” Agata advises alumni to think

in long-term perspectives: “Just try to do a

project in a topic that is close to your heart. It

is extremely important as you will most likely

be doing this project in your free time i.e., after

having completed your daily routine – such as

long hours of work or studies.” Thomas thinks

“that it is good if you use synergy effects, be-

tween your work and jackpot projects, like net-

works.” For example, he got a job at Microsoft

as a result of his commitment to esi. Fabrizio’s

advice about Jackpot Projects is: “Do them!

They will take more than what you expect but

they will definitely give you much more than

what you expect!”

The team also plans to further develop the

project. esi 1.0 was a learning phase, the knowl-

edge of which will be used for a second project.

As all team members met in Budapest at the

Allianz Alumni Academy 2014, they started

developing new ideas for esi 2.0. We look for-

ward to see how it develops.

by Anna Lászlo (ASA 2008)

Jackpot Projects

Two of the organizers: Fabrizio Dell’Acqua and Thomas Kösters

Kai Müller from Allianz SE

Guests in Berlin

neurs, part of the social media campaign

#startupcountryweeks, and the survey “A New

Look into EU Entrepreneurship” served as in-

termediate steps and knowledge building

blocks for the event “Accelerate EU – Mak-

ing Europe an Easy Place for Startups” held

in Berlin at the ACF premises. These ambi-

tious projects proved a challenge, since

team members had to coordinate their work

from their various countries. They met in

Milan to decide on the tasks and allocate re-

sponsibilities. This meeting yielded some valu-

able team-building. Thomas remembers that

“after 48 hours together, they had the feeling

they could change the world through this proj-

ect.” The division of tasks focused on each

team member’s area of expertise: Thomas was

responsible for networking and campaigning,

Andrea for getting partners on board, Agata for

communication and social media, and Fabrizio

for budgeting, logo-development and establish-

ing esi as an Italian association.

Some of their findings: the number of success-

ful startups in Europe is far lower than in the

U.S., indicating that Europe lacks an entrepre-

neurship culture conducive to founding new

companies. In the context of the recent eco-

nomic and financial crisis, entrepreneurship is

a potential solution for fighting youth unem-

ployment in Europe. The online-survey of Eu-

ropean entrepreneurs shows some facts about

the EU entrepreneurial ecosystem. With over

300 responses from startup founders and em-

ployees from different sectors from 25 of the 28

member states, the survey reveals that there are

four main obstacles startuppers face: lack of

financing, difficulties entering a market, lack

of competence or difficulties of expanding

abroad. Around 60 percent of respondents

stated that EU regulation is not favorable for

young ventures. The cost of starting a new

company is the major harmful regulation-

Entrepreneurship as a potential solution for fighting youth unemployment in Europe

Funded Jackpot ProjectsEvery year, ACF offers its alumni the op-portunity to get support and funding for their own projects with a focus on European topics, through the Jackpot Projects. Alum-ni can apply for up to 5000 euros by submit-ting a project description and a budget. At least three alumni from different ASA gen-erations must form a team. The idea of this funding scheme is to strengthen and further develop the Alumni Network by giving alum-ni the opportunity to work together on com-mon projects. These projects often turn out to be beneficial for the studies or careers of the participants.The selected Jackpot Projects for 2015 are: the Franco-British Comparative Project, Partners in Learning: An Outreach Project on EU-MENA Academic Mobility 2015, Junior Diplomat Initiative 2015 and the European Startup Initiative (esi).

20 Careers

look at yourself, but also engage in a conversa-

tion, a dialog with your boss. If I had to choose

between the perfect job with the perfect salary

in the perfect company, but with a future boss

that I just probably won’t respect, that is not

interested in me, then I would rather choose

a less important company, a less important

job but with somebody who is investing in

my learning. And another thing I would say

is: engage in conversation with others. Engage

in conversations with peers, with family and

friends. Ask them how they see you. Is there

a discrepancy between how you view yourself

and how others view you? And so, if you look

at these three aspects, you might find a more

fulfilling way towards a career. And never for-

get that working life has changed enormously.

In my generation, in previous generations, you

invested three, four, five years in your educa-

tion, and that would last for the whole work-

Many young people nowadays find it hard to figure out what career to choose and to know what they want to be because there are so many chances and options. Sometimes I feel you can be anything and nothing at the same time. What would your advice be for young professionals? Emilio Galli Zugaro: I think the most im-portant thing is: search for your daimon. The “daimon” is a Greek term, you could translate it as “demon,” but the real trans-lation is “the calling.” Try to figure out what was the most important drive dur-ing your childhood, at a young age. What did you want to do when you were young, before all the career consultants? What was your dream, your vision? The worst thing that can happen to a human being is not working on his vision, on his dreams. And when they become a father or a mother, the first thing

this person will do is project all the unlived dreams onto their children, destroying their lives. So the first thing you should do is listen to your inner voice. Another thing I would say is: as important as the employer is, as im-portant as the job content is, it is very impor-tant to find good leaders. So your decision, if you’re struggling to choose between two jobs:

look at who the better boss might be. Who is the person who listens, not only speaks? Who

I would trust to discuss my flaws, my errors

of development, my strengths and weaknesses

with, in order to develop, in order to learn? So

EMILIO’S CAREER ADVICE

Emilio Galli Zugaro has been Head of Group Communications of Allianz SE since 1992. He sometimes refers to himself as a “dinosaur.” With his diverse background – he studied political science and worked as a journalist before joining Allianz – he is more like a rock star within the Allianz cosmos who always has an open ear and offers inspiring and creative advice to young people.

A European connection – Emilio Galli Zugaro and Sara-Sumie Yang

The worst thing that can happen to a human being is not working on his vision

21Careers

ing life. That is no longer the case. Everything

changes. Don’t think you will finish learning

when you’re 26 or 25.

Coming back to this first aspect you men-tioned – listening to your inner voice, fol-lowing your dreams and your visions – was it always your dream to become the Head of Communications of a huge international in-surance company? Or what would you be if not that?Galli Zugaro: Well, I had two dreams as a

child and as a teenager. One was to become

an architect, an interior architect, an interior

designer, and the other was to become a jour-

nalist. I ticked off the journalist part pretty

soon, because I became a journalist early in my

career and I had a wonderful time. From war

reporting to international summits reporting,

it was very interesting, it was a very fulfilling

career. I ticked off the interior architect part

when I started to restructure some old family

estates and my own houses, so I’m living as an

architect right now, refurbishing our place

in Italy and in Germany in the future. So,

what I discovered is that I was blessed by

nature with having different callings. Later

on I discovered that politics was something

that I really enjoyed and I lived that to the full.

And then I entered the corporate world and

I’ve been doing this job for 23 years. I would

never have dreamt to do this job and I think

it’s always good to listen to the voice in what

you would like to do rather than what job you

would like to have. Having a job like this is

wonderful because I have lots of opportuni-

ties to shape things, to influence things and

to provide a contribution. I would never have

dreamt of getting here and actually, as I told

you, I just finished a training course on execu-

tive coaching, and now I know that my calling

for the last part of my life will be in mentoring

and coaching, much more than in corporate

communication. So you see, I haven’t fulfilled

my callings yet.

Another important issue nowadays is that people struggle to find the right balance be-tween working life and private life. I remem-ber you once said to me: “Sara, your job and your career are very important, but your private life is equally important. There needs to be a balance.” So what is your personal recommendation for maintaining a proper work-life balance?Galli Zugaro: I think we should strive to over-

come the apparent dichotomy between work

and life. Work is part of life. And if you re-

ally follow your calling, then you will get into

a job that fulfills your life and is part of the

fulfillment. What is really dangerous is when

you have a schizophrenic situation, whereby

your work is there to earn the salary, and life

is something different. So you hate your work

and then you come home where you try to lead

a different life. I think that leads to stress, that

leads to illness. If you want to sell something

and you’re not convinced of it, just don’t do it.

This is not the right job for you. So always find

the common sense and the reason, the spirit of

what your job entails. And this is the first step

to having a balanced life.

When you were young, did you have role models regarding your future career ambi-tions? And what or who was it that inspired you, or still inspires you?Galli Zugaro: When I started, I didn’t. I needed

the money and I just needed any kind of job.

At some point, I was 19, I was studying but I

needed to finance my studies, I had two job

offers. One was a salesman of dental products.

So, you know, tooth glues and whatever. And

the other one – being an assistant to a politi-

cian. The first job would have given me twice

the salary of the second job. And it was a dif-

ficult decision because, again, I couldn’t rely on

my parents to survive, so I needed every cent.

However, I decided in favor of the second one.

And I don’t regret it at all because this person,

who is still alive, he is a wonderful man, he was

the governor of Lombardy, he was a member of

the parliament, one of the founding fathers of

the Trilateral Commission. I learned so much

from him. And he became a role model after

all, but I didn’t start with: “I would like to work

for a charismatic personality.” “I would like to

survive,” that was the challenge that I had. I

would like to ask you whether you had a role

model when you entered your working life. Was

there something you were aspiring to?

I feel I don’t have one single role model. I feel that throughout my education and my career I have always been inspired by vari-ous people for certain specific things. And it could be anybody: other students who were making a difference by creating social impact without having a lot of means or politicians, authors, filmmakers or artists. It could be Helmut Schmidt, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, but at the same time it could be a young Chinese person fighting for disability rights in China. So I think it’s always that cer-tain persons inspire me for certain aspects, I don’t have a single role model for my whole life. It’s about meeting, talking and getting to know people who motivate and inspire you. Most of the time the best way to do this and to get inspired is through traveling and through your experiences abroad. Galli Zugaro: Wonderful. Continue traveling!

It keeps the mind open.

Interview by Sara-Sumie Yang (ASA 2006)

A video summary of the interview is available at www.kulturstiftung.allianz.de/european_connection

I think we should strive to over-come the apparent dichotomy between work and life

22

FEELING FOREIGN IN BOTH PLACES

Portrait of an Alumna

An American who has been fascinated by Europe since childhood, Lauren Schwartz has made the study of Germany her academic work and artistic work – and now, her daily life. Her passions, which are diverse themselves, bend boundaries. She works where politics meets art, where photography meets painting, where culture meets civics.

For Lauren Schwartz, of Allianz Summer Acad-

emy 2013, the boundary between politics and art

is a fluid one. As an artist as well as a scholar of

German legal history, she is fascinated by the con-

vergence of political and artistic life, especially in

German culture.

Lauren, who grew up in Michigan, USA,

works as a project assistant for the Allianz

Cultural Foundation in Berlin. Germany is a

country that has fascinated her since her teen

years and has now become a kind of second

home to her. While in university, she studied Ger-

man language and culture in Munich and in-

terned for the German government. She con-

fesses to feeling “somewhat foreign in both

places.”

to a legal rhetoric that codified the country’s

literary history as much as its governing rules.

For her bachelor’s thesis, Lauren examined lit-

erary influences on the German Basic Law. Her

sources ranged from giants of the canon to

stenographic reports via earlier German con-

stitutions to some “very bizarre subversive stu-

dent poets.” Her future ambitions include earn-

ing a master’s in fine arts as well as a law degree.

Her artwork reflects her fascination with Ger-

man history and history-makers, in addition to

the public and the private. Lauren works from

photographs that strike her, whether she finds

them in newspapers, discovers them in photo

albums or buys them at flea markets. In spring

2014 Lauren exhibited a series at Princeton

Lauren Schwartz at the Allianz Summer Academy 2014 in Budapest

“I feel European when I’m in the United States,

and I feel very much like an American when I’m

in Europe,” Lauren said.

While studying German literature at Princeton

University, Lauren became fascinated by Ger-

many’s long tradition of the “Schriftsteller-

Juristen” – writers who were trained in law. The

nation’s tradition of lawyers-turned-novelists,

including such canonical greats as Kleist,

Schiller, Büchner, Kafka, and Brecht, gave rise

Lauren seizes on the rare images that capture her imagination

23Portrait of an Alumna

University featuring portraits of women includ-

ing Angela Merkel, Hannah Arendt and her

own grandmother, painted with reference to an

old passport photograph.

Her portraits have “a photo-based, pop art

look,” she explains. She cites Andy Warhol as an

influence as well as artists from the German pop

movement, such as Gerhard Richter and Sigmar

Polke.

Lauren finds the fashion sense of political fig-

ures fascinating. What interests her “isn’t like a

Vogue magazine assessment of fashion,” she

explained. “It’s about power and its representa-

tion.” She continues that “there is something

very unassuming about the way Chancellor

Angela Merkel carries herself. There’s this ten-

sion there between her power and the absence

of fussing over her appearance that I found very

interesting.”

She continues to work on women intellectuals,

filling notebooks with sketches of Christine

Lagarde, Margaret Thatcher and Ayn Rand.

“With Arendt and Ayn Rand, it’s like, no one’s

IMPRINT ASAEUROPEAN

Chief Editors: Andreas Lorek, Nicolas ZahnEditorial Board: Stephanie Carstensen, Patience Haggin, Naďa Kovalčíková, Anna Lászlo, Andreas Lorek, Nicolas ZahnConcept Manager: Naďa KovalčíkováPicture Editor: Anna LászloContributors: Stephanie Carstensen, Patience Haggin, Naďa Kovalčíková, Anna Lászlo, Andreas Lorek, Andrew Sartorius, Hans Siglbauer, Sara Sumie-Yang, Nicholas Zahn Proofreader: Lisa WicklundPhoto Credits: Ctibor Bachraty (p. 5), Calé (Cover, p. 4, 6-7), Stephanie Carstensen(p. 3), Joanna Demarco (p. 24), Economic Forum (p. 10), Heide Fest (p. 11), Marie von Krogh (p. 24), Anna Lászlo (p. 3), Bernhard Ludewig (p. 2-3, 8-9, 12-15, 19, 22), José Sarmento Matos (p. 24), Bianca Mittermeier (p. 20-21), Ioana Puşcaş (p. 9), Lauren Schwartz (p. 23), Alexander Solovyov (p. 16-17), Mat Tyrrell (p. 2), Luca Vecoli (p. 18-19)

Publisher: Allianz Kulturstiftung, Pariser Platz 6, D-10117 Berlin Tel: +49 30 2091 5731-30 Fax: +49 30 2091 5731-40E-Mail: kulturstiftung@allianz.deLayout Concept: Double Standards, Berlin

Publishing Company: TEMPUS CORPORATE – Ein Unternehmen des ZEIT Verlags Berlin office: Askanischer Platz 3, 10963 Berlin Hamburg office: Buceriusstraße, Eingang Speersort 1, 20095 HamburgManagement Board: Ulrike Teschke, Manuel J. HartungProject Managers: Andreas Lorek, Josefine SchummeckProduction: Dirk Woschei, DIE ZEITPrinting Shop: MERKUR DRUCK GMBH, Oststraße 49, 22844 Norderstedt

Reproduction in whole or in part is not permitted without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher regrets that he cannot accept liability for errors or omissions contained in this publication, however caused. The articles contained in this publication reflect the authors opinion and not the views of the publisher or the editorial board.

bothering to paint portraits of dead chain-

smoking twentieth-century female philosophers.

Why not, right?” she pointed out.

Lauren’s other favorite German-language writers

include Irmgard Keun, a novelist who chronicled

the young “new women” in the big cities of the

Weimar Republic in the late 1920s and early

1930s, Stefan Zweig and Wolfgang Koeppen.

Other artistic influences include Germans Gustav

Klimt and Martin Kippenberger, as well as Amer-

icans John Singer Sargent and Alice Neel.

In an age when we see hundreds of photographs

every day, Lauren seizes on the rare images that

capture her imagination, and lets them lead her

into a meditation on power, intellect and their

portrayal in the media.

“There has to be something arresting about the

photograph to make me put forth that work,”

she explained. “And then, because you have

stopped and made all these deliberate choices

in translating it, the end result is sort of

meditative.”

by Patience Haggin (ASA 2013)

Lauren’s self-portrait, alongside a Merkel portrait, in her studio

Please find the digital version for

browser, Android and iPhone at

www.kulturstiftung.allianz.de/en/alumni

“I feel European when I’m in the United States and very much like an American when I’m in Europe.” – Alumna Lauren Schwartz (ASA 2013) explains in her portrait written by Patience Haggin (ASA 2013) (p. 22–23)

In conjunction with the long-running series „The White Sea“, the photography exhibition „Sea Change” is running in the Literary Colloquium Berlin (LCB) until 30th April 2015: A captivating documentation of the unusual lives of young people from 13 European countries in the shadows of the financial crisis.

“Diversity can lead to an atmosphere of social trust and growth to attain peace and prosperity through respect for the differences.” – Naďa Kovalčíková (ASA 2009) writes about the experience at the Allianz Summer Academy (p. 12–13)

“Multiculturalism is at the very center of Europe and an essential part of our norms and values. It is up to us to prevent anti-immigrant thoughts from spreading and to protect and foster the tolerant Europe we know and live in.” – Stephanie Carstensen (ASA 2008) about the need of cooperation and tolerance for a peaceful coexistence in Europe (p. 7)

“Why talk about culture now? While it is undeniable that economics and politics are vital, the role of culture should never be underesti-mated.” – Nicolas Zahn (ASA 2013) discusses the challenges and chances of cultural diversity (p. 4)

“The term ‘multiculturalism’ prompts images of a racial utopia in which various cultural groups live side by side in harmony. This utopian dream has never truly existed in the U.S., but Americans have not abandoned it.”– Patience Haggin (ASA 2013) describes how multiculturalism works signifi-cantly differently in the U.S. than in Europe (p. 6)

“The underlying problem is probably not a general disinterest or a desire not to become involved with internal affairs of Ukraine but more the EU’s lack of awareness of its own direction.” – Hans Siglbauer (ASA 2013) comments on the EU’s role in the Ukraine conflict (p. 16–17)

“One key pillar is empathy and mutual respect. Without it, benefitting from cultural diversity seems almost impossible as there will not be any cultural exchange.” – Nicolas Zahn (ASA 2013) about how Allianz Alumni think about cultural diversity (p. 8–9)