Editorial: Spring—Full of new beginnings.

6 April 2021
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Hermann Agis talks about spring and all the excitement in the air for the program participants of this academic year and the upcoming one.

Spring has begun, we have left behind the cold of winter and the clock is now set to Central European Summer Time. As days get longer and temperatures gradually rise, it is wonderful to walk by the blossoming apricot trees. During a lockdown in Austria, in which leaving home for physical activity or a walk for mental health is allowed, these moments of bliss are very precious. With fruit trees and flowers in bloom, nature invites us to new beginnings.

These are very exciting times for new Austrian Fulbright students in the 2021–22 cohort. They are receiving their decision letters from US universities and make their exciting plans for the next program year. Our Austrian FLTAs are starting to make contact with their host institutions and learning about what awaits them on campus. The incoming USTAs are starting to receive acceptance letters and to discover where in Austria they’ve been placed. Our US students and scholars have started their research and teaching activities here in Austria. It is impressive to see that their dedication goes far beyond research and teaching as they share their expertise with the Austrian community in so many different ways, including public lectures. We have had the pleasure of promoting the Fulbright lecture given by Nicholas Cullather at the Diplomatic Academy and are looking forward to Margret Kusenbach's lecture at the University of Vienna, Catie Welsh's lecture at the University of Innsbruck, and William Keeton's lecture at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna. Follow our announcements on our social-media channels and our website for further opportunities to interact with our US scholars in Austria.

While these activities are all virtual due to the current COVID-19 regulations in Austria, they offer a way to promote cultural understanding in times where physical distancing is required. Over the past months we have been very creative in establishing new ways to strengthen the ties that unite us. We opened a virtual meeting space on gather.town for our current program participants and organized special events with current and former program participants to encourage socializing and networking on the virtual plane. The next community event for our Fulbrighters will be the Fulbright Seminar in American Studies, where they are encouraged to share their research. The seminar is an integral part of our core program activity and allows our current US program participants to meet with our new Austrian program participants. Lectures, group work, and podium discussions allow them to discuss their recent projects and their experiences in a safe setting. In the past, this seminar was held in the wonderful town of Strobl at Lake Wolfgang, but this is not possible in 2021 due to COVID-19 regulations. To allow our program participants to experience this outstanding networking opportunity in a safe setting, it will take place online. For the same reasons, the “70 years of bright minds.” celebration on 10 June 2021 will be held online. It is unfortunate that the COVID-19 measures will not allow us to meet in person; however, the virtual setting will allow us to welcome Fulbright Austria community members from both sides of the Atlantic. We are looking forward to interacting with all who join.

In the past months, our alum chats have given the entire Fulbright Austria community opportunities to reconnect with alums in the US and Austria. In times were in-person events are not possible. these occasions are very important for us. We will continue to foster these valuable opportunities with the help of our Alum Advisory Panel. Nine new members from the US and Austria joined the panel in March, and we are grateful for their support in these special times. In addition, new regional opportunities to connect with program participants and alums will be created by the Fulbright Austria chapters that are forming throughout Austria. We are full of hope that these chapters will foster support for the next generation of Fulbrighters who are preparing for their journeys to the US and Austria. In light of the preparations for the next program year, we ask you for your support. We have initiated a donation drive via our social-media channels to raise seven travel and relocation allowances for the next cohort of program participants. Help us support the start of their Fulbright journey in 2021–22. In times like these, their Fulbright experience in their host country will be very different than in the past. However, the ever-changing nature of the journey holds true for the entire 70 program years we as a commission are currently celebrating. Each of these 70 years had its own unique challenges and opportunities—and with each new beginning, with each new Fulbrighter, with each new cultural ambassador, the ties that unite the US and Austria are strengthened. In the spirit of spring, I wish you many new precious beginnings and the patience to cherish them as the blossoms they are. As Epictetus once said, “Nothing important comes into being overnight; even grapes and figs need time to ripen.”

Hermann Agis, PhD
Executive Director