On 11 October 2022, the first Fulbrighters Of the Last Decades (FOLD) Symposium took place at the club premises of the Austro-American Society in Vienna. Under the theme “New Horizons,” the FOLD Symposium provided a platform for the exchange of new ideas and promoted stronger connections among Fulbrighters and USTAs across different fields of study and program years. The symposium was co-organized by three 2018–19 Fulbright Austria alums—Julia Pataky, Sibel Uranues, and Hannes Aichmayr—with support from Fulbright Austria and the Austrian Fulbright Alumni association.
Reflections on the 2022 Fulbrighters of the Last Decades (FOLD) Symposium
21 June 2023Co-organizer Julia Pataky sheds light on the experience of putting together the first-ever FOLD Symposium.
“New Horizons”
The FOLD Symposium was opened by the US ambassador to Austria, HE Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Three Fulbright alums delivered keynote speeches about their personal Fulbright experiences: Alma Zadić, Austrian federal minister of justice; Heinz Faßmann, president of the Austrian Academy of Sciences; and Hannelore Veit, president of the University of Vienna’s Alumni Association. These keynote speeches were followed by three panels highlighting new horizons entitled “Human Rights in Europe 2022: Successes and Challenges,” “Education in a Post-Pandemic World,” and “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Transatlantic Perspectives.”
Impact
With a total of 86 attendees, the event successfully achieved its three main goals of increasing community-building and exchange among alums, promoting the visibility of the Fulbright Program and the local Fulbright Austria alum community, and providing a platform for the exchange of ideas among alum.
“We really appreciate the great collaboration with Fulbright Austria and the Austrian Fulbright Alumni ahead of the event—their constant support helped us tackle the organizational challenges we had along the way,” Julia, Sibel, and Hannes summarized.
What FOLD meant to the three organizers? “For us, FOLD was the perfect way to spur Fulbright alum engagement post-covid, and it has been wonderful to receive all the positive feedback about the event directly from the community and to see alums make new connections.”
A final reflection from the organizers: “We encourage interested alums to reach out to Fulbright Austria and ask about organizing a FOLD Symposium in the future. It has been a great opportunity for us to become active members of the Fulbright Austria alum community—and a unique opportunity to see first-hand the rich diversity of the community and to help make it more visible.”
Are you looking to foster community-building, promote networking and exchange amongst the community, and increase the visibility of Fulbright Austria’s programs and the local Fulbright Austria alum community? If so, learn how you can submit an application for the 2024 FOLD Symposium.