Suchergebnisse

Each year in Dresden, as part of the Deutschlandstipendium initiative, the Hegenbarth scholarships are awarded to two students in the Meisterschüler program at the city’s Academy of Fine Arts. On January 23rd, the Städtische Galerie Dresden opened Rotelinie ("Red Lines"), a joint showcase by this year’s Hegenbarth Scholars, Si Cheng and Gleb Konkin-von Serebrowski. This year’s showcase opened with speeches from the gallery’s director, curator, and sponsors, who reflected on the scholarship’s history and introduced the artists. Speeches discussed the artists’ creative processes, their inspirations, and the works’ relevance to current issues, after which a local choir, sponsored by the DBJW, performed traditional Lithuanian folk music. Guests then headed up to the showcase in the Neue Galerie’s Project Space, where the choir intermittently performed traditional Ukrainian and Lithuanian music. Representatives from the DBJW, including its chairman Thomas von Lupke, and Anna Behrens, the head of the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network, were in attendance at the vernissage, where they helped to represent their organisations to gallery officials and audience members alike. The event concluded with a reception in the Galerie’s foyer, where conversation and reflection continued over drinks. Between discussions, the choir gave several more performances, as guests mingled with faculty staff and curators, and the artists discussed their work. A Look into the Showcase: The 2024 Hegenbarth Scholars Born in 1994 in Xinjiang, Si Cheng first trained in visual communication in Xiamen before moving to Germany in 2016 and enrolling at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts in 2018. Her work combines foam, paper, and thread into finely-sewn structures, often focused on organic motifs and biological elements, to address the aesthetics of ephemerality, decay, and memory, and question the importance thereof in society. On the right side of the room, her work "Rebirth" hangs from the ceiling, glowing softly and swaying as audience members walk by. Nearby, two wall-mounted works take a closer look at a universal human experience - how a child discovers the world by putting a hand up to the light of the sun, watching how light exposes the blood vessels within. Fine red threads run through the foam of the installations, mimicking blood vessels, and electric light quietly shines through the foam and paper structures, illuminating the room. Red ropes also stretch across the ceiling and walls, connecting elements of the exhibition, reinforcing the idea of unseen bonds running across time and space. Born in 1997 in St. Petersburg, Gleb Konkin-von Serebrowski first trained as a forensic archaeologist in 2008 before moving to Germany and enrolling at the Academy in 2016. His archaeological training is a recurrent theme throughout his work; his installation, “Was essen wir heute zum Abendbrot?” works with found historical objects to explore themes of collective and personal trauma. On the near side of the room, a table is set with fragmented kitchenware recovered from the 1945 bombing of Dresden. Impacts from shelling mirror matching cut-outs in the table’s surface, emphasizing the void left by the items’ destruction. Nearby, a mural displays more objects recovered from the rubble of World War II: the remains of commonplace household items, including kitchenware, cutlery, and cooking utensils, salvaged from scrap heaps, are carefully arranged under a spotlight. © Frank K. Richter-Hoffmann Red Lines: Threading Memory Through Art Both artists explore the processes or experiences that interlink us as both individuals and members of society, especially the importance of memory, and the simultaneous transience and fragility of life. “Rebirth” examines this theme through a recurrent motif in Si Cheng’s work - the life cycle of an octopus, an animal whose civilisation is marked by its inability to transmit generational memory. The octopus, being incredibly intelligent, is the animal considered to have the highest potential to form a civilisation. However, its reproductive process, during which both parents die, means that each generation of children is born without any form of memory or society. Born in isolation, they fend for themselves and die upon mating, repeating this life cycle ad infinitam. The void left by this lack of generational memory, the permanence of disappearance without memory as a form of endurance against time, and the fragility and loneliness of an existence without context, are constantly referred to in her central work. Having no shared history through which to transmit stories, octopi’s lives are markedly transient despite their intelligence, with no possibility for memory of those who pass away. The viewer is invited to reflect on the fragility and ephemerality of this life cycle through the installation, which sways as audience members walk by, and pulses with electric light. In doing so, they are also forced to reflect on the ephemerality of human life, and the role that memory and transience play in their personal narratives: the work invites a painful awareness of the loneliness of existence without memory or community. The rest of Cheng’s installation, and the contemplation of common human experiences, works to reaffirm that humankind has ties that bind it together and shares common experiences, such as discovering the world in childhood. As such, it becomes a quiet, subtle commentary on the importance of community and the invisible ties that connect us. “Was essen wir heute zum Abendbrot?”, on the other hand, is not just a reflection on intergenerational memory, but also a bitter reckoning with Dresden’s own past, and a broader reflection on civilian suffering in war, and how civilian survivors of war carry its trauma even after conflict ends - in both the past and present. It confronts the viewer with the void that conflict and trauma leave in their wake, creating permanent holes in the fabric of daily living. The banality of the recovered objects contrasts with the deliberate way that they are arranged, and the way that they are highlighted by spotlights in the Project Space; the viewer’s innate familiarity with household objects, and identification with these, is contrasted with their state of decay and destruction. Suddenly, the viewer is conscious that these objects were once owned and used, and become aware of the fragility, and potential precariousness, of their own daily lives. These once-mundane items now serve as silent witnesses to loss, forcing the viewer to consider the everyday lives disrupted by war. As viewers walk by, the ghosts at the table walk amongst them, juxtaposing past and present. As such, in exploring what happens when we turn attention to a common thing that others may overlook, both artists highlight the fragility of life and the importance of memory. The viewer is invited to see through the eyes of the past, or the eyes of a child, and then come back to their own world to reflect. The exhibition’s title, Rotelinie, carries layered significance. These eponymous red lines refer to more than the physical red lines in the space. They are the links between us, our ghosts, and the history that ties us to them - in short, the thread that constitutes collective memory. In China, red lines, or red threads, commonly symbolise fate. In certain regions, red threads can also symbolise familial connections and ancestral ties. Cheng’s “Rebirth” comments on these connections through cycles of renewal and loss, or as the physical presences of red threads depicting blood vessels throughout her work. Meanwhile, Konkin-von Serebrowski’s work anchors itself in historical trauma and its lingering presence, reflecting on “red lines” as the humanitarian lines that are crossed when trauma is inflicted, and the scars that are left in its wake. The red line represents, in turn, the lifeblood that feeds children as they grow, the invisible ties of fate that connect individuals and communities, the red lines that humanity cannot afford to cross, and the scars left when it does. The DBJW’s Role: Folk Music and its Importance in Collective Memory The traditional choir sponsored by the DBJW played a central role in reinforcing these themes. Folk songs, passed down through generations, serve as a living repository of history, carrying collective memory through melody and tradition - something often exemplified in DBJW’s events, such as in Riga, which help showcase traditional Latvian music and dance. Choir members, some of them Ukrainian refugees, pointed out that collective singing is a powerful way through which a community processes its own history and memory, including its trauma, and heals therefrom: it is an act that unites and brings together individuals into a collective, and a powerful tool for healing. The juxtaposition of the exhibited works, their messages, and the choir’s presence not only superimposed themes of loss and healing, but also of past and present. The traditional Ukrainian music was also a stark reminder of the current relevance of the exhibition’s themes. Art, at its core, is about attention and what we choose to give a stage to—art challenges us to pay attention, whether to history, to our experiences, or to the forces shaping our world. Rotelinie invites visitors to consider what connects us, how we remember, and what we pass down across generations. It asks: What happens when memory is lost, or we are unable to learn from it? How do we preserve what connects rather than divides us? In doing so, it invites us to take responsibility for the memory we inherit, and how we use it to shape the decision that we make. Because, as we carry on patterns and memories, we also carry within us the ability to shape the future. That is, as both artists remind us, so long as we can learn from the past and remember the lines that connect us. Nothing is set in stone - neither our stories nor our decisions. And unlike the subjects of the artworks on display, we have the opportunity to learn from the past and create a different future, in which we consciously pass on what connects rather than divides, what strengthens rather than weakens. Rotelinie runs until March 23, 2025, at the Städtische Galerie Dresden. On February 27, an Artists' Talk will provide further insights into the exhibition and creative process. © Frank K. Richter-Hoffmann

This year marked a historic milestone for the DBJW annual German-Baltic Conference : for the first time, Youth Ambassadors presented their policy papers to national parliaments in Germany, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania after the conference. On November 18th, 2024 , Cluster D, focusing on AI in Climate Change Management , engaged with Estonian MPs in Tallinn. In this article, Youth Ambassador, Tom Teske , shares his perspective on the parliamentary hearing and reflects on the dynamic discussions that unfolded: Cluster D has ceremoniously presented its policy paper to the Estonian Parliament - Field report of the parliamentary hearing in Tallinn More than two months of work went into the eleven-page paper that we, Cluster D of the Youth Ambassadors at the Baltic-German Conference 2024 in Vilnius, ceremoniously presented to a delegation of Estonian parliamentarians on the afternoon of 18 November. In our work, we have explored various ways of using artificial intelligence to combat climate change in Estonia and to deal with its consequences in the best possible way. To this end, we have submitted a total of eight recommendations for action to the Estonian government in four sectors, namely agriculture, construction, energy and biodiversity. Our recommendations range from supporting Estonian farmers in the use of smart farming systems with a focus on sustainability to the use of AI in the monitoring and protection of nature reserves and wildlife populations. After a restful night in a hostel not far from the UNESCO-protected medieval old town of Tallinn, we used the morning of 18 November for a short exploration tour of the city, including a visit to the Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral in the Upper Town. We were later to learn that the cathedral is not entirely uncontroversial among the Estonian public and that there were even plans to demolish the building, as it was clearly related to the Russian occupation and thus represented an inappropriate disfigurement of the view from the Riigikogu, the Estonian parliament. After this brief stopover, we made our way to the other side of the street, to the entrance of the parliament. Our guide for the afternoon, Anna Kruusmäe, was already waiting for us there. Firstly, she gave us a detailed tour of the stately rooms of the parliament building and gave us interesting insights into her day-to-day work as a political advisor to the liberal group in parliament. The highlight of this tour was being able to observe parliament in action. Just a moment ago we were looking at the empty chamber downstairs, twenty minutes later we found ourselves in the visitors' gallery and were able to look over the shoulder of the Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, among others, from above. After this exciting experience, it was time for us to get down to business. The appointment with the four parliamentarians was on the programme. All four politicians who had agreed to meet with us were from the parliamentary group of the liberal Reformierakond party, which leads the governing coalition in Estonia. On the one hand, this may make the composition of the group appear one-sided, but on the other hand, as the largest governing party, the party also has the best opportunity to put our proposals into practice. In addition, the composition of the group offered quite a bit of diversity in terms of personnel. The youngest member of the Riigikogu and climate expert Hanah Lahe, the former Minister of Information Technology Andres Sutt, the philosophy professor at the University of Tartu Margit Sutrop and the physicist Mario Kadastik provided a certain breadth of opinions and expertise despite having the same party membership. After taking around half an hour to present the Cluster D proposals to our counterparts, we then entered into a substantive dialogue about our proposals. We heard clear interest in our proposals, but were also made aware, among other things, that it is important to communicate with the population at every step of the implementation of such measures. In any case, we left the negotiation room with a good feeling about the constructive atmosphere and are convinced that we have done our best to provide the Estonian government with new options for managing climate change with the help of AI. After the obligatory final photo in the Parliament's ballroom, we rounded off the successful day in a nice pub in the trendy Telliskivi neighbourhood. This Parliamentary Hearing closed the circle for us as Cluster D in the Estonian capital and we are now a lot richer in experience, knowledge and contacts after our work as Youth Ambassadors. Many thanks to everyone involved and, of course, especially to the German-Baltic Future Foundation for this great opportunity! Tom Teske (Youth Ambassador Cluster D)

Listen to the recordings of the framework programme of the German-Baltic Conference 2024   on Spotify : The opening ceremony with welcoming remarks and a keynote speech by Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart: “ The Military Can’t Do it Alone: Building Resilience Across the Whole of Society ” The panel discussion “ Weaponising Disinformation: Insights from Ukraine and the EU’s Response ” The keynote speech by Erika Kuročkina: “ Building a Future-Ready Workforce: AI, Youth, and Education in the Baltics ” Moreover, we are very happy to publish two podcast episodes by our dedicated Young journalists, Tanishka Murthy  and Gleb Konkin-von Serebrowski . Tanishka followed the work of the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network and reports on her experience in her podcast episode. Gleb conducted an interview with cluster C’s (focusing on the topic of AI and disinformation) expert Tammo Polle.  Since 2019, the German-Baltic Conference (GBC) has brought together young people from all over Europe to meet in one of the major Baltic cities, giving them a platform to make their voices heard. From 24 to 27 October 2024 , participants of this year’s conference had the opportunity to join working groups in Vilnius that focus on policy development and civic engagement. Four clusters with 36 young individuals ( Youth Ambassadors ) were engaged in developing sustainable policy approaches in the realms of the environment, economy, society, and values – drafting their own policy and position papers around the topic “ AI for Europe: Reinventing Crisis Management ” that subsequently will be disseminated to political actors and decision-makers. Concurrently, the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN) has brought together stakeholders from civil society, administration, politics, and beyond, to explore future challenges and opportunities of youth exchange in the Baltic region and Europe. The conference provided them with an inspiring programme comprising networking opportunities, expert keynotes, and insight into local best practice and culture. Since 2023, the DBJW has supplemented the conference’s programme by offering five young people the possibility to participate as Young   journalists , shadowing the work of one of the clusters and of the GBYEN group. Throughout the conference, they closely accompany the discussions and the development of the end results and present in a creative way what the GBC looks like from the inside.

Am 5. Februar wurde Gilma Plūkienė, Deutschlehrerin am Viekšniai-Gymnasium im Bezirk Mažeikiai, als „Deutschlehrerin des Jahres 2024“ ausgezeichnet. Sie erhielt den Preis für ihr herausragendes Engagement in der Förderung der deutschen Sprache und Kultur sowie für ihre innovativen Lehrmethoden und außerunterrichtlichen Aktivitäten. Die Preisverleihung wurde von einer Delegation hochrangiger Vertreter akademischer und bildungspolitischer Institutionen begleitet. Zur Preisverleihung und zur Ehrung der Preisträgerin reisten Dr. Justina Daunorienė, Dozentin am Institut für deutsche Philologie der Universität Vilnius (VU) sowie Organisatorin und Durchführerin der Initiative, Indrė Aukštikalnienė, stellvertretende Leiterin des litauischen Büros der Deutsch-Baltischen Zukunftsstiftung und Deutschlehrerin, Dr. Daumantas Katinas, Dozent am Institut für deutsche Philologie der VU, Leiter des litauischen Büros der Deutsch-Baltischen Zukunftsstiftung sowie Mitorganisator der Initiative, sowie Dr. Eglė Kontutytė, Dozentin am Institut für deutsche Philologie der VU und Absolventin des Viekšniai-Gymnasiums. Die Preisträgerin wurde zudem von der stellvertretenden Bürgermeisterin des Bezirks Mažeikiai, Kristina Juškevičienė, der leitenden Fachreferentin der Bildungsabteilung der Bezirksverwaltung, Jelena Sutkienė, der Schulgemeinschaft des Viekšniai-Gymnasiums sowie weiteren Gästen beglückwünscht. Die Auszeichnung „Deutschlehrer/-in des Jahres“ wurde von der Philologischen Fakultät der Universität Vilnius ins Leben gerufen und wird seit vier Jahren verliehen. Ziel ist es, die Arbeit von Deutschlehrkräften in Litauen zu würdigen und die deutsche Sprache zu fördern. Die Deutsch-Baltische Zukunftsstiftung unterstützt diese Initiative und setzt sich für den intensiveren Austausch zwischen Bildungseinrichtungen in Litauen und Deutschland ein, um die kulturellen und wirtschaftlichen Verbindungen beider Länder zu stärken. Alle Fotos sind von der Bezirksverwaltung Mažeikiai

2024 haben die Projektleiterschulung (PLS) in Darmstadt und das GBYEN-Netzwerktreffen in Lüneburg, das Schwerpunktseminar Riga (SPS Riga), das Paul-Schiemann-Seminar (PSS) in Odziena/Lettland, das Vorbereitungsmeeting in Annaberg/Bonn, der Baltische Jugend- und Studentenkongress (BJSK) in Lüneburg, die DBK Vilnius2024 sowie ein Seminar für unsere neuen Markenbotschafter (Brand Ambassadors)  in Potsdam stattgefunden. Das Schwerpunktseminar Tartu (SPS Tartu) mussten wir leider wegen nicht bewilligter Fördergelder absagen.   Zur Deutsch-Baltischen Konferenz (DBK) Vilnius2024  waren wie geplant ca. 130 Teilnehmende aus 16 Ländern präsent, darunter auch zahlreiche Vertreter der Litauenbrigade. Das Feedback für alle Veranstaltungen war wieder sehr positiv. Eine noch viel größere Zahl an Personen haben wir über unsere Auftritte in den Sozialen Medien erreicht. Auf der Konferenz haben sich 36 aus 250 Bewerber:innen ausgewählte ehrenamtliche Jugendbotschafter:innen  unter Anleitung unserer vier Heads of Cluster, Egija Graudina, Harriet Klepper, Ronja Pohl und Sergej Stoma mit dem Thema „Künstliche Intelligenz“ auseinandergesetzt und vier Policy Papers entwickelt, um diese mit Entscheidern aus Politik, Wirtschaft und NGOs  zu diskutieren und den entwickelten Ideen an entscheidenden Stellen Gehör zu verschaffen. Die Einladungen zu parlamentarischen Anhörungen in allen vier Ländern werten wir als sehr erfreuliches Interesse an unserer Arbeit.   2024 konnten wir für unser 2021 neu gegründetes  German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN) weitere Netzwerkpartner gewinnen. Es bietet allen Akteuren des Jugendaustauschs zwischen dem Baltikum und Deutschland die Möglichkeit, sich an einem zentralen Ort zu präsentieren, zu vernetzen, von den eigenen Projekten zu berichten und künftige Projekte anzukündigen. Besonders wichtig ist uns die Vernetzung mit zwei ukrainischen Organisationen und dem Herder-Institut in Marburg. 2024 konnte diese Arbeit durch ein großes Netzwerktreffen in Lüneburg weiter intensiviert werden.   Zusätzlich zu den Seminaren, dem Kongress und der Konferenz haben wir die Arbeit unserer  Landesbüros  stark ausgeweitet, so dass sie den Bekanntheitsgrad des DBJW durch ihr intensives Engagement stark steigern können. Die Landesbüros halten Kontakt zu Politikern, zu den GBYEN-Partnern und repräsentieren die Arbeit der Zukunftsstiftung bei vielen Veranstaltungen. 2024 fand bspw. wieder der Essay-Wettbewerb  statt (organisiert durch das Landesbüro Lettland), dieses Mal unter dem Motto „Die Baltischen Länder in Europa – Vergangenheit, Gegenwart und Zukunft“. Auch organisiert das Landesbüro gemeinsam mit dem Volksbund Kriegsgräberfürsorge Veranstaltungen. Das Landesbüro Estland hat unter anderem zahlreiche Digi-Frühstücke  zu aktuellen Themen mit teilweise über 100 Teilnehmenden und ein Erasmus-Projekt für ukrainische Kinder in Estland durchgeführt.  Das Landesbüro Litauen war verantwortlich für den Fotowettbewerb  „Die baltische Fotoreise” und stark mit der Vorbereitung der Konferenz beschäftigt. Das Landesbüro Deutschland hat seine Vortragsreihe „sustainable mornings“ fortgesetzt und im August ein Seminar "Demokratie in der Zerreißprobe!“ veranstaltet.   Die Stiftung konnte 2024 vier Stipendien  gewähren. Hervorzuheben ist eine Gruppe der Philisterschaft   der Fraternitas Dorpatensis  zu München, die einen Großteil der Spenden für Stipendiat:innen in Tartu aufbringt. Auch fördert die Stiftung pro Baltia  eine Germanistikstudentin aus Litauen für vier Semester. Im Rahmen der Ausbildungsförderung aus dem Birkfonds hat die Stiftung aktuell sieben Darlehensnehmer.   Die Deutsch-Baltische Zukunftsstiftung (DBJW) ist ein selbstständiger Verein, der ab 2023 die Aktivitäten der Deutschbaltischen Studienstiftung übernommen hat. Der Vorstand  besteht aus Thomas von Lüpke, Tatjana Vollers und Bernd Vogenbeck. Die Leiter:innen der Landesbüros  waren Kirsti Sinivee (Estland), Rozite Katrina Ponne (Lettland), Daumantas Katinas (Litauen) und Maximilian Wende/Linus Kühl (Deutschland).   Im Leitungsteam der DBK haben sich 2024 Anna Lelkes, Alexandra Ehresmann und Nelda Oseniece als Koordinationsleitung  erfolgreich engagiert. Anna Behrens hat Mitte des Jahres die Leitung des GBYEN  übernommen und plant, dessen Aktivitäten noch deutlich stärker auszubauen. Maximilian Wende als Zukunftsmanager  bereitet die Zukunftsstiftung gut auf die Herausforderungen der nächsten Jahre vor. Er koordiniert u.a. den Leitbildprozess, die konzeptionelle Arbeit und das Fundraising. Johanna Mogwitz hat als stellvertretende   Geschäftsführerin  viele neu Managementinstrumente implementiert und damit das Fundament der wachsenden Stiftung gestärkt. Peter Sinivee als Koordinator Landesbüros  und Leiter Kommunikation  hat den Bekanntheitsgrad der Zukunftsstiftung deutlich gesteigert und wesentlich zum Wachstum beigetragen. Viele weitere Teamer stehen mit Rat und Tat für einzelne Projekte – vielfach ehrenamtlich – bereit. Insgesamt engagieren sich derzeit , mehr als 70 Personen in der Stiftung.   Zahlreiche Gespräche mit Ministerien, Abgeordneten sowie den Botschaftern Estlands, Lettlands und Litauens haben dazu geführt, dass wir seit 2019 bereits sechs große Netzwerkkonferenzen veranstalten konnten. Der aktuelle Zuwendungsbescheid des Auswärtigen Amtes gilt für das Vier-Jahres-Projekt Deutsch-Baltische Konferenzen 2022-2025 . Besonders dankbar sind wir für die Aufstockung unserer 2024er Mittel durch den Deutschen Bundestag. Durch die vorläufige Haushaltsführung des Bundes werden sich für unsere 2025er Arbeit wesentliche Zuwendungsbescheide leider erheblich verzögern.   Zuwendungen  erhielten wir insbesondere vom Auswärtigen Amt , vom Bundesministerium des Innern  (BMI), der Beauftragten für Kultur und Medien  (BKM), von der djo  – Deutsche Jugend in Europa, der Mildtätigen Stiftung des  Verbandes der Baltischen Ritterschaften , der von-Wahl-Stiftung , der DBGes in Niedersachsen  und privaten Spendern . Gemeinsam mit unserem Zukunftsmanager setzt sich Thomas von Lüpke weiterhin dafür ein, im Rahmen der Auswärtigen Kultur- und Bildungspolitik  auch in der Zukunft Finanzmittel für die Landesbüros  und für die Deutsch-Baltischen Konferenzen zu erhalten. Die Partnerschaft mit dem Deutschen Kulturforum östliches   Europa  sehen wir weiterhin als wichtig an. Im Rahmen unseres Leitbildprozesses haben wir folgende Vision formuliert: „Die Jugend in den baltischen Staaten und Deutschland stellt sich gestärkt aktuellen Herausforderungen für ein friedliches und nachhaltiges Zusammenleben in einem demokratischen Europa.“   Durch das herausragende Engagement und die  Begeisterung unserer Teamer  sowie durch die große Unterstützung der Bundesrepublik Deutschland und anderer Förderer  konnte das DBJW auch 2024 seine Mission erfüllen, sich für Austausch und Verständigung zwischen jungen Erwachsenen aus Deutschland, den baltischen Staaten und der Ukraine auf den Grundlagen von Rechtsstaat, Demokratie und Menschenrechten einzusetzen. Wir danken allen Förderern, Mitwirkenden und Unterstützern.   Der Stiftungszweck wurde erfüllt. Bremen, 31. Januar 2025

In May 2024 the country office Estonia initiated the new solidarity project Socializing Unites Us! funded by the Erasmus+ Program of the European Union. At the first gathering of this year, we enjoyed the charms of the winter season - ice skating and a walk to the beach. We had 14 participants, and it was nice to see that almost all of them felt comfortable being on the ice. And of course, the pizza together with hot tea was the most enjoyable part of the event. For more information on the project, visit the page of the Estonian country office

Am 24. Oktober 2024 wurde die Deutsch-Baltische Konferenz in der eindrucksvollen Aula Parva der Universität Vilnius feierlich eröffnet. Die historische Kulisse unterstrich die Bedeutung dieses Anlasses, welcher auch hochrangige Vertreter aus Politik, Wissenschaft und Militär versammelte, um einen Beitrag zu leisten. Zu den Rednern gehörten unter anderem Thomas von Lüpke, Chairman der German-Baltic Future Foundation, der damalige litauische Verteidigungsminister Laurynas Kasčiūnas sowie Saulius Olencevičius, der im Namen von Präsident Gitanas Nausėda sprach. Auch Dr. Cornelius Zimmermann, Botschafter der Bundesrepublik Deutschland in Litauen, Professor Rimvydas Petrauskas, Rektor der Universität Vilnius, und Generalleutnant Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart trugen mit inspirierenden Reden zum erfolgreichen Auftakt der Konferenz bei. . Die feierliche Atmosphäre, geprägt von der beeindruckenden Architektur der Aula Parva, schuf den perfekten Rahmen für dieses besondere Event. 📽 Das Video zur Eröffnungszeremonie findet Ihr hier:   Die Deutsch-Baltische Zukunftsstiftung bedankt sich nochmal von ganzem Herzen bei allen Rednern, Organisatoren, Experten, Teilnehmern und Unterstützern, die diese Konferenz so besonders und wertvoll gemacht haben und blickt mit voller Vorfreude auf die Deutsch-Baltische Konferenz 2025!

Am 6. Dezember 2024 nahm das litauische DBJW-Landesbüro, vertreten durch Indrė Aukštikalnien ė und Daumantas Katinas, am Festival der deutschen Lieder teil und stiftete einen eigenen Preis. Das Festival der deutschen Lieder wurde 2010 vom Litauischen Deutschlehrerverband mit Unterstützung des Goethe-Instituts Vilnius ins Leben gerufen. Ziel der Veranstaltung ist es, jungen Menschen die deutsche Sprache und Kultur durch Musik näherzubringen, ihre Leidenschaft für Musik zu fördern und eine Plattform zu schaffen, auf der Talente entdeckt und kulturelle Brücken gebaut werden können. Zu Beginn der Veranstaltung hielten mehrere Ehrengäste Grußworte, darunter: Valdemaras Kaupinis , Schulleiter des Mykolas-Biržiška-Gymnasiums in Vilnius, Donalda Meiželytė , Vizebürgermeisterin der Stadt Vilnius, zuständig für allgemeine Bildung, Anna Maria Strauß , Leiterin des Goethe-Instituts Vilnius, Edvinas Šimulynas , Präsident des Litauischen Deutschlehrerverbandes, sowie Vaiva Jucevičiūtė-Bartkevičienė , Vorsitzende der Jury und Gesangs- sowie Musikpädagogin an der Vytautas-Magnus-Universität. Im Anschluss bot die Bühne ein wahres Fest der deutschen Musikkultur. Schülerinnen und Schüler aus ganz Litauen präsentierten bekannte und neuere deutsche Lieder, darunter: „99 Luftballons“ von Nena, „Aber bitte mit Sahne“ von Udo Jürgens, „Warum hast du nicht nein gesagt“ von Roland Kaiser und Maite Kelly oder „Die immer lacht“ von Kerstin Ott. Mit ihren kreativen Interpretationen und leidenschaftlichen Darbietungen zeigten die jungen Talente, wie viel Freude die deutsche Sprache und Musik bereiten können. Die Jury, der auch der Leiter des litauischen DBJW-Landesbüros, Daumantas Katinas, angehörte, lobte besonders die Kreativität der Schülerinnen und Schüler bei der Gestaltung ihrer Videoclips sowie den Mut und die Bühnenpräsenz der Sängerinnen und Sänger. Das litauische DBJW-Landesbüro ist stolz darauf, Teil dieser wunderbaren Initiative gewesen zu sein, und freut sich auf weitere spannende Projekte mit Schulen in der Zukunft.

Am 7. und 8. Dezember 2024 fand eine gemeinsame Veranstaltung des litauischen DAAD-Alumni-Vereins und des litauischen DBJW-Landesbüros statt. Das Event widmete sich den deutsch-litauischen Beziehungen in den Bereichen Politik, Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Kultur und Forschung. Austragungsort war die litauische Kulturhauptstadt 2025, Druskininkai. An der zweitägigen Veranstaltung nahmen zahlreiche Partnerorganisationen des DBJW teil, darunter die Deutsche Botschaft, das Goethe-Institut, der DAAD, der Litauische Deutschlehrerverband, der litauische IPS-Alumni-Verein, das Litauisch-Deutsche Forum, mehrere litauische Universitäten und weitere Institutionen. Ehrengast und Hauptreferent war der ehemalige Botschafter der Republik Litauen in Deutschland, Herr Ramūnas Misiulis. Aktuell ist er im litauischen Außenministerium für die Entwicklung des strategischen Plans für deutsch-litauische Beziehungen verantwortlich. In seiner Rede hob er die Bedeutung Deutschlands für Litauen und Europa hervor. Nach den einleitenden Worten teilten sich die Teilnehmenden des Seminars in kleinere Arbeitsgruppen auf, um über konkrete Maßnahmen zur Umsetzung des strategischen Ziels „Mehr Deutschland in Litauen“ zu diskutieren. Zu den vorgeschlagenen Ideen gehörten:  die verstärkte Förderung der deutschen Sprache in litauischen Schulen, die Einrichtung einer koordinierenden Institution für deutsch-litauische Beziehungen, die Übersetzung litauischer Internetseiten ins Deutsche, die Ausstrahlung von mehr deutschen Sendungen und Filmen in litauischen Medien, sowie eine bessere Integration deutscher Soldatinnen und Soldaten in die litauische Gesellschaft. Das litauische DBJW-Landesbüro bedankt sich herzlich bei allen Partnerorganisationen für die produktive Zusammenarbeit und freut sich auf weitere erfolgreiche Projekte im kommenden Jahr.

By Sarah Mackel The German-Baltic Conference 2024, hosted yearly since 2019 by the German-Baltic Future Foundation (DBJW), convened in Vilnius this October, gathering youth ambassadors and young leaders from across Europe to address critical global challenges. Over four busy days, Youth Ambassadors and GBYEN-members gathered in the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania, on Gediminas Avenue, to attend panel discussions, Q&A sessions, and work together to create policy papers. All groups tackled pressing issues like health care reform, climate change, refugee protection, and AI ethics, working towards creating actionable policy recommendations aimed at shaping a more sustainable and equitable future, which would later be presented to the parliaments of Germany and the Baltics. Aside from the DBJW clusters, the conference also hosted the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN), which brought together representatives of youth organisations based in Germany, the Baltic States, and Ukraine to discuss AI and youth cooperation in Europe. Each DBJW cluster operated under the conference theme of “AI in Crisis Management”; Cluster B, which I had the privilege of shadowing as a Young Journalist, focused on the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to address healthcare issues, specifically in Latvia. Indeed, in the past few years, artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare has become a pressing issue - its rapid development is reshaping the medical field, with implications for patients, professionals, and policymakers alike. Issues such as patient data privacy, algorithmic discrimination, and equity of care provision have all been the subject of heavy debates across the world as the technology develops. Our task as a cluster was to ensure that youth voices were part of the discussion, offering perspectives that are sometimes overlooked in decision-making. The first question that was asked by a cluster member, during our very first brainstorming session, was “how do we get the parliament of a country to listen to a group of kids?” This question voiced what was on all of our minds - the stakes of our work at the conference, and the importance of a platform for youth voices in the global discussion on artificial intelligence. As young people, with high school students, university students, and young professionals represented in the group, all from varying fields, the cluster’s Youth Ambassadors were keenly aware that the decisions made about AI in healthcare in Europe within the next few years would have a deep impact on our future. As a participant would later bring up in a brainstorming session, healthcare, like climate change, refugee protection, or disinformation, is a deeply personal field, and everyone involved in the discussions could empathise with challenges currently facing European healthcare systems, and understand motivations to find equitable technology-based solutions to them. Led by Egija Graudina, a software engineer, Cluster B exemplified the conference’s spirit of innovation and creativity. “My projects always seem to be entirely different from anyone else’s,” Egija remarked, a sentiment that reflected her cluster's fresh perspective on healthcare challenges. Her role as a Head of Cluster was to supervise, guide, and coordinate cluster members in the creation of the policy paper. From the cluster’s inception three months before the conference, when group members began meeting to research their policy paper, the group had a challenging mission: understanding the intricacies of different European health systems, each representing the countries of its members, and their use of e-Health systems and artificial intelligence, to draft recommendations tailored to Latvia. With participants from STEM, administrative, Humanities, and technology backgrounds, the group had a diverse skill set and set of perspectives with which to approach this task. Over this time, the group analyzed issues ranging from patient access to the integration of AI in diagnosis and treatment. “Healthcare systems are inherently complicated,” explained one delegate. “Most people struggle to fully understand their own country’s system, let alone someone else’s.” Yet, through their discussions, the team, consisting of more than six nationalities, identified common challenges like administrative burdens, healthcare worker shortages, and unequal access to care—issues that AI could potentially help address. Challenges in healthcare reform struck a personal note for many of the Cluster members, with the stakes of the brainstorming sessions and policy paper clear to all. As such, the cluster's work was deeply personal for several members, who noted the acute problems many countries face, such as long wait times and disparities in care coverage. On Day 1 of the conference, participants kicked off the event by reflecting on their expectations and concerns. Led by Egija, the group explored what they hoped to achieve. A major question that arose was how to create solutions that are not only applicable but also have maximum potential for real-world implementation. Many in the room shared a common worry about how young people can attract the attention of older generations and actually drive change. The day then shifted to a research session where participants began charting a roadmap for their policy paper, grappling with how to meet deadlines and ensure their voices are heard by decision-makers. After a break, participants shared their findings, diving deep into discussions around AI regulation, accountability, and data privacy—particularly in healthcare. The group explored the ethical implications of AI, drawing comparisons between the EU’s AI Act and policies in other countries, including Denmark’s approach to AI in healthcare. The conversation also touched on how AI might impact doctors’ salaries and whether data collection is acceptable for public purposes, or if it becomes problematic when sold to private companies. Personal discussions followed, where participants shared their experiences with healthcare systems in Germany, the Baltics, and Ukraine. Nikolina Rutenberga, a medical student and youth ambassador, shared her insights from working with medical AI in her workplace in Latvia. “There’s still room for innovation within regulations. We just have to discuss how far we can go to ensure innovation benefits us. AI has the potential to alleviate administrative burdens and healthcare worker shortages, improving systems overall.” She also gave a presentation to the group on the current Latvian healthcare ecosystem and challenges currently facing the country’s hospitals and medical practices, as well as the Latvian Health Ministry’s current strategies to address these issues. Currently, Latvia’s healthcare system faces challenges such as limited funding, a shortage of medical staff, and an aging population, which hinder its ability to fully meet public health needs and deliver equitable care. These factors, along with prevalent health risks like cardiovascular disease, cancer, smoking, and alcohol consumption, contribute to the country's life expectancy of 74.8 years—the second lowest in the EU. The COVID-19 pandemic also had a significant impact, leading to a sharp drop in life expectancy that has not yet fully rebounded. The potential impact of artificial intelligence on issues like understaffing and public health campaigns was not lost on the cluster during the presentation, and led to several in-depth discussions. The group identified several issues within Latvia’s healthcare system, notably its fragmented e-health infrastructure, which leads to inconsistent access to patient records and delays in care. AI-powered solutions were seen as a way to streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and improve patient access to care. Among the proposed solutions was the introduction of AI-powered chatbots for initial consultations. These bots could help triage patients, offer health recommendations, and reduce waiting times. Additionally, the group suggested integrating Latvia’s existing e-health systems to create a more centralized platform for patient records, improving access and efficiency. Central to the healthcare cluster's discussions was digital twin technology, which creates virtual models of patients based on data from electronic health records, wearable devices, and AI. These digital replicas can simulate health conditions, predict outcomes, and inform personalized treatment plans. The technology holds significant promise for improving healthcare delivery, enhancing diagnostics, and reducing inefficiencies in the system. The cluster also discussed the Belgian-led EDITH (Enhanced Digital Twin for Health) initiative, which aims to create a secure, cross-border framework for sharing digital twin data across healthcare systems in Europe. By complying with EU data privacy regulations, EDITH seeks to enable collaboration between countries while safeguarding patient confidentiality. For Latvia, such initiatives could provide a much-needed solution to ongoing challenges such as long wait times and fragmented healthcare data. The group also explored the ethical concerns surrounding AI-assisted diagnoses. They emphasized the importance of integrating AI as a tool that supports healthcare professionals rather than replacing them, ensuring that technology complements human expertise without undermining trust in medical practitioners. Oleksandra Frankevych, a student at Riga Technical University, gave a presentation on Ukrainian e-Health systems and their applications in public health, and potential applications of similar e-Health structures to alleviate burdens on the Latvian healthcare system. In the spirit of the conference, intercultural and international idea exchanges were a key part of the cluster’s discussion, as participants exchanged e-Health strategies and anecdotes from their home countries to see how they could be applied to the Latvian healthcare system, or how their home countries compared in terms of healthcare delivery strategies. While the cluster’s formal brainstorming sessions focused on policy development, the conference was abuzz with both formal and informal exchanges on the subject of artificial intelligence, technology, peace and security, and discussions of the day’s panels or keynote speeches. In hallways, dining areas, and late-night library sessions, new ideas were constantly being proposed to tackle challenges faced by the clusters and their ambassadors. Throughout the conference, the lasting impression of this constant energy was one of inspiration - the knowledge that every Youth Ambassador, Journalist, GBYEN-member, and DBJW-member was surrounded by a group of like-minded young people all motivated to address the very real issues facing our generations as we grow into the workforce and the world. Beyond the healthcare cluster, other groups tackled equally impactful issues, from countering disinformation to addressing migration policy and enhancing climate resilience, with the overarching theme of “Artificial Intelligence in Crisis Management”. Each cluster faced tight deadlines to produce recommendations, yet their energy and focus never wavered. The conference’s busy schedule also provided plenty of time for networking and appreciation of Vilnius’ culture and history. Youth Ambassadors participated in events such as a  city-wide scavenger hunt that provided a comprehensive, interactive tour of historical Vilnius; Rīgas Danči, led by Rozite Ponne, the head of the DBJW’s Latvian country office, introduced the conference attendees to traditional Latvian instruments, music, and dances; a visit to the MO museum introduced participants to Lithuania’s rich artistic and cultural scene; and on the final night of the conference, participants dined together in the Neringa Restaurant, where the atmosphere was one of camaraderie and celebration as youth ambassadors, GBYEN-members, and journalists alike toasted to the work they had achieved together and prepared their presentations for the closing ceremony held the next morning. On the morning of the 27th of October, after four days of intense brainstorming, dialogues, discussions, and debates with experts, and research, each cluster presented the work they had completed and the recommendations for their respective parliaments to a packed auditorium, followed by their respective journalists’ remarks on the cluster’s work. As the conference drew to a close, and the host city of the German-Baltic Conference 2025 was announced as Riga, delegates left with more than just policy drafts. They carried a renewed sense of purpose and a network of like-minded changemakers. For example, Leni Biechele, a youth ambassador in my cluster, noted that she had gained new perspectives on her home country’s healthcare system and approach to artificial intelligence thanks to her work on Latvian healthcare, which she would bring home with her once the conference was over. As a Young Journalist, I can only end this article with the last remarks I gave to the conference attendees themselves as part of the journalists’ presentations: “After this week, I find myself genuinely hopeful - as both a young person, and medical student, growing up to face the challenges posed by this decade. Over these past days, I’ve seen the dedication, insight, and resilience of everyone here. I truly believe that, while the present may be uncertain, things could also get much better if you stay true to yourselves and keep asking yourself - how can I create meaningful change? What can I do to make this better?”   If you are interested in the policy paper of cluster B, take a look here! Graphic Recording by: Agne Rapalaite-Rasiule, visualmind.lt Photos by: Simonas Lukoševičius (Instagram: @simonas_luko)

Since 2019, the German-Baltic Conference (GBC) has brought together young people from all over Europe to meet in one of the major Baltic cities, giving them a platform to make their voices heard. From 24 to 27 October 2024 , participants of this year’s conference had the opportunity to join working groups in Vilnius that focus on policy development and civic engagement. Four clusters with 36 young individuals ( Youth Ambassadors ) were engaged in developing sustainable policy approaches in the realms of the environment, economy, society, and values – drafting their own policy and position papers around the topic “ AI for Europe: Reinventing Crisis Management ” that subsequently will be disseminated to political actors and decision-makers. Concurrently, the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN) has brought together stakeholders from civil society, administration, politics, and beyond, to explore future challenges and opportunities of youth exchange in the Baltic region and Europe. The conference provided them with an inspiring programme comprising networking opportunities, expert keynotes, and insight into local best practice and culture. Since 2023, the DBJW has supplemented the conference’s programme by offering five young people the possibility to participate as Young journalists , shadowing the work of one of the clusters and of the GBYEN group. Throughout the conference, they closely accompany the discussions and the development of the end results and present in a creative way what the GBC looks like from the inside.  We are extremely happy to share the work of Franziska Müller , who has been selected as the Young journalist to follow the work of cluster D , focusing on the topic “ AI in Climate Change Management ”. Franziska’s work involved preparing reports and video footage, resulting in a 10-minute-long documentary film that presents in a unique way the working process of the Youth Ambassadors, the ambiance of the conference, and the framework programmes in Vilnius. We thank wholeheartedly Franziska for her contribution and hope you will enjoy the film! If you are interested in the policy paper of cluster D, take a look here! Documentary Film by: Franziska Müller Photos by: Simonas Lukoševičius (Instagram: @simonas_luko) Graphic Recording by: Agne Rapalaite-Rasiule, visualmind.lt

By Marc Martorell Junyent Marc is a journalist and researcher based in Munich, Germany. He covered the German-Baltic Conference 2024 as a Young Journalist, following the work of Cluster A: AI in Refugee Protection & Humanitarian Aid. The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania is a welcoming building at the western end of Vilnius’ main street, Gediminas Avenue. The library, in the city centre of the Lithuanian capital, hosted the working sessions of the German-Baltic Conference 2024, which took place between October 24th and October 27th. The conference, organised by the German-Baltic Future Foundation, is a yearly event held in different Baltic cities. Its aim is “to connect young people, especially those living in Germany and the Baltic States, and to strengthen their voice in politics.”   There could hardly have been a more appropriate location than the National Library for those conference participants organised in Cluster A, which focused on AI in Refugee Protection & Humanitarian Aid. The addressees of Cluster A’s recommendations on how to improve the protection of refugees and the provision of necessary assistance are the elected representatives of the Lithuanian people. They work in the building next to the National Library, the Lithuanian parliament, known as the Seimas. The second round of the elections to the Seimas coincided with the last day of the German-Baltic Conference.    The conference was organised into four different clusters. Apart from Cluster A, three other clusters discussed healthcare, disinformation, and climate change—always from an AI perspective. The target countries were, respectively, Latvia, Germany, and Estonia. In a somewhat different format, the conference also convened the German-Baltic Youth Exchange Network (GBYEN), which brought together young members of civil society organisations, politics, and administration to discuss youth cooperation in Europe. The participants in Cluster A brought with them different academic backgrounds. Studies in International Relations, Political Science, and Public Policy were common, but also in Law and even Linguistics. The cluster was headed by Sergej Stoma, a master's student at Sciences Po Paris law school specialising in public international law. This was Stoma’s first experience as head of cluster. He had participated in a previous conference held in Tallinn, but only as an external guest to take part in the activities of the GBYEN. Stoma noted that the Cluster A participants displayed “a wide range of perspectives and expertise, which enriched the discussions but also made it challenging to select priorities. Some of the participants had more knowledge of specific AI solutions and technologies, while others had more to contribute to policy and legal issues.” As head of cluster, Stoma’s task was to assist and coordinate the work of the cluster participants. The participants had been selected around September and already had many hours of work behind them when they met in person for the first time in Vilnius. Three different online meetings had taken place before the conference began. During these meetings, they learned about national and international legal frameworks regulating the protection of refugees. Among them, Lithuania’s Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners or the 1951 Refugee Convention.   The participants also became better acquainted with the specific situation in Lithuania. The country, which borders Latvia, Belarus, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, is one of the EU members processing fewer asylum requests. During the first half of 2024, and according to the European Union Agency for Asylum, Lithuania received  72 asylum applications per million inhabitants, which compares to an EU average of 1108 applications per million inhabitants. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Lithuania has reported  90,780 asylum-seekers as of October 2024. Once in Vilnius, the cluster participants shaped the final policy paper during several working sessions held on the ground floor of the National Library from Friday to Saturday. The work was sometimes carried out in separate groups that later presented their ideas to all the cluster members. The discussions were focused on identifying key areas of improvement regarding refugee protection and humanitarian aid in Lithuania and establishing recommendations to address these challenges with the help of AI technology.   For instance, one of the key issues in Lithuania is that asylum application processes are often long and inefficient. Another one is that integration services can be ineffective or insufficient. One of the cluster’s suggestions to address these problems is the creation of a multifunctional app for refugees and asylum seekers. The app would provide them with information about relevant legal procedures as well as language learning assistance to improve their Lithuanian skills. The app, with some functions facilitated by AI technology, would also ease the cultural integration of refugees thanks to practical guidance on Lithuania’s everyday life.   The cluster’s participants received the professional assistance of Laurynas Biek š a, an Associate Professor of International Human Rights Protection and Asylum Law at Mykolas Romeris University. Biekša, who is also a lawyer specialised in migration law and human rights law, visited the cluster to answer questions and give his opinion on the cluster’s work. Biekša provided the participants with specific advice on how to effectively formulate their policy proposals so that they resonate with the politicians who have the power to implement them.   One of the cluster’s participants was Agnė Jankauskaitė, from Lithuania. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and European Politics. Jankauskaitė explained she was influenced in her choice of study by her previous experience at the German-Baltic Conference 2023, which took place in Tartu, Estonia. She covered the conference as a Young Journalist. When asked about the key learnings she made during this year’s conference, Jankauskaitė mentioned she greatly expanded her knowledge about international and Lithuanian migration laws and asylum-seeking processes. Even more important, she said, was the great teamwork experience. In her words: “It was beautiful to see how it all worked out due to our cooperative efforts and mostly to the great skills of our leader.” Maximilian Arndt, from Germany, is currently finishing his second bachelor’s degree. After finishing a bachelor’s in Romance Studies and Philosophy and History of Law, he now studies Empirical Linguistics, with a focus on Baltic Studies and Phonetics. Arndt and Jankauskaitė referred to similar learnings during the conference. Arndt, however, specifically highlighted how he gained new knowledge about various technologies that can assist refugees, such as geofencing. Arndt also had very positive words about Stoma, the head of cluster. “I am deeply impressed by the leadership and organisation skills of our cluster head,” he said.   During the last event of the conference, the different clusters presented their work before the other participants, who had the opportunity to raise questions. After a short introduction by Stoma, the presenters from Cluster A took the stage. David Ehresmann, Vincent Tadday, and Agnė Jankauskaitė provided some background information about the situation of refugees in Lithuania before delving into the issues that need to be addressed and the specific recommendations.   Reflecting on the experience of coordinating Cluster A’s work three weeks after the conference’s conclusion, Stoma remarked that “synthesising diverse contributions into a cohesive, structured document was a demanding but ultimately rewarding exercise.” He also expressed his satisfaction that “the final policy paper reflected the collective input of all participants while maintaining clarity and focus, not a single idea was left out.”   The German-Baltic Conference 2024 did not only include work meetings but offered an agenda full of diverse events. Just to name a few, on Friday the 25th, a panel discussion was convened under the title "Weaponizing Disinformation: Insights from Ukraine and the EU's Response." The following day, Erika Kuročkina, Vice-Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, offered a keynote speech on “Building a Future-Ready Workforce: AI, Youth, and Education in the Baltics.” The participants also profited from a rich cultural program. One of these cultural activities was a music performance by Rīgas Danči, a Latvian folklore group. The performance engaged the public from the very beginning and was received with warm applause. On Saturday, there was time for a visit to the Modern Art Museum. After dividing into four different groups, the visitors were offered a guided tour of the exhibition From Within , a combination of art history and psychology inspired by the work of psychoanalyst Carl Gustav Jung and philosopher Alain de Botton. When asked about her opinion on the extra-academic activities, Jankauskaitė noted that they “were perfect in providing a relaxing atmosphere after intense working sessions”. She also liked “the possibility for foreigners to get to know Lithuanian and Baltic culture better.” The International Relations student noted that the conference was a good occasion to make “meaningful connections” with other participants. Stoma, the head of cluster, explained he enjoyed the social activities, which “provided an excellent opportunity to connect with participants in a more informal setting.” Similarly, Ardnt, the Empirical Linguistics student, said that the encounter in Vilnius was “a great opportunity to meet people with similar interests” although he would have favoured a less tight schedule that would have left more time to get acquainted with new people. On the last day of the German-Baltic Conference 2024, it was announced that the next conference will be hosted in Riga, the capital of Latvia. As the conference in Vilnius drew to a close, and some participants rushed to their travel connections to return home, others discussed applying again in one year’s time.   If you are interested in the policy paper of cluster A, take a look here! Graphic Recording by: Agne Rapalaite-Rasiule, visualmind.lt Photos by: Simonas Lukoševičius (Instagram: @simonas_luko)