EFA26 Programme


The programme and list of speakers will be updated continuously. We look forward to seeing you in Alpbach!

EFA26: 24 August - 4 September 2026

Europe faces fundamental questions: Is Europe currently on the road to victory? Can Europe still win on the decisive issues? EFA26 will explore these questions, with voices from politics, science, business and culture, with young thinkers and experienced decision-makers.

Speakers Selection

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Mairéad McGuinness

EU Special Envoy for the Promotion of Freedom (FoRB) of Religion or Belief

European Commission

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Iara Lee

Activist, Filmmaker, and Cultural Producer

Cultures of Resistance

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Armin Laschet

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee

German Bundestag

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Ignacy Niemczycki

Secretary of State for European Affairs

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Poland

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Enrico Letta

Dean IE University, Madrid and President Jacques Delors Institute, Paris

IE University and Jacques Delors Institute

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Siegfried Mureșan

Member of the European Parliament, Vice Chair of the EPP Group

European Parliament

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Sandrine Dixson-Declève

Executive Chair

Earth4all

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Daniela Schwarzer

President elect

Hertie School

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Christoph Wiederkehr

Federal Minister for Education

Austrian Ministry of Education (BMB)

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Burkhard Balz

Member of the Executive Board

Deutsche Bundesbank

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Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer

Federal Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism

Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy and Tourism

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Maria Kalesnikava

Belarusian civil rights leader and recipient of the Charlemagne Prize

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Ivan Krastev

Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow

Institute for Human Sciences, IWM Vienna

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Thomas Byrne

Minister of State for European Affairs and Defence

Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ireland

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Markus Aspelmeyer

Scientific Director

Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information (IQOQI), Austrian Academy of Sciences

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Mario Nava

Director-General DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion

European Commission

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Martin Vohánka

CEO & Founder

BLIZKSOBE Foundation

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Olivia Lazard

Fellow at the Berggruen Institute; Founder at Transition Intelligence

Berggruen Institute; Transition Intelligence

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Magnus Brunner

EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration

European Commission

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Ferit Hoxha

Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs

Government of Albania

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Gernot Wagner

Climate Economist

Columbia Business School

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Agnès Bénassy-Quéré

Deputy Governor

Banque de France

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Micael Johansson

President and CEO

Saab AB

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Peter Bosek

CEO

Erste Group

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Korinna Schumann

Federal Minister

Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection (BMASGPK)

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Peter Hanke

Federal Minister for Innovation, Mobility and Infrastructure

Republic of Austria

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Alexander Van der Bellen

Federal President

Republic of Austria

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Kirsten Dunlop

CEO

Climate KIC

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Clara Raposo

Vice-Governor

Banco de Portugal

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Arancha González Laya

Dean Paris School of International Affairs (Sciences Po); fmr. Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain

Modules

Programme

All times in CEST
Academy Days
Starting times
Morning
Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
English 180
Europe's security landscape is changing rapidly, existing strategies no longer reflect today's geopolitical realities. In this Studio, participants will analyse what is needed for Europe to remain relevant,  develop their priorities as future leaders as an input for a renewed EU Security Strategy in formulating concrete policy proposals. If you are ready to think outside the box, you have found your event.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Rogger-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
English 180
The world is on track to exceed 1.5 °C of warming. Climate stabilisation depends on both rapidly cutting emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale. Removals are therefore an essential climate action, yet often poorly understood. This seminar explores what carbon dioxide removal is and examines the legal challenges and opportunities of net-negative emissions in the EU and beyond.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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09:30 - 12:30 Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
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+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
English 180
AI is reshaping health systems, environments, and societies, bringing opportunities and risks – but who decides how? Who benefits and who gets left behind? How do we plan for the sustainable use of AI? This interactive seminar equips participants to navigate the key debates around AI governance. Discussing foundational concepts, real-world risks, and governance frameworks, we build towards a shared vision of sustainable, equitable AI futures.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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09:30 - 12:30 Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
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+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
English 180
The rules-based international order is under pressure: protectionism and the strategic use of economic policy instruments are reshaping global politics and trade. This seminar explores the rise of geo-economics and examines how states use economic tools to pursue political objectives. Participants will discuss the implications for Europe’s open and interconnected economy.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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09:30 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
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+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
English 180
Financial technologies are reshaping how markets work and citizens access services – while redrawing the balance between public and private power, transforming how money is created, and opening new arenas of competition among states and between states and corporations. How can we ensure sovereignty, data control, and self-determination in this new world? Designed for non-experts, this seminar unpacks what is at stake for society and the world economy. 
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
English 180
New forms of great power competition are reshaping the dependency calculus of every region. How can the EU and its global partners reconfigure such dependencies in a world shaped by US-China rivalry, Russian aggression, and the transactional dismantling of multilateralism?The seminar will tackle this question conceptually but also strategically, asking which dependencies to shed and which to deepen, and explore how to pursue genuine interdependence rather than the illusion of full independence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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09:30 - 12:30 Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
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+1
SEC
SEM
Content
A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
English 180
Our systems are failing future generations, by design, not accident. This seminar confronts uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and short-termism, asking what it means to act with intergenerational justice in mind. Rooted in scholarship on provoking consciousness and action, the seminar challenges assumptions that keep unjust systems in place. You will leave with a concrete plan to advance justice where you have the greatest influence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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09:30 - 12:30 A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
English 180
What does it mean to win? At what costs may victory be achieved? Are the antagonistic and violent practices and narratives of war and victory reconcilable with a sustainable peace? This seminar critically explores the concept of victory from Antiquity to today and specifically looks at the idea of victory in war. By incorporating moral, political, and cultural considerations, victory in the 21st century is reimagined. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 2
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09:30 - 12:30 Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
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+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
English 180
If digital sovereignty is about the ability to say ‘yes’ to a digital future that aligns with one’s interests and values – and ‘no’ to a future that doesn’t – Europe currently lacks it. In this workshop, we examine why this is the case and why it matters, what can and what should be done about it, and which policies and politics can get Europe there.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
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+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
English 180
How do we find the will to act when things seem hopeless? Because we are agents who care, our relationship to the future is driven by emotions like hope, anxiety, and despair – not mere feelings, but evaluative states that orient us toward action. Drawing on philosophy and the science of emotion, this interactive seminar invites you to explore how to harness these emotions, individually and collectively, to bring about the futures you value.
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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09:30 - 12:30 Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
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+1
SEM
Content
Science and Ethics
English 180
Can we separate science and ethics? Where do we draw the boundaries?? In Artificial Intelligence, fairness and accountability are inseparable from how systems learn and how they justify knowledge. Scientific choices are moral choices, and ethics depend on scientific assumptions. The seminar explores good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, including falsification and fraud in academic research.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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09:30 - 12:30 Science and Ethics
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+1
SEM
Content
Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
English 180
How can Europe’s cities become the places where transition is governed and the future is built? Europe has entered a new phase: climate collapse is no longer a distant risk, but a reality to be governed. This studio builds systems literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and democratic imagination among young professionals. Participants leave with a deeper understanding to act as bridge-builders across sectors, borders, and generations.  //INFO: Clothing and shoes for outdoor activities are recommended.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
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+1
STU
Content
One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
English 180
Global (One) Health demands more than incremental fixes. This studio shifts from reactive problem-solving to future-oriented innovation. Using sensing and reframing techniques, participants explore emerging potentials and questions in One Health. We challenge existing paradigms to co-create radical new questions and innovation pathways, equipping participants to proactively shape a resilient future. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Flora-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Embodied Experiences of Democracy
English 180
In this studio, participants explore the political dramaturgy of emotions  – where theatre meets sociology. Emotions are movements, words, and gestures that shape how we live together. The ways we stand, speak, and relate enact democratic order. Conversely, emotions we suppress in public to sustain control can quietly erode democracy itself.  //INFO: This project has received funding from the European Commission under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions Grant, No 101132327. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Embodied Experiences of Democracy
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+1
STU
Content
Noon
Strangers in a Gondola
English 90
You are warmly invited to take a delightful 20-minute journey on a gondola up to the majestic Alpbach’s mountain. Here’s the twist: You will be sharing the gondola with fellow participants who you haven’t crossed paths with before. To add an element of fun during your gondola trip, an engaging quiz awaits you, challenging your knowledge without relying on Google, and incorporating time-based questions. Upon reaching the mountain’s summit, you can enjoy a delightful coffee and lunch break with the scenic panorama in the restaurant or opt for a refreshing hike. This view is absolutely worth experiencing! //INFO: Bring hiking shoes or comfortable shoes, water, and sun protection. Remember, you will be in the nature! Please note that you need to bring your Alpbach Card to use the Gondola.
Wiedersbergerhornbahn , Wiedersbergerhornbahn - Bergstation
13:00 - 14:30 Strangers in a Gondola
Network
Food for Thought
60
“Food for Thought” takes the form of an open space following the concept of a “Speaker’s Corner”, where anyone is invited to suggest a topic of their choice and facilitate a discussion on it. Anyone – chairs, distinguished visitors, scholarship holders, villagers, EFA staff and others – can host a presentation. We look forward to lively discussions! //INFO: Please inform the responsible EFA team member the day before you’re planning to speak.  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
13:30 - 14:30 Food for Thought
Content
Afternoon
OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
English 180
Leading people is the ultimate core competence of the military. The action-oriented outdoor peer-to-peer seminar, led by cadets from the Theresian Military Academy Austria, seeks to find answers to the general theme of EFA26, “How Europe wins”, under the seminar title “OPCON”. In this context, OPCON stands for operational control and is intended to express that a common approach will be needed – while still respecting the sovereignty of the individual actors.   //INFO: The seminar takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. Sportswear and sneakers are recommended.  
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Loggia
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15:00 - 18:00 OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
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+1
SEM
Content
Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
English 180
Most people who want to change the world start from a cause they love and a set solution in mind. Policy entrepreneurs ask first: which problem actually needs me and how can I make the most impact? Over five days you learn cause selection, counterfactual thinking, and coalition building, using real cases. You leave with your own theory of change and first steps to make the most impact possible.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
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15:00 - 18:00 Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
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DEM
SEM
Content
Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
English 180
Europe's security landscape is changing rapidly, existing strategies no longer reflect today's geopolitical realities. In this Studio, participants will analyse what is needed for Europe to remain relevant,  develop their priorities as future leaders as an input for a renewed EU Security Strategy in formulating concrete policy proposals. If you are ready to think outside the box, you have found your event.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Rogger-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
English 180
This seminar makes capital markets tangible. Participants act as investors, make decisions under uncertainty, and explore how capital shapes companies and Europe’s future. Simulation, expert insights, and discussion connect theory with real-world application. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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15:00 - 18:00 Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
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+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
English 180
Ecological and social crises dominate the newsfeeds, pushing many people into apathy. How can artistic practices offer a way out? In the seminar, stories of resistance will be explored: Participants will learn about activist filmmaking, engage in dialogue about the narratives we are surrounded by, and create their own piece of hope to empower themselves and others.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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15:00 - 18:00 Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
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+1
ART
SEM
Content
How Europe Winds
English 180
Air is essential yet often taken for granted, despite shaping movement, interaction, and perception. The posed question is not How Europe Wins but Winds — like a wind that opens spaces, brings together different voices, and creates new possibilities. Through movement, sound, and collective improvisation, participants are invited to explore ways of expressing themselves artistically. The session culminates in a shared performance, weaving together movement, sound, and expression. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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15:00 - 18:00 How Europe Winds
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+2
ART
SEM
Content
Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
English 180
This seminar will explore the ways in which many individuals can end up working as a cohesive team. Creating an effective and dynamic piece of theatre requires every actor to work seamlessly with the rest of the ensemble regardless of whether their part is major or minor. Acting students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London will share those parts of their training that enable this important connection. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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15:00 - 18:00 Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
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+1
ART
SEM
Content
Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
English 180
Many actors are introduced to theatre when their parents send them to theatre workshops to overcome their shyness and gain confidence; they end up going on stage in front of hundreds of people. The stage is their place of safety. So, what is it about working together to create a piece of theatre that produces this feeling? This seminar, led by students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, will explore this question. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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15:00 - 18:00 Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Embodied Experiences of Democracy
English 180
In this studio, participants explore the political dramaturgy of emotions  – where theatre meets sociology. Emotions are movements, words, and gestures that shape how we live together. The ways we stand, speak, and relate enact democratic order. Conversely, emotions we suppress in public to sustain control can quietly erode democracy itself. //INFO: This project has received funding from the European Commission under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions Grant, No 101132327
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Embodied Experiences of Democracy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
English 180
Global (One) Health demands more than incremental fixes. This studio shifts from reactive problem-solving to future-oriented innovation. Using sensing and reframing techniques, participants explore emerging potentials and questions in One Health. We challenge existing paradigms to co-create radical new questions and innovation pathways, equipping participants to proactively shape a resilient future. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Flora-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
180
How can Europe’s cities become the places where transition is governed and the future is built? Europe has entered a new phase: climate collapse is no longer a distant risk, but a reality to be governed. This studio builds systems literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and democratic imagination among young professionals. Participants leave with a deeper understanding to act as bridge-builders across sectors, borders, and generations. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
English 180
Globally, polarisation is rising, yet confrontation isn’t inevitable. Constructive dialogue, curiosity over conflict, and finding common ground are choices we can make. This seminar explores the state of division and what it means for society. Through case studies, workshops, and interactive activities, we’'ll examine the forces shaping political disagreement, and how we can bridge divides to have more productive political conversations.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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15:00 - 18:00 Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
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+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
English 180
Europe is often treated as geographical entity rather than a community shaped by shared values, such as cooperation, leadership, and empathy. This seminar uses story, poetry, memoir, reflective essays, and collaborative projects to explore ideas of solidarity, responsibility, and belonging across cultures and generations. Participants develop original texts and new perspectives that support dialogue and understanding across borders.
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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15:00 - 18:00 Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
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+1
ART
SEM
Content
Rewilding Environmental Practices
English 180
What if the future could be otherwise? This seminar explores imaginative agency through lateral thinking: taking detours, embracing surprise, and making the familiar strange. We will read and discuss texts, walkthrough the forest, observe, photograph, draw, write, cut, paste, and map. Together, we will create a collective utopian map of futures that do not yet exist - but perhaps could.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 Rewilding Environmental Practices
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+1
ART
SEM
Content
Starting times
Morning
Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
English 180
Europe's security landscape is changing rapidly, existing strategies no longer reflect today's geopolitical realities. In this Studio, participants will analyse what is needed for Europe to remain relevant,  develop their priorities as future leaders as an input for a renewed EU Security Strategy in formulating concrete policy proposals. If you are ready to think outside the box, you have found your event.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Rogger-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
English 180
AI is reshaping health systems, environments, and societies, bringing opportunities and risks – but who decides how? Who benefits and who gets left behind? How do we plan for the sustainable use of AI? This interactive seminar equips participants to navigate the key debates around AI governance. Discussing foundational concepts, real-world risks, and governance frameworks, we build towards a shared vision of sustainable, equitable AI futures.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
English 180
The world is on track to exceed 1.5 °C of warming. Climate stabilisation depends on both rapidly cutting emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale. Removals are therefore an essential climate action, yet often poorly understood. This seminar explores what carbon dioxide removal is and examines the legal challenges and opportunities of net-negative emissions in the EU and beyond.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
English 180
How do we find the will to act when things seem hopeless? Because we are agents who care, our relationship to the future is driven by emotions like hope, anxiety, and despair – not mere feelings, but evaluative states that orient us toward action. Drawing on philosophy and the science of emotion, this interactive seminar invites you to explore how to harness these emotions, individually and collectively, to bring about the futures you value.
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
English 180
What does it mean to win? At what costs may victory be achieved? Are the antagonistic and violent practices and narratives of war and victory reconcilable with a sustainable peace? This seminar critically explores the concept of victory from Antiquity to today and specifically looks at the idea of victory in war. By incorporating moral, political, and cultural considerations, victory in the 21st century is reimagined. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 2
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
English 180
The rules-based international order is under pressure: protectionism and the strategic use of economic policy instruments are reshaping global politics and trade. This seminar explores the rise of geo-economics and examines how states use economic tools to pursue political objectives. Participants will discuss the implications for Europe’s open and interconnected economy.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
English 180
Financial technologies are reshaping how markets work and citizens access services – while redrawing the balance between public and private power, transforming how money is created, and opening new arenas of competition among states and between states and corporations. How can we ensure sovereignty, data control, and self-determination in this new world? Designed for non-experts, this seminar unpacks what is at stake for society and the world economy. 
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
English 180
New forms of great power competition are reshaping the dependency calculus of every region. How can the EU and its global partners reconfigure such dependencies in a world shaped by US-China rivalry, Russian aggression, and the transactional dismantling of multilateralism?The seminar will tackle this question conceptually but also strategically, asking which dependencies to shed and which to deepen, and explore how to pursue genuine interdependence rather than the illusion of full independence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
English 180
Our systems are failing future generations, by design, not accident. This seminar confronts uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and short-termism, asking what it means to act with intergenerational justice in mind. Rooted in scholarship on provoking consciousness and action, the seminar challenges assumptions that keep unjust systems in place. You will leave with a concrete plan to advance justice where you have the greatest influence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
English 180
If digital sovereignty is about the ability to say ‘yes’ to a digital future that aligns with one’s interests and values – and ‘no’ to a future that doesn’t – Europe currently lacks it. In this workshop, we examine why this is the case and why it matters, what can and what should be done about it, and which policies and politics can get Europe there.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
English 180
How can Europe’s cities become the places where transition is governed and the future is built? Europe has entered a new phase: climate collapse is no longer a distant risk, but a reality to be governed. This studio builds systems literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and democratic imagination among young professionals. Participants leave with a deeper understanding to act as bridge-builders across sectors, borders, and generations.  //INFO: Clothing and shoes for outdoor activities are recommended.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Embodied Experiences of Democracy
English 180
In this studio, participants explore the political dramaturgy of emotions  – where theatre meets sociology. Emotions are movements, words, and gestures that shape how we live together. The ways we stand, speak, and relate enact democratic order. Conversely, emotions we suppress in public to sustain control can quietly erode democracy itself.  //INFO: This project has received funding from the European Commission under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions Grant, No 101132327. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Embodied Experiences of Democracy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Science and Ethics
English 180
Can we separate science and ethics? Where do we draw the boundaries?? In Artificial Intelligence, fairness and accountability are inseparable from how systems learn and how they justify knowledge. Scientific choices are moral choices, and ethics depend on scientific assumptions. The seminar explores good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, including falsification and fraud in academic research.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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09:30 - 12:30 Science and Ethics
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+1
SEM
Content
One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
English 180
Global (One) Health demands more than incremental fixes. This studio shifts from reactive problem-solving to future-oriented innovation. Using sensing and reframing techniques, participants explore emerging potentials and questions in One Health. We challenge existing paradigms to co-create radical new questions and innovation pathways, equipping participants to proactively shape a resilient future. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Flora-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Afternoon
Rewilding Environmental Practices
English 180
What if the future could be otherwise? This seminar explores imaginative agency through lateral thinking: taking detours, embracing surprise, and making the familiar strange. We will read and discuss texts, walkthrough the forest, observe, photograph, draw, write, cut, paste, and map. Together, we will create a collective utopian map of futures that do not yet exist - but perhaps could.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 Rewilding Environmental Practices
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
English 180
Global (One) Health demands more than incremental fixes. This studio shifts from reactive problem-solving to future-oriented innovation. Using sensing and reframing techniques, participants explore emerging potentials and questions in One Health. We challenge existing paradigms to co-create radical new questions and innovation pathways, equipping participants to proactively shape a resilient future. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Flora-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
English 180
Globally, polarisation is rising, yet confrontation isn’t inevitable. Constructive dialogue, curiosity over conflict, and finding common ground are choices we can make. This seminar explores the state of division and what it means for society. Through case studies, workshops, and interactive activities, we’'ll examine the forces shaping political disagreement, and how we can bridge divides to have more productive political conversations.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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15:00 - 18:00 Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
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+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
English 180
Many actors are introduced to theatre when their parents send them to theatre workshops to overcome their shyness and gain confidence; they end up going on stage in front of hundreds of people. The stage is their place of safety. So, what is it about working together to create a piece of theatre that produces this feeling? This seminar, led by students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, will explore this question. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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15:00 - 18:00 Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
English 180
This seminar will explore the ways in which many individuals can end up working as a cohesive team. Creating an effective and dynamic piece of theatre requires every actor to work seamlessly with the rest of the ensemble regardless of whether their part is major or minor. Acting students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London will share those parts of their training that enable this important connection. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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15:00 - 18:00 Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
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+1
ART
SEM
Content
Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
English 180
This seminar makes capital markets tangible. Participants act as investors, make decisions under uncertainty, and explore how capital shapes companies and Europe’s future. Simulation, expert insights, and discussion connect theory with real-world application. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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15:00 - 18:00 Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
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+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
English 180
Ecological and social crises dominate the newsfeeds, pushing many people into apathy. How can artistic practices offer a way out? In the seminar, stories of resistance will be explored: Participants will learn about activist filmmaking, engage in dialogue about the narratives we are surrounded by, and create their own piece of hope to empower themselves and others.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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15:00 - 18:00 Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
How Europe Winds
English 180
Air is essential yet often taken for granted, despite shaping movement, interaction, and perception. The posed question is not How Europe Wins but Winds — like a wind that opens spaces, brings together different voices, and creates new possibilities. Through movement, sound, and collective improvisation, participants are invited to explore ways of expressing themselves artistically. The session culminates in a shared performance, weaving together movement, sound, and expression. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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15:00 - 18:00 How Europe Winds
speaker-image
+2
ART
SEM
Content
Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
English 180
Most people who want to change the world start from a cause they love and a set solution in mind. Policy entrepreneurs ask first: which problem actually needs me and how can I make the most impact? Over five days you learn cause selection, counterfactual thinking, and coalition building, using real cases. You leave with your own theory of change and first steps to make the most impact possible.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
DEM
SEM
Content
Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
English 180
Europe's security landscape is changing rapidly, existing strategies no longer reflect today's geopolitical realities. In this Studio, participants will analyse what is needed for Europe to remain relevant,  develop their priorities as future leaders as an input for a renewed EU Security Strategy in formulating concrete policy proposals. If you are ready to think outside the box, you have found your event.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Rogger-Saal
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15:00 - 18:00 Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
English 3.060
Leading people is the ultimate core competence of the military. The action-oriented outdoor peer-to-peer seminar, led by cadets from the Theresian Military Academy Austria, seeks to find answers to the general theme of EFA26, “How Europe wins”, under the seminar title “OPCON”. In this context, OPCON stands for operational control and is intended to express that a common approach will be needed – while still respecting the sovereignty of the individual actors.   //INFO: The seminar takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. Sportswear and sneakers are recommended. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Forecourt
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15:00 - 18:00 OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Embodied Experiences of Democracy
English 180
In this studio, participants explore the political dramaturgy of emotions  – where theatre meets sociology. Emotions are movements, words, and gestures that shape how we live together. The ways we stand, speak, and relate enact democratic order. Conversely, emotions we suppress in public to sustain control can quietly erode democracy itself. //INFO: This project has received funding from the European Commission under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions Grant, No 101132327
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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15:00 - 18:00 Embodied Experiences of Democracy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
English 180
Europe is often treated as geographical entity rather than a community shaped by shared values, such as cooperation, leadership, and empathy. This seminar uses story, poetry, memoir, reflective essays, and collaborative projects to explore ideas of solidarity, responsibility, and belonging across cultures and generations. Participants develop original texts and new perspectives that support dialogue and understanding across borders.
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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15:00 - 18:00 Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
180
How can Europe’s cities become the places where transition is governed and the future is built? Europe has entered a new phase: climate collapse is no longer a distant risk, but a reality to be governed. This studio builds systems literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and democratic imagination among young professionals. Participants leave with a deeper understanding to act as bridge-builders across sectors, borders, and generations. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Starting times
Morning
Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
English 180
Europe's security landscape is changing rapidly, existing strategies no longer reflect today's geopolitical realities. In this Studio, participants will analyse what is needed for Europe to remain relevant,  develop their priorities as future leaders as an input for a renewed EU Security Strategy in formulating concrete policy proposals. If you are ready to think outside the box, you have found your event.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Rogger-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Examining EU Security: Shaping Europe’s Next Security Strategy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
English 180
How can Europe’s cities become the places where transition is governed and the future is built? Europe has entered a new phase: climate collapse is no longer a distant risk, but a reality to be governed. This studio builds systems literacy, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and democratic imagination among young professionals. Participants leave with a deeper understanding to act as bridge-builders across sectors, borders, and generations.  //INFO: Clothing and shoes for outdoor activities are recommended.
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Heiss-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Envisioning Europe’s Future Cities
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
English 180
If digital sovereignty is about the ability to say ‘yes’ to a digital future that aligns with one’s interests and values – and ‘no’ to a future that doesn’t – Europe currently lacks it. In this workshop, we examine why this is the case and why it matters, what can and what should be done about it, and which policies and politics can get Europe there.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Embodied Experiences of Democracy
English 180
In this studio, participants explore the political dramaturgy of emotions  – where theatre meets sociology. Emotions are movements, words, and gestures that shape how we live together. The ways we stand, speak, and relate enact democratic order. Conversely, emotions we suppress in public to sustain control can quietly erode democracy itself.  //INFO: This project has received funding from the European Commission under the HORIZON Research and Innovation Actions Grant, No 101132327. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Embodied Experiences of Democracy
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Science and Ethics
English 180
Can we separate science and ethics? Where do we draw the boundaries?? In Artificial Intelligence, fairness and accountability are inseparable from how systems learn and how they justify knowledge. Scientific choices are moral choices, and ethics depend on scientific assumptions. The seminar explores good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, including falsification and fraud in academic research.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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09:30 - 12:30 Science and Ethics
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+1
SEM
Content
Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
English 180
What does it mean to win? At what costs may victory be achieved? Are the antagonistic and violent practices and narratives of war and victory reconcilable with a sustainable peace? This seminar critically explores the concept of victory from Antiquity to today and specifically looks at the idea of victory in war. By incorporating moral, political, and cultural considerations, victory in the 21st century is reimagined. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 2
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09:30 - 12:30 Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
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+1
SEC
SEM
Content
One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
English 180
Global (One) Health demands more than incremental fixes. This studio shifts from reactive problem-solving to future-oriented innovation. Using sensing and reframing techniques, participants explore emerging potentials and questions in One Health. We challenge existing paradigms to co-create radical new questions and innovation pathways, equipping participants to proactively shape a resilient future. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Flora-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 One Health Studio: Sensing Future Potential and Identifying New Questions
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
English 180
Financial technologies are reshaping how markets work and citizens access services – while redrawing the balance between public and private power, transforming how money is created, and opening new arenas of competition among states and between states and corporations. How can we ensure sovereignty, data control, and self-determination in this new world? Designed for non-experts, this seminar unpacks what is at stake for society and the world economy. 
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
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+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
English 180
The rules-based international order is under pressure: protectionism and the strategic use of economic policy instruments are reshaping global politics and trade. This seminar explores the rise of geo-economics and examines how states use economic tools to pursue political objectives. Participants will discuss the implications for Europe’s open and interconnected economy.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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09:30 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
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+1
FIN
SEM
Content
A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
English 180
Our systems are failing future generations, by design, not accident. This seminar confronts uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and short-termism, asking what it means to act with intergenerational justice in mind. Rooted in scholarship on provoking consciousness and action, the seminar challenges assumptions that keep unjust systems in place. You will leave with a concrete plan to advance justice where you have the greatest influence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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09:30 - 12:30 A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
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+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
English 180
New forms of great power competition are reshaping the dependency calculus of every region. How can the EU and its global partners reconfigure such dependencies in a world shaped by US-China rivalry, Russian aggression, and the transactional dismantling of multilateralism?The seminar will tackle this question conceptually but also strategically, asking which dependencies to shed and which to deepen, and explore how to pursue genuine interdependence rather than the illusion of full independence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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09:30 - 12:30 Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
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+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
English 180
How do we find the will to act when things seem hopeless? Because we are agents who care, our relationship to the future is driven by emotions like hope, anxiety, and despair – not mere feelings, but evaluative states that orient us toward action. Drawing on philosophy and the science of emotion, this interactive seminar invites you to explore how to harness these emotions, individually and collectively, to bring about the futures you value.
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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09:30 - 12:30 Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
English 180
AI is reshaping health systems, environments, and societies, bringing opportunities and risks – but who decides how? Who benefits and who gets left behind? How do we plan for the sustainable use of AI? This interactive seminar equips participants to navigate the key debates around AI governance. Discussing foundational concepts, real-world risks, and governance frameworks, we build towards a shared vision of sustainable, equitable AI futures.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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09:30 - 12:30 Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
English 180
The world is on track to exceed 1.5 °C of warming. Climate stabilisation depends on both rapidly cutting emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale. Removals are therefore an essential climate action, yet often poorly understood. This seminar explores what carbon dioxide removal is and examines the legal challenges and opportunities of net-negative emissions in the EU and beyond.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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09:30 - 12:30 Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Afternoon
Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
English 180
European memory is shaped by diverse, contradictory perspectives. How can personal memories help connect perspectives and our lives without reducing them to a single story? In this Studio, we will interpret and connect objects/family stories linked to Europe’s past to gain new perspectives, link past and present, and co-create narratives that make European memory tangible and relevant for our futures. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus – Seminar Room
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15:00 - 18:00 Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
English 180
Most people who want to change the world start from a cause they love and a set solution in mind. Policy entrepreneurs ask first: which problem actually needs me and how can I make the most impact? Over five days you learn cause selection, counterfactual thinking, and coalition building, using real cases. You leave with your own theory of change and first steps to make the most impact possible.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
DEM
SEM
Content
From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
English 180
How can public decisions remain accountable when the conditions around them keep shifting? This Studio brings together complexity science, data, models, and concrete EU policy cases. Participants engage with cases from the European Parliament and prototype approaches to test assumptions, uncertainties, and systemic effects before decisions become difficult and costly to revise.  This Studio is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Complexity Science Hub, in cooperation with the European Parliament. 
Volksschule , Volksschule – Backyard – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
STU
Content
Rewilding Environmental Practices
English 180
What if the future could be otherwise? This seminar explores imaginative agency through lateral thinking: taking detours, embracing surprise, and making the familiar strange. We will read and discuss texts, walkthrough the forest, observe, photograph, draw, write, cut, paste, and map. Together, we will create a collective utopian map of futures that do not yet exist - but perhaps could.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Rewilding Environmental Practices
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
English 180
Leading people is the ultimate core competence of the military. The action-oriented outdoor peer-to-peer seminar, led by cadets from the Theresian Military Academy Austria, seeks to find answers to the general theme of EFA26, “How Europe wins”, under the seminar title “OPCON”. In this context, OPCON stands for operational control and is intended to express that a common approach will be needed – while still respecting the sovereignty of the individual actors.   //INFO: The seminar takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. Sportswear and sneakers are recommended. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Forecourt
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
English 180
A pioneering Citizens’ Assembly brings together young participants to discuss wealth inequality across Europe and beyond. Drawing on high-level expert input and facilitated discussions, participants explore the causes and consequences of extreme wealth concentration and co-create bold, evidence-based solutions for a fairer distribution of wealth, strengthening democracy, social cohesion, and Europe’s future.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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15:00 - 18:00 Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
English 180
Globally, polarisation is rising, yet confrontation isn’t inevitable. Constructive dialogue, curiosity over conflict, and finding common ground are choices we can make. This seminar explores the state of division and what it means for society. Through case studies, workshops, and interactive activities, we’'ll examine the forces shaping political disagreement, and how we can bridge divides to have more productive political conversations.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
English 180
This seminar will explore the ways in which many individuals can end up working as a cohesive team. Creating an effective and dynamic piece of theatre requires every actor to work seamlessly with the rest of the ensemble regardless of whether their part is major or minor. Acting students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London will share those parts of their training that enable this important connection. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
English 180
This seminar makes capital markets tangible. Participants act as investors, make decisions under uncertainty, and explore how capital shapes companies and Europe’s future. Simulation, expert insights, and discussion connect theory with real-world application. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
English 180
Many actors are introduced to theatre when their parents send them to theatre workshops to overcome their shyness and gain confidence; they end up going on stage in front of hundreds of people. The stage is their place of safety. So, what is it about working together to create a piece of theatre that produces this feeling? This seminar, led by students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, will explore this question. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
English 180
Ecological and social crises dominate the newsfeeds, pushing many people into apathy. How can artistic practices offer a way out? In the seminar, stories of resistance will be explored: Participants will learn about activist filmmaking, engage in dialogue about the narratives we are surrounded by, and create their own piece of hope to empower themselves and others.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
How Europe Winds
English 180
Air is essential yet often taken for granted, despite shaping movement, interaction, and perception. The posed question is not How Europe Wins but Winds — like a wind that opens spaces, brings together different voices, and creates new possibilities. Through movement, sound, and collective improvisation, participants are invited to explore ways of expressing themselves artistically. The session culminates in a shared performance, weaving together movement, sound, and expression. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
speaker-image speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 How Europe Winds
speaker-image
+2
ART
SEM
Content
Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
English 180
Europe is often treated as geographical entity rather than a community shaped by shared values, such as cooperation, leadership, and empathy. This seminar uses story, poetry, memoir, reflective essays, and collaborative projects to explore ideas of solidarity, responsibility, and belonging across cultures and generations. Participants develop original texts and new perspectives that support dialogue and understanding across borders.
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Starting times
Morning
Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
English 180
European memory is shaped by diverse, contradictory perspectives. How can personal memories help connect perspectives and our lives without reducing them to a single story? In this Studio, we will interpret and connect objects/family stories linked to Europe’s past to gain new perspectives, link past and present, and co-create narratives that make European memory tangible and relevant for our futures. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus – Seminar Room
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
English 180
How can public decisions remain accountable when the conditions around them keep shifting? This Sstudio brings together complexity science, data, models, and concrete EU policy cases. Participants engage with cases from the European Parliament and prototype approaches to test assumptions, uncertainties, and systemic effects before decisions become difficult and costly to revise. This Studio is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Complexity Science Hub, in cooperation with the European Parliament.
Volksschule , Volksschule – Backyard – Classroom 1
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09:30 - 12:30 From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
STU
Content
Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
English 180
The rules-based international order is under pressure: protectionism and the strategic use of economic policy instruments are reshaping global politics and trade. This seminar explores the rise of geo-economics and examines how states use economic tools to pursue political objectives. Participants will discuss the implications for Europe’s open and interconnected economy.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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09:30 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
English 180
Our systems are failing future generations, by design, not accident. This seminar confronts uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and short-termism, asking what it means to act with intergenerational justice in mind. Rooted in scholarship on provoking consciousness and action, the seminar challenges assumptions that keep unjust systems in place. You will leave with a concrete plan to advance justice where you have the greatest influence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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09:30 - 12:30 A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
English 180
What does it mean to win? At what costs may victory be achieved? Are the antagonistic and violent practices and narratives of war and victory reconcilable with a sustainable peace? This seminar critically explores the concept of victory from Antiquity to today and specifically looks at the idea of victory in war. By incorporating moral, political, and cultural considerations, victory in the 21st century is reimagined. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 2
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09:30 - 12:30 Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Science and Ethics
English 180
Can we separate science and ethics? Where do we draw the boundaries?? In Artificial Intelligence, fairness and accountability are inseparable from how systems learn and how they justify knowledge. Scientific choices are moral choices, and ethics depend on scientific assumptions. The seminar explores good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, including falsification and fraud in academic research.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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09:30 - 12:30 Science and Ethics
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
English 180
If digital sovereignty is about the ability to say ‘yes’ to a digital future that aligns with one’s interests and values – and ‘no’ to a future that doesn’t – Europe currently lacks it. In this workshop, we examine why this is the case and why it matters, what can and what should be done about it, and which policies and politics can get Europe there.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
English 180
How do we find the will to act when things seem hopeless? Because we are agents who care, our relationship to the future is driven by emotions like hope, anxiety, and despair – not mere feelings, but evaluative states that orient us toward action. Drawing on philosophy and the science of emotion, this interactive seminar invites you to explore how to harness these emotions, individually and collectively, to bring about the futures you value.
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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09:30 - 12:30 Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
English 180
Financial technologies are reshaping how markets work and citizens access services – while redrawing the balance between public and private power, transforming how money is created, and opening new arenas of competition among states and between states and corporations. How can we ensure sovereignty, data control, and self-determination in this new world? Designed for non-experts, this seminar unpacks what is at stake for society and the world economy. 
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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09:30 - 12:30 Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
English 180
The world is on track to exceed 1.5 °C of warming. Climate stabilisation depends on both rapidly cutting emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale. Removals are therefore an essential climate action, yet often poorly understood. This seminar explores what carbon dioxide removal is and examines the legal challenges and opportunities of net-negative emissions in the EU and beyond.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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09:30 - 12:30 Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
English 180
AI is reshaping health systems, environments, and societies, bringing opportunities and risks – but who decides how? Who benefits and who gets left behind? How do we plan for the sustainable use of AI? This interactive seminar equips participants to navigate the key debates around AI governance. Discussing foundational concepts, real-world risks, and governance frameworks, we build towards a shared vision of sustainable, equitable AI futures.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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09:30 - 12:30 Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
English 180
New forms of great power competition are reshaping the dependency calculus of every region. How can the EU and its global partners reconfigure such dependencies in a world shaped by US-China rivalry, Russian aggression, and the transactional dismantling of multilateralism?The seminar will tackle this question conceptually but also strategically, asking which dependencies to shed and which to deepen, and explore how to pursue genuine interdependence rather than the illusion of full independence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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09:30 - 12:30 Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
English 180
A pioneering Citizens’ Assembly brings together young participants to discuss wealth inequality across Europe and beyond. Drawing on high-level expert input and facilitated discussions, participants explore the causes and consequences of extreme wealth concentration and co-create bold, evidence-based solutions for a fairer distribution of wealth, strengthening democracy, social cohesion, and Europe’s future.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
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09:30 - 12:30 Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Tyrolean Technology Brunch
90
An exclusive networking event as part of the Euregio Days 2026: take the opportunity to exchange ideas with representatives from business, academia, politics, and regional development on technology and digitalisation in Tyrol and Europe.
Hotel Alphof , Hotel Alphof – Right Dining Hall
10:30 - 12:00 Tyrolean Technology Brunch
FIN
Network
Afternoon
Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
English 180
Many actors are introduced to theatre when their parents send them to theatre workshops to overcome their shyness and gain confidence; they end up going on stage in front of hundreds of people. The stage is their place of safety. So, what is it about working together to create a piece of theatre that produces this feeling? This seminar, led by students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, will explore this question. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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15:00 - 18:00 Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
How Europe Winds
English 180
Air is essential yet often taken for granted, despite shaping movement, interaction, and perception. The posed question is not How Europe Wins but Winds — like a wind that opens spaces, brings together different voices, and creates new possibilities. Through movement, sound, and collective improvisation, participants are invited to explore ways of expressing themselves artistically. The session culminates in a shared performance, weaving together movement, sound, and expression. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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15:00 - 18:00 How Europe Winds
speaker-image
+2
ART
SEM
Content
Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
English 180
Ecological and social crises dominate the newsfeeds, pushing many people into apathy. How can artistic practices offer a way out? In the seminar, stories of resistance will be explored: Participants will learn about activist filmmaking, engage in dialogue about the narratives we are surrounded by, and create their own piece of hope to empower themselves and others.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
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15:00 - 18:00 Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Rewilding Environmental Practices
English 180
What if the future could be otherwise? This seminar explores imaginative agency through lateral thinking: taking detours, embracing surprise, and making the familiar strange. We will read and discuss texts, walkthrough the forest, observe, photograph, draw, write, cut, paste, and map. Together, we will create a collective utopian map of futures that do not yet exist - but perhaps could.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 Rewilding Environmental Practices
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
English 180
A pioneering Citizens’ Assembly brings together young participants to discuss wealth inequality across Europe and beyond. Drawing on high-level expert input and facilitated discussions, participants explore the causes and consequences of extreme wealth concentration and co-create bold, evidence-based solutions for a fairer distribution of wealth, strengthening democracy, social cohesion, and Europe’s future.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
English 180
Leading people is the ultimate core competence of the military. The action-oriented outdoor peer-to-peer seminar, led by cadets from the Theresian Military Academy Austria, seeks to find answers to the general theme of EFA26, “How Europe wins”, under the seminar title “OPCON”. In this context, OPCON stands for operational control and is intended to express that a common approach will be needed – while still respecting the sovereignty of the individual actors.   //INFO: The seminar takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. Sportswear and sneakers are recommended. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Forecourt
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15:00 - 18:00 OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
English 180
How can public decisions remain accountable when the conditions around them keep shifting? This Studio brings together complexity science, data, models, and concrete EU policy cases. Participants engage with cases from the European Parliament and prototype approaches to test assumptions, uncertainties, and systemic effects before decisions become difficult and costly to revise.  This Studio is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Complexity Science Hub, in cooperation with the European Parliament. 
Volksschule , Volksschule – Backyard – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
speaker-image
+3
STU
Content
Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
English 180
Most people who want to change the world start from a cause they love and a set solution in mind. Policy entrepreneurs ask first: which problem actually needs me and how can I make the most impact? Over five days you learn cause selection, counterfactual thinking, and coalition building, using real cases. You leave with your own theory of change and first steps to make the most impact possible.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
DEM
SEM
Content
Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
English 180
European memory is shaped by diverse, contradictory perspectives. How can personal memories help connect perspectives and our lives without reducing them to a single story? In this Studio, we will interpret and connect objects/family stories linked to Europe’s past to gain new perspectives, link past and present, and co-create narratives that make European memory tangible and relevant for our futures. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus – Seminar Room
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15:00 - 18:00 Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
English 180
Globally, polarisation is rising, yet confrontation isn’t inevitable. Constructive dialogue, curiosity over conflict, and finding common ground are choices we can make. This seminar explores the state of division and what it means for society. Through case studies, workshops, and interactive activities, we’'ll examine the forces shaping political disagreement, and how we can bridge divides to have more productive political conversations.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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15:00 - 18:00 Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
English 180
Europe is often treated as geographical entity rather than a community shaped by shared values, such as cooperation, leadership, and empathy. This seminar uses story, poetry, memoir, reflective essays, and collaborative projects to explore ideas of solidarity, responsibility, and belonging across cultures and generations. Participants develop original texts and new perspectives that support dialogue and understanding across borders.
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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15:00 - 18:00 Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
English 180
This seminar will explore the ways in which many individuals can end up working as a cohesive team. Creating an effective and dynamic piece of theatre requires every actor to work seamlessly with the rest of the ensemble regardless of whether their part is major or minor. Acting students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London will share those parts of their training that enable this important connection. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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15:00 - 18:00 Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
English 180
This seminar makes capital markets tangible. Participants act as investors, make decisions under uncertainty, and explore how capital shapes companies and Europe’s future. Simulation, expert insights, and discussion connect theory with real-world application. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
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15:00 - 18:00 Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Starting times
Morning
Between Security and Rights: Minority Governance in the Baltic States and Ukraine
180
Security concerns since 2022 have reshaped how minority issues are governed in the Baltic States and Ukraine. The session brings together regional perspectives to examine these shifts and their policy effects. It identifies risks of securitisation and outlines approaches to balance security and minority rights. 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Schrödinger-Saal
09:00 - 12:00 Between Security and Rights: Minority Governance in the Baltic States and Ukraine
DEM
SEC
Content
Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
English 180
What does it mean to win? At what costs may victory be achieved? Are the antagonistic and violent practices and narratives of war and victory reconcilable with a sustainable peace? This seminar critically explores the concept of victory from Antiquity to today and specifically looks at the idea of victory in war. By incorporating moral, political, and cultural considerations, victory in the 21st century is reimagined. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 2
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09:30 - 12:30 Is Victory Possible in the 21st Century?
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Science and Ethics
English 180
Can we separate science and ethics? Where do we draw the boundaries?? In Artificial Intelligence, fairness and accountability are inseparable from how systems learn and how they justify knowledge. Scientific choices are moral choices, and ethics depend on scientific assumptions. The seminar explores good scientific practice and scientific misconduct, including falsification and fraud in academic research.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Science and Ethics
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
English 180
If digital sovereignty is about the ability to say ‘yes’ to a digital future that aligns with one’s interests and values – and ‘no’ to a future that doesn’t – Europe currently lacks it. In this workshop, we examine why this is the case and why it matters, what can and what should be done about it, and which policies and politics can get Europe there.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Digital Sovereignty: Why Europe Needs It and How It Can Get It
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
English 180
Our systems are failing future generations, by design, not accident. This seminar confronts uncomfortable truths about power, privilege, and short-termism, asking what it means to act with intergenerational justice in mind. Rooted in scholarship on provoking consciousness and action, the seminar challenges assumptions that keep unjust systems in place. You will leave with a concrete plan to advance justice where you have the greatest influence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 A New Intergenerational Contract: Whose Future Is It Anyway?
speaker-image
+1
DEM
SEM
Content
Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
English 180
The rules-based international order is under pressure: protectionism and the strategic use of economic policy instruments are reshaping global politics and trade. This seminar explores the rise of geo-economics and examines how states use economic tools to pursue political objectives. Participants will discuss the implications for Europe’s open and interconnected economy.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Geoeconomics and International Trade Policy
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
English 180
How do we find the will to act when things seem hopeless? Because we are agents who care, our relationship to the future is driven by emotions like hope, anxiety, and despair – not mere feelings, but evaluative states that orient us toward action. Drawing on philosophy and the science of emotion, this interactive seminar invites you to explore how to harness these emotions, individually and collectively, to bring about the futures you value.
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Hope and the Power to Shape our Future
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
English 180
Financial technologies are reshaping how markets work and citizens access services – while redrawing the balance between public and private power, transforming how money is created, and opening new arenas of competition among states and between states and corporations. How can we ensure sovereignty, data control, and self-determination in this new world? Designed for non-experts, this seminar unpacks what is at stake for society and the world economy. 
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Financial Technology, Geopolitics, and Digital Sovereignty
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
English 180
New forms of great power competition are reshaping the dependency calculus of every region. How can the EU and its global partners reconfigure such dependencies in a world shaped by US-China rivalry, Russian aggression, and the transactional dismantling of multilateralism?The seminar will tackle this question conceptually but also strategically, asking which dependencies to shed and which to deepen, and explore how to pursue genuine interdependence rather than the illusion of full independence.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Europe Breaks Free: Reconfiguring Dependencies
speaker-image
+1
SEC
SEM
Content
Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
English 180
A pioneering Citizens’ Assembly brings together young participants to discuss wealth inequality across Europe and beyond. Drawing on high-level expert input and facilitated discussions, participants explore the causes and consequences of extreme wealth concentration and co-create bold, evidence-based solutions for a fairer distribution of wealth, strengthening democracy, social cohesion, and Europe’s future.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Herz-Kremenak-Saal
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
English 180
The world is on track to exceed 1.5 °C of warming. Climate stabilisation depends on both rapidly cutting emissions and removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere at scale. Removals are therefore an essential climate action, yet often poorly understood. This seminar explores what carbon dioxide removal is and examines the legal challenges and opportunities of net-negative emissions in the EU and beyond.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 Carbon Dioxide Removal from the Atmosphere: A Legal Perspective Beyond Net Zero
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
English 180
AI is reshaping health systems, environments, and societies, bringing opportunities and risks – but who decides how? Who benefits and who gets left behind? How do we plan for the sustainable use of AI? This interactive seminar equips participants to navigate the key debates around AI governance. Discussing foundational concepts, real-world risks, and governance frameworks, we build towards a shared vision of sustainable, equitable AI futures.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
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09:30 - 12:30 Rethinking AI in Context: Health, Environmental Change and Sustainable Futures
speaker-image
+1
CLI
SEM
Content
From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
English 180
How can public decisions remain accountable when the conditions around them keep shifting? This Sstudio brings together complexity science, data, models, and concrete EU policy cases. Participants engage with cases from the European Parliament and prototype approaches to test assumptions, uncertainties, and systemic effects before decisions become difficult and costly to revise. This Studio is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Complexity Science Hub, in cooperation with the European Parliament.
Volksschule , Volksschule – Backyard – Classroom 1
speaker-image speaker-image speaker-image speaker-image
09:30 - 12:30 From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
speaker-image
+3
STU
Content
Afternoon
From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
English 180
How can public decisions remain accountable when the conditions around them keep shifting? This Studio brings together complexity science, data, models, and concrete EU policy cases. Participants engage with cases from the European Parliament and prototype approaches to test assumptions, uncertainties, and systemic effects before decisions become difficult and costly to revise.  This Studio is organised by nextlearning e. V. and the Complexity Science Hub, in cooperation with the European Parliament. 
Volksschule , Volksschule – Backyard – Classroom 1
speaker-image speaker-image speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 From Complexity to Capacity: Policy Design under Volatility and Interdependence
speaker-image
+3
STU
Content
OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
English 180
Leading people is the ultimate core competence of the military. The action-oriented outdoor peer-to-peer seminar, led by cadets from the Theresian Military Academy Austria, seeks to find answers to the general theme of EFA26, “How Europe wins”, under the seminar title “OPCON”. In this context, OPCON stands for operational control and is intended to express that a common approach will be needed – while still respecting the sovereignty of the individual actors.   //INFO: The seminar takes place outdoors in all weather conditions. Sportswear and sneakers are recommended.  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Meadow
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 OPCON: An Outdoor-based Leadership Seminar
speaker-image
+1
SEM
Content
Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
English 180
European memory is shaped by diverse, contradictory perspectives. How can personal memories help connect perspectives and our lives without reducing them to a single story? In this Studio, we will interpret and connect objects/family stories linked to Europe’s past to gain new perspectives, link past and present, and co-create narratives that make European memory tangible and relevant for our futures. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org 
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus – Seminar Room
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Perspectives on European Memory: Objects, Stories and Shared Futures
speaker-image
+1
STU
Content
Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
English 180
Most people who want to change the world start from a cause they love and a set solution in mind. Policy entrepreneurs ask first: which problem actually needs me and how can I make the most impact? Over five days you learn cause selection, counterfactual thinking, and coalition building, using real cases. You leave with your own theory of change and first steps to make the most impact possible.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Handarbeitsraum
speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Work Like a Policy Entrepreneur: Turn Moral Ambition into Large Societal Change
DEM
SEM
Content
Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
English 180
Ecological and social crises dominate the newsfeeds, pushing many people into apathy. How can artistic practices offer a way out? In the seminar, stories of resistance will be explored: Participants will learn about activist filmmaking, engage in dialogue about the narratives we are surrounded by, and create their own piece of hope to empower themselves and others.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – EDV Room
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Activist Filmmaking: Telling Stories of Resistance and Hope
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
English 180
Many actors are introduced to theatre when their parents send them to theatre workshops to overcome their shyness and gain confidence; they end up going on stage in front of hundreds of people. The stage is their place of safety. So, what is it about working together to create a piece of theatre that produces this feeling? This seminar, led by students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, will explore this question. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 3
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Theatre as a Sanctuary: How Theatre Builds Confidence and Connection
speaker-image
+1
ART
SEM
Content
Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
English 180
This seminar makes capital markets tangible. Participants act as investors, make decisions under uncertainty, and explore how capital shapes companies and Europe’s future. Simulation, expert insights, and discussion connect theory with real-world application. //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Ort Alpbach , Feuerwehrhaus - Veranstaltungssaal
speaker-image speaker-image
15:00 - 18:00 Capital in Motion: Understanding How Capital Moves the World
speaker-image
+1
FIN
SEM
Content
Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
English 180
This seminar will explore the ways in which many individuals can end up working as a cohesive team. Creating an effective and dynamic piece of theatre requires every actor to work seamlessly with the rest of the ensemble regardless of whether their part is major or minor. Acting students from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London will share those parts of their training that enable this important connection. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 4
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15:00 - 18:00 Stronger Together: The Power of the Ensemble.
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ART
SEM
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Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
English 180
Globally, polarisation is rising, yet confrontation isn’t inevitable. Constructive dialogue, curiosity over conflict, and finding common ground are choices we can make. This seminar explores the state of division and what it means for society. Through case studies, workshops, and interactive activities, we’'ll examine the forces shaping political disagreement, and how we can bridge divides to have more productive political conversations.  //INFO: Please make sure to bring your own laptop. If you do not have one, please contact the EFA-Team at seminars@alpbach.org  
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – First Floor – Classroom 5
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15:00 - 18:00 Dialogue across Divides: Designing Better Conversations for a Polarised World
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DEM
SEM
Content
Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
English 180
Europe is often treated as geographical entity rather than a community shaped by shared values, such as cooperation, leadership, and empathy. This seminar uses story, poetry, memoir, reflective essays, and collaborative projects to explore ideas of solidarity, responsibility, and belonging across cultures and generations. Participants develop original texts and new perspectives that support dialogue and understanding across borders.
Mittelschule , MIttelschule – First Floor – Physikraum
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15:00 - 18:00 Creative Writing: Co-operation, Leadership and Empathy
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ART
SEM
Content
Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
English 180
A pioneering Citizens’ Assembly brings together young participants to discuss wealth inequality across Europe and beyond. Drawing on high-level expert input and facilitated discussions, participants explore the causes and consequences of extreme wealth concentration and co-create bold, evidence-based solutions for a fairer distribution of wealth, strengthening democracy, social cohesion, and Europe’s future. 
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Gym
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15:00 - 18:00 Your Voice on Wealth: A Citizens’ Assembly
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STU
Content
How Europe Winds
180
Air is essential yet often taken for granted, despite shaping movement, interaction, and perception. The posed question is not How Europe Wins but Winds — like a wind that opens spaces, brings together different voices, and creates new possibilities. Through movement, sound, and collective improvisation, participants are invited to explore ways of expressing themselves artistically. The session culminates in a shared performance, weaving together movement, sound, and expression.  
Congress Centrum Alpbach , CCA – Schrödinger-Saal
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15:00 - 18:00 How Europe Winds
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ART
SEM
Content
Rewilding Environmental Practices
English 180
What if the future could be otherwise? This seminar explores imaginative agency through lateral thinking: taking detours, embracing surprise, and making the familiar strange. We will read and discuss texts, walkthrough the forest, observe, photograph, draw, write, cut, paste, and map. Together, we will create a collective utopian map of futures that do not yet exist - but perhaps could.
Mittelschule , Mittelschule – Ground Floor – Classroom 1
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15:00 - 18:00 Rewilding Environmental Practices
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ART
SEM
Content

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