European Forum Alpbach 2017 - Conflict and Cooperation
Conflicts and cooperative efforts are capable of destroying established entities, but can also give rise to new foundations. Between August 16 and September 1, 2017, hundreds of pioneers hailing from academic, political, economic, cultural, and civil society backgrounds will present groundbreaking ideas on this tense topic.
Travel to Alpbach and immerse yourself into a unique surrounding with new ideas, channels of thought and contacts aplenty. This year will see 20 academic seminars, led by renown academics, and over 200 plenary sessions and breakout sessions take place under the banner of Conflict and Cooperation. The advent of artificial intelligence in all imaginable areas of society and the future of the liberal-minded America are key thematic priorities of the 17-day programme.
Seminar Week
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The Seminar Week is the academic centerpiece of the European Forum Alpbach. This event consists of 21 seminars conceptualised and led by internationally-renown academics, and presents an inter-disciplinary atmosphere, allowing room for interesting debates. This year, the programme will see evolution-biologists present unforeseeable, almost extraterrestrial arguments; information scientists highlight the ethics surrounding artificial intelligence; theologians discuss the morals of economics. Youthful theoretical and practical insights throughout all seminars strongly characterise the Seminar Week.
The Programme of the Seminar Week is organised by the academic advisory committee of the European Forum Alpbach, with Caspar Einem taking the lead.
Tyrol Days
SUSTAINABLE MOBILITY IN THE EUROPEAN REGION
-Mobility has always required special effort in alpine areas. Passes and transit routes are the main veins through which traffic is running, which allow the economy to pulsate and make this important European area of recreation accessible. Now, more than ever, people use their cars to move from point 'a' to point 'b' in the European region. The volume of traffic is growing and, with it, the environmental impact. What sustainable modes of transport make sense in alpine regions and which measures could encourage more people to use them? Where should policy makers make regulations and what are the possible impacts of infrastructural projects and digitisation? A number of experts and young scientists will present their ideas at the Tyrol Days and discuss them with decision-makers.
Health Symposium
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No other sector of society is as highly contested by varying interests and needs as is health care. At its heart lie the questions of how to ensure healthy people remain healthy, ill people become healthy again, and how to obtain the best possible care for all. The goal is evident; the ways to arrive there are not: they weave between conflict and cooperation. Hundreds of national and international experts from all areas of health care will reason along the lines of conflict and cooperation - which ways make sense and which are a dead end? When and where is it advisable to cooperate more? Which conflicts do we need to argue out to induce necessary changes?
The programme of the Health Symposium starts with the big picture before immerging into more detail: from global comparisons of different health systems, to the question of regional supply with medication, and to communications between doctors and patients.
Higher Education Symposium
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Academic institutions form the intellectual backbone of a society. Their open minds, critical curiosity and factual production of knowledge have always been a thorn in the side of authoritarian forces.
What role do academic institutions have today in strengthening liberal democracy and its values? Is it enough to create knowledge and pass it on to young people, or does the present demand a stronger social commitment? When should one cooperate, and when should one negotiate conflicts openly?
In the Higher Education Symposium, the minds of national and international academies will partner together with a number of experts to discuss future progress for universities and academies in order to resume their societal sovereignty.
Technology Symposium
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This year's Technology Symposium with the main theme "Conflict & Cooperation" will be searching for new pathways and tools for a society in transition. The battle for resources, new disruptive technologies, climate change and many other factors like approaching limits to growth require new solutions for economic and social issues. The digital world is especially suitable for creating innovative approaches. The virtual world seems to have almost no borders and sharing and cooperation are highly popular. Will new digital technologies help us to achieve more equality by cooperation? Social networks, big data and the internet of things offer huge opportunities which have not been exhausted so far. The competition of ideas and the dispute over them are essential for innovations and social developments. However, only broad-based cooperations uniting researchers, enterprises and citizens will enable us to finally tackle the big social challenges. For example, how can smart cities with new sustainable mobility concepts or decarbonization in general help us to regain balance with ourselves and the world? In any case, cooperation will be one of the decisive factors for the development of mankind and the whole evolution of life.
Legal Symposium
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Is the attainment of Justice Law’s foremost duty, or is it also conceivable that Law serves to pursue concrete interests and address conflicts on a neutral level?
This year’s Legal Symposium will compare and examine parallel existing legal systems, and reflect on differing legal models and hypotheses currently discussed. This is particularly relevant today and is necessary to judge how conflicting the continental European legal system is with the Anglo-American legal system. Even from a neutral legal standpoint, the main question now is whether a ‘trade war’ is in the making. The state of coexistence between the continental European legal system and the Sharia legal system in Europe also calls for this discussion. Moreover, there is the national level, where nation-states have respective legislations through which they handle Law and achieve Justice (mediation, diversion, severe criminal jurisdiction...). A glimpse into multilateral trade agreements and their selected arbitration procedures is also timely.
Amid these varying legal playing fields, how can Law best be served? Does the core challenge indeed lie in the arbitral jurisdiction between companies and nation-states, or is there more to it? Additionally, a new initiative for digital fundamental rights in a roundtable discussion setting shall be brainstormed and agreed upon.
Political Symposium
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Between August 27 and 29, 2017, the Political Symposium will focus on current challenges of European and international politics. The programme will include questions like the future of European affairs, innovation in democracy and governance, or how to find solutions to the key obstacles of international cooperation. Over 20 partner organisations from Austria, Europe and the United States will bring in their expertise. During two warm-up days, interactive seminars will deliver behind-the-scenes insight into diplomacy and international affairs.
Economic Symposium
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Conflict and cooperation are core elements in theoretical and real economics. Either may prove successful in different situations. But what lies between conflict and cooperation? Is the human in its economic decisions more attuned for conflict or for cooperation? Do businesses thrive in an environment of competition or of cooperation? And is our global economy moving towards more free trade or more protectionism?
At the Economic Symposium 2017 businessmen and businesswomen, economists and entrepreneurs explore the different dimensions of conflict and cooperation, from micro to macro levels. Be inspired in order to identify solutions for your own business and receive clues on how to navigate in the complex environment of tomorrow.
Built Environment Symposium
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Who, what, where, how can we build, and with which funds? Such questions cause quite a stir in building culture discussions. The style and manner in which a public room is designed and built up is cast in concrete. It is through this that a society’s power distribution, culture, and values are most manifested. At the same time, urban housing planning requires adequate measures of cooperation within society in order to be efficient. Societal tides of change, therefore, unsurprisingly shape building culture.
What new rules does building culture need in order to balance out conflicts of interest in the future? Where should the relationship between regulations and legal gaps align itself? What influence do algorithms, big data, and artificial intelligence exert on urban planning?
At the Built Environment Symposium, a range of experts and decision-makers will address and draw on controversial lines of conflict characteristic of this very topic, and debate what forward-looking conclusions can be derived. Expect controversial discussion formats providing insight on which strained relationships and models of cooperation may shape building culture in the near future.
Financial Market Symposium
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Fields of conflict are countless in the financial markets: banking regulation goes different ways in the US and Europe; existing structures face new technologies; and the future splits between disruption and innovation.
Are we seeing a "new normal" in deregulation? Can the Euro survive without a fiscal union? And would the situation improve if all decisions were taken by Artificial Intelligence?
The Financial Market Symposium 2017 shines light on issues with global impact - from distributed ledger technologies to the recent deflationary experience of Japan - and asks how far these events open up new areas for conflict and cooperation and impact European financial markets.
Cultural Programme
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The production of art and culture often takes place in the dynamic sphere of conflict and cooperation. Artists and cultural workers have the courage to break new grounds within these spheres of tensions and they do so again in Alpbach. Here, they are part and parcel of the debates at the European Forum Alpbach; young artists also play a central role. Through cooperations with the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, the University of Applied Arts Vienna and the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz younger generations are supported and new art works are produced, inspired by this year’s general theme and the conference location.
The centerpiece of the cultural programme is a compilation of artistic contributions to the opening of all Alpbach symposia. In addition, the European Forum Alpbach invites you to enjoy exhibitions, theatre shows, performances, concerts and lectures free of charge.
We look forward to receiving your registration!
The European Forum Alpbach is open to all persons who have paid the participation fee or have been granted a scholarship.
Please use this registration form und send it back to us:
- Via e-mail: registration@alpbach.org
- Via post: European Forum Alpbach, Franz-Josefs-Kai 13/10, 1010 Vienna, Austria
- Via fax: +43 (1) 718 17 01
Note: Please open the registration form with Acrobat Reader (and not in your browser) to fill your data directly in the PDF.
Participation Fees
SEM – SEMINAR WEEK (AUGUST 16-22) |
800.00 EUR |
TYR – EUREGIO SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 19-20) |
FREE PARTICIPATION, SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION |
MED – HEALTH SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 20-22) |
800.00 EUR |
EDU – HIGHER EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 23) |
FREE PARTICIPATION, SUBJECT TO REGISTRATION |
TEC – TECHNOLOGY SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 24-26) |
800.00 EUR |
POL – POLITICAL SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 27-29) |
800.00 EUR |
LAW – LEGAL SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 27-29) |
800.00 EUR |
ECN – ECONOMIC SYMPOSIUM (AUGUST 29-31) |
800.00 EUR |
FIN – FINANCIAL MARKET SYMPOSIUM
|
800.00 EUR |
BLT – BUILT ENVIRONMENT SYMPOSIUM(AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 1) |
800.00 EUR |
ENTIRE FORUM |
1400.00 EUR |
SINGLE DAY |
50 % OF THE PARTICIPATION FEE FOR THAT EVENT |
BOOKING MORE THAN ONE EVENT |
50 % DISCOUNT ON ALL ADDITIONAL EVENTS |
Fees do not include accommodation or board. You can take part in any event of the cultural programme, irrespective of your registration for the official conference programme. Separate conditions apply for the Alpbach Campus. Please find more informations on your registration.
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME ON EUROPEAN HEALTH CARE |
1200,00 EUR |
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAMME ON FACILITATION & PARTICIPATORY LEADERSHIP |
1000,00 EUR |
Reductions
Members of the Die Presse Club and Ö1-Club Members are eligible for a 10 % reduction of the participation fee.
Scholarships
Each year, the Forum welcomes more than 700 students and graduates whose attendance is enabled by our extensive scholarship programme.
For more information please click "Further Official Information" below.
This opportunity has expired. It was originally published here:
https://www.alpbach.org/en/forum2017/