Enormous Interest At Exchanges Fair in Muenster
May 19, 2009.
On May 19, the Consulate’s Education USA specialist Petra Spitz participated in the "Horizonte 2009" student fair at Muenster University. In the course of the daylong event, approx. 4000 students visited the information booths in the foyer of the university’s main lobby to gather information material and ask specific questions. As part of the event, Petra Spitz also presented a 45-minute lecture about “Study in the United States” in the auditorium which was well attended.

Dealing With Stereotypes and Prejudice About America
May 17 – 19, 2009.
At a reception and lecture/discussion events at the universities of Duesseldorf, Essen and in Duisburg on May 17-19, Columbia University Associate Professor of Germanic Literature Michael Eskin discussed popular attitudes towards the United States. Drawing on his book (published by the Upper West Side Press in New York in German under his pen name Misha Waiman) “17 Prejudices That We Germans hold Against America and Americans That Can’t Quite be True,” Eskin offered a humorous but also incisive commentary on common biased views about the U.S. found in contemporary German society. He argued that they are not a result of a lack of knowledge but persist despite factual information to the contrary – in keeping with the observation of German philosopher Edmund Husserl that “deep-seated prejudice is stronger by far than the most convincing evidence to the contrary.” 

Rain or Shine, U.S. National Boys U-15 Soccer Team in NRW 
May 16, 2009.
Undeterred by heavy rain, the U.S. Boys Under-15 national soccer team began its weeklong program in Moenchengladbach on May 16.  Consul General  Matt Boyse welcomed the players from across the United States at the start of a rigorous training and playing schedule with German youth teams in NRW. German hosts warmly received the American team, with its coaches, physicians, trainers and coordinators, as they began their work with German trainers and teams.

New President, New Chances: Transatlantic Relations Under Obama
May 13, 2009.
“New President, New Chances: Transatlantic Relations Under Obama ” was the title of a speech Consul General Matt Boyse delivered at a meeting of the Friends and Supporters of the Industry Museum Cromford in Ratingen on May 13. The Consul General  emphasized the new Administration’s fresh approach to the EU and Europe, stressing its support for a strong partnership in order to resolve many issues of bilateral and multilateral interest. The museum is located in a textile factory that is the oldest recorded factory on the European continent. | Article Rheinische Post

Happy Birthday Israel! 
May 7, 2009.
On the occasion of the 61st Israel Day, Consul General Matt Boyse joined Duesseldorf Lord Mayor Dirk Elbers, Jewish community leader Juan Strauss, and hundreds of others in a public celebration on the Burgplatz on the Rhine.  In his remarks, the Consul General highlighted Israel’s many achievements since achieving independence, expressed the support and solidarity of the American people for Israel and the Israeli people, read President Obama’s greetings for Israel Day, and stressed that the new Administration has made progress on the Israel-Palestine issue a major priority. 

Consul General Signs Golden Book In Monschau
May 6, 2009.
On May 6, the U.S. Consulate visited the “Eifel” region, where the Battle of the Bulge offensive took place in 1944. The tour was highlighted by a reception hosted by the Mayor of Monschau, Theo Steinroex, at the historic “Rotes Haus,” where he emphasized that to the people in Monschau the arrival of U.S. troops in September 1944 not only meant liberation from the Nazis, but also saving the city’s medieval heritage. Steinroex credited the arrival and presence of the U.S. military in his town as the primary reason why it was spared destruction and was able to preserve its centuries-old architecture as a former center of the manufacture of fine fabrics. At the conclusion of the reception, CG Matt Boyse signed the “Golden Book” of Monschau.

Students In Siegen Learn About U.S. Exchange Opportunities
May 5, 2009.
On May 5, the German-American Association Siegerland-Wittgenstein hosted an information event on high school exchange opportunities in the U.S. on May. The speaker was the consulate’s Education USA specialist Petra Spitz who presented an overview of entitled: “Ways to the U.S. – High School Year - Au Pair – Internship - Study”. Her presentation was complemented by first-hand accounts by two exchange students from the University of Giessen, who had participated in a three-month internship at a veterinarian clinic in Knoxville, TN. The students were very positive about their internships and also explained how their experiences had influenced their personal and professional future.

First 100 Days Of The Obama Administration
May 4, 2009.
"100 Days Obama: A Different America?" was the theme of a May 4 panel discussion in Siegen organized by the University of Siegen and the German-American Association of Siegerland-Wittgenstein. Siegener Zeitung Chief Editor Dieter Sobotka, Atlantic Networks Director Dr. Andrew Denison, and Amerika Haus e.V. NRW Director Eveline Metzen joined moderator Prof. Dr. Christian Struenck, Consul General Matt Boyse and an audience of students and interested citizens in assessing the program and progress of the new administration, as well as its challenges, both domestic and foreign. The evening also provided an opportunity for the Consulate to expand its cooperation with Siegen University.

Celebrating 40 Years Of Student Exchanges
May 1, 2009.
400 alumni and friends gathered at the Rheinterrasse in Cologne on May 1 to mark the 40 years the U.S. exchange organization ASSIST has been active in Germany.  Alumni and friends Christoph Heusgen, National Security Advisor to Chancellor Merkel, Friedrich Merz, Bundestag Member, and Martina Fietz, Parliamentary Correspondent for Cicero Magazine, participated in a public discussion of German-American relations, with Cologne Lord Mayor Fritz Schramma welcoming guests from across Germany.  U.S.-based ASSIST Board Members joined Director of Alumni Affairs Eleanore Boyse at the event.  ASSIST has provided some 2,400 German high school students with merit scholarships to U.S. independent schools since its establishment in 1969. | Education USA > Information on High School Exchanges

"Trade Talk" April 2009 cover. Photo: Stephanie Siegel

“Trade Talk” Business Magazine Features Interview with Consul General
April 2009.
“We are all sitting in the same boat” was how the new magazine “Trade Talk,” published by Wirtschaftsclub Duesseldorf,  titled a recent interview with Consul General Matt Boyse in its April 2009 issue.  In this cover story, the CG commented i.e. that while the origins of the financial crisis were in the U.S., its causes were much broader and can be traced to many international developments and many countries.  He highlighted the Obama Administration’s interest in improving consultation and cooperation with Germany and early visits by senior officials to Germany.  He also reviewed the enormous range and depth of economic relations between NRW and the United States, stressing the benefits to both societies of close trade and investment ties.  | Read the complete interview with CG Boyse conducted by Editor-in-Chief Dieter Knaut

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