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Postcard from New York

Managing Director Axel Baisch meets alumni to talk about ideas for a new NY Hertie School Hub.

Dear Hertie School Community,

On a hot New York evening in late July, I met up with several Hertie School alumni at the restaurant Il Gato in the city’s Soho neighbourhood to get to know our NYC community.

I am pleased to report that our alumni in the Big Apple are abuzz with ideas for a new Hertie School Hub, a platform where former students can exchange not just business cards, but also ideas and professional knowledge, and strengthen mutual ties between the school in Berlin and our friends in New York.  

Eight people showed up for the occasion, bearing enthusiasm and ideas from vastly different backgrounds, professions and graduating cohorts going back to the Hertie School’s founding. Many had never met each other before, so we had a lot to discuss – so much that we found ourselves competing with the ever-louder din of a lively after-work crowd in the packed NY bar. After drinks, we headed over to the Old Tblisi bar for dinner, where it was a little quieter.

Alumni who attended the dinner were Angela, Kyle, Julia, Kim, Riefqah, Juan and Kevin.

Axel Baisch (3rd from left) with some NY alumni

The New York hub is just one of several such centres we are currently conceiving around the world. The idea is to formalise our ties with our ever-growing network of over 1,200 alumni around the world. This could take many forms – from professional exchanges to providing feedback for faculty and researchers in areas where our expertise can make a contribution to public debate.

The hubs will be tailored to the very different needs and interests of their communities and will give the executive management of the school a way to foster closer ties with our vast and expanding network around the world. We already have a hub in Berlin, and the next is planned for Bogota, starting in November.  In 2018 and 2019, we hope to add hubs in London, Brussels, the Frankfurt-area and possibly in China!

Looking forward to connecting with all of our alumni in the future.

#hertielove,

Axel Baisch

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