Event highlight
19.07.2022

Over 250 Hertie School alumni meet again at annual Alumni Reunion

Reunion held jointly with Hertie Summit featured talks on multilateralism, healthcare, sustainability and more.

Over 250 MPP, MIA, Executive MPA and PhD alumni gathered in person on campus and at the Harnack Haus in southwest Berlin for our annual Alumni Reunion, which took place for the first time as a joint event with the Hertie Foundation’s annual Hertie Summit from 17 to 19 June. Under the theme “Advancing sustainable societies”, both the Hertie School and the Hertie Foundation enabled exchange and debate on a variety of pressing issues relevant to today.

To kick off the three-day event, Dean of Research and Faculty Mark Hallerberg hosted a fireside chat with 2022 Alumni Achievement Award recipient Jeff Kwasi Klein (MPP 2017), who was officially recognised for his leadership in fighting racism and discrimination. Following the ceremony, Klein moderated the opening panel, “Multilateralism in times of crisis – How to shape a sustainable future?” featuring Damian Boeselager, Member of the European Parliament and 2018 dual-degree graduate of the Hertie School and Columbia University; Marina Henke, Hertie School Professor of International Relations and Director at the Centre for International Security; and Minister-Counsellor of the Embassy of Ukraine to Germany Maksym Yemelianov, who in his opening statement warned against fatigue and erosion of support against Russia’s war over time and underscored the importance of upholding shared values, collective responsibility and international law in Europe and beyond.

The talk was livestreamed to the alumni community and the public via the Hertie School’s YouTube channel.


On day 2, the Alumni Reunion and Hertie Summit resumed at the Harnack Haus, where both graduates and members of the wider Hertie community regrouped for a day full of workshops and panel discussions led by professors, external experts and newly launched Berlin Alumni Chapter Interest areas specialising in topics such as health and sustainability. Selected topics from the many sessions include:

The official portion of the Alumni Reunion and Hertie Summit concluded with an outdoor party and live music in the garden of the Harnack Haus on a hot summer Berlin evening. Take a look at more pictures here