Danube Conference

Global linkages in commerce, economy, and tourism, as well as in environmental, education, technology, labor, cultural and media sectors have rapidly increased. Particularly after the end of state socialism, a sort of globalization euphoria emerged. Geopolitics, by contrast, has returned to the scene after almost twenty years, marking increasingly conflicting interests and a renewed polarization between various major powers such as the EU, USA, Russia, China, Turkey, and others. The prognosis of Brexit weakening the EU as a global player in the long term currently appears to be reliable. As currently nationalism, right-wing populism, and isolationist tendencies reinvigorate, calls are getting louder for a reorientation of Europe.

The conference thus seeks to discuss the opportunities and risks of all these developments for the Danube region. What prospects for joint, cross-border actions in politics, economy, science, education, technology, culture and civil society can be developed and applied in order to achieve more integrative and prosperous living conditions in the whole Danube Region?

Registration at idm@idm.at is requested.
The event will be held in German and English (simultaneous interpreting).
With the kind support of Federal State of Lower Austria

Program

10:00 Registration

10:30 Welcome addresses

• DI Jozef VASAK, Advisor on Economic Governance and European Semester, Representation of the European Commission in Austria, Vienna
• Mag. Lukas MANDL, Member of the European Parliament
• Dr. Martin EICHTINGER, Minister of Housing, Labour and International Relations in the Government of Lower Austria, in representation of Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria
• Mag. Friedrich FAULHAMMER, Rector of the Danube University Krems
• Dr. Erhard BUSEK, Former Vice Chancellor of Austria, Chairman of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), Vienna
• Conference moderator: Mag. Dr. Silvia NADJIVAN, Deputy Managing Director of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), Vienna

11:00 Keynote speech

• Prof. Dr. Péter BALÁZS, Director of the Center for European Neighborhood Studies (CENS), Professor of International Relations and European Studies at Central European University (CEU), former Ambassador and Foreign Minister of Hungary, first Hungarian Member of the European Commission responsible for regional policy, Budapest

11:30 Coffee break

12:00 Panel 1 - Challenges and Solutions for External Relations, Infrastructure, Commerce, Labor Market and Environmental Policy

• Gheorghe CONSTANTIN, Coordinator of EUSDR Priority Area 5: Environmental Risks, Romanian Ministry of Water and Forests, Bukarest
• Univ.-Prof. Dipl.-Ing. Dr. Helmut HABERSACK, Head of the Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and River Research (IWA), University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
• Jadranka JOKSIMOVIĆ, Minister of European Integration, Serbia, Belgrade (tbc)
• Dr. Marko PAVIĆ, Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds, Croatia, Zagreb (tbc)
• Moderator: Christoph SCHLEMMER, Department Economy, APA – Austria Press Agency, Vienna

13:30 Lunch break

14:30 Panel 2 - Shaping Diversity Together – Perspectives for Education, Science, Culture and Civil Society

• Ass.-Prof. Dr. Bekim BALIQI, Institute for Political Science, University of Prishtina, Kosovo
• Haris PAŠOVIĆ, Theatre Director and Intellectual, Sarajevo
• Stanislava TASHEVA, Project and Event Manager, Plovdiv – European Capital of Culture 2019, Plovdiv
• MMag. Aga TRNKA-KWIECINSKI, Scientific Researcher, Department for Migration and Globalization, Danube University Krems
• Moderator: Mag. Adelheid WÖLFL, Correspondent Southeastern Europe, „Der Standard“, Vienna/Belgrade

16:00 Closing remarks

• Mag. Friedrich FAULHAMMER, Rector of the Danube University Krems

16:15 Reception

17:30 End