New Bridge Program: Alumni Unite in Miami!

At the end of October, we had the pleasure of bringing together over 50 New Bridge alumni from across Germany and the U.S. in vibrant Miami to deepen our transatlantic bonds and explore solutions to today’s global challenges. This is their report.

By Silas Burris, Omaima Afzaal, Raze Baziani, Innokenty Burshteyn, and Nicholas Courtney

Day 1: New Bridge Program Arrives in Miami

In true Miami fashion, our first evening began at a vibrant bar by the harbor, with the shimmering city skyline in the backdrop. After dozens of warm greetings and introductions, New Bridge alumni listened to opening remarks from German Consul General Christofer Burger. His speech emphasized the importance of community, thanking us for our role as ambassadors of German-American friendship. „You are actually doing my job,” he said, acknowledging our commitment as a bridge between cultures and urging us to carry these values back to our communities. „We need you to share this message—that we’re stronger together and that together, we can be a force for good.“

Anoja Perinpanathan, from the newest German cohort, shared her experience:

„It feels like our fellowship just ended, yet here we are together again in Miami. I’m thrilled to meet everyone, especially during this exciting time leading up to the U.S. elections—it’s such a unique chance to connect with American fellows.“

The evening continued with stimulating perspectives from special guests, including representatives from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office and one of our panelists for the next day, Evelyn Pérez-Verdía. It was a successful start and sparked inspiration for the days to come.

Day 2: Transatlantic Dialogue and Exploration

Saturday morning’s program began with a land acknowledgement from New Bridge alumna Cheyenne Kippenberger—a citizen of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, Chilean American advocate for Indigenous people, and a former Miss Indian World. Cheyenne grounded us with her words as she recognized the original stewards of what is now Florida and educated the group about the unique aspects of tribal governments.

It wouldn’t be a New Bridge event without addressing the biggest topic on many of our minds: the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. New Bridge alumni Joseph Langner and Steven Sainz moderated a discussion on the global implications and key issues shaping the election, featuring four experts on local and international politics. Moises Benhabib, Senior Director at Juvare Federal and Defense and Board Member at Miami’s World Affairs Council, weighed in on how a potential Harris presidency would reinvigorate the U.S.A.’s participation in international alliances such as the Paris Agreement and UNRWA, while a Trump presidency would place much greater focus on implementing trade tariffs. Dr. Markus Thiel, a professor of political and international relations at Florida International University, remarked that Europe will face challenges regardless of the result and will likely face pressure to provide more of their own security funding for NATO. The speakers frequently brought up the issue of disinformation and the risk it poses to democracy. Evelyn Pérez-Verdía, Founder of We Are Más, underscored that threat, characterizing disinformation as “digital, global, and borderless,” while Hon. Anna Hochkammer, a councilmember of the Village of Pinecrest, Florida, emphasized that disinformation affects constituents at even the most local levels—and that micro issues are often what voters care about the most. New Bridge alumni brought critical questions from both sides of the Atlantic for the panel and expressed appreciation for the professional, fact-based dialogue the panelists brought forth.

The alumni body continued to engage in transatlantic discussions regarding four critical global issues: security, trade, climate, and technology. These were moderated by New Bridge alumni and included subject matter experts who both challenged and engaged critical discussion across two consecutive panel sessions.

• The “Trade and Investment” panel was moderated by Khalid Sarsour and Maycaa Hannon, with guest speaker Tobias Borawski, Managing Director of ASTARAS and Florida Chapter Director of the German American Chambers of Commerce. The panel provided an overview of the global trading system and how the U.S. and Germany are experimenting with new ways of trade in response to growing populism, and our economic impact on one another. Borawski then provided an on-the-ground perspective on how new trade policies are shaping business in both countries.
• The „Security: Russia and Ukraine“ panel was moderated by Azadê Peşmen and Rita Lieder and featured international relations experts Michael Szanto and Dr. Dina Moulioukova, who helped dissect the intricacies of the Russia-Ukraine conflict and Russian identity. The panel explored the geopolitical chessboard, shedding light on the strategic implications of Russia’s nuclear arsenal and its potential to dominate the escalation game.
• The “Climate Corporation: Energy and Sustainability” panel featured University of Miami School of Law, Climate & Environmental law Fellow, Renee Valerie Fajardo, and was moderated by New Bridge alumni Carlos Carrillo and Samantha E. Williams. Discussions varied from global mechanisms of accountability to framing energy independence as a form of security: using the German-Russian relationship as an example of what occurs when a country becomes too energy-dependent on another.
• The “Tech and Innovation” panel delved into the complex and rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence featuring the founder of Hummingbirds AI and the Miami AI Club, Nima Schei, MD. The conversation was moderated by Monoswita Saha and Enver Cetin. The discussion began with an introduction to AI learning and its applications and then shifted to a critical analysis of AI’s potential benefits and risks, with a special emphasis on the ethical implications of its ongoing development.

After soaking up the morning’s thought-provoking panels, we had lunch together before boarding the bus for a lively, captivating tour of Miami. In addition to pointing out iconic architecture and sharing anecdotes about famous residents, the tour delved into the innovative solutions Miami employs to navigate its unique geography, ensuring seamless connectivity across waterways and resilience in the face of its tropical climate. The tour concluded with a spontaneous celebration of Rejoice Jones’s birthday, as the second level of the bus turned into a stage for an impromptu karaoke session.

Day 3: Everything Alumni

The final day of the reunion opened with an icebreaker led by Esra Güner and Alexandra McGee, who blasted popular American and German songs, pausing at intervals for rapid personal questions, and then resuming the DJ-ing again. In these thirty minutes, we laughed, danced, and got to know people we had not yet spoken to at the reunion.

The New Bridge Alumni Council, chaired by Whitney Terrill, presented the Council Activity Report to us, followed by presentations from Julian Pecora and Prof. Dr. Narku Laing who provided overviews of the German-American Conference in Washington, DC, and the Transatlantic Forum on GeoEconomics in New York City, respectively.

 The final farewell remarks were given by New Bridge Program’s Assistant Program Manager, Hamda Yusef, who shared the joy of being a part of this unique and wonderfully diverse group of leaders around the world. During these final moments Hamda also presented the Program’s first Outstanding Alumni Awards to Rejoice Jones, Alexandra McGee, and Jeff Aguy.

The three days of the reunion flew by but left us invigorated with new perspectives, meaningful connections, and excitement for all the New Bridge opportunities to come.

The NEW BRIDGE PROGRAM is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK), and by the Joachim Herz Foundation.