Austrian President Heinz Fischer Opens the EXTRA EUROPA Symposium
President Heinz Fischer
Copyright: Linz09
The Extra Europa cultural festival kicked off with a gala event on Thursday evening. On Friday, Austrian President Heinz Fischer was in Linz to pay his respects to this year's European Capital of Culture.
Austrian President Heinz Fischer officially opened the two-day Extra Europa symposium on Friday morning at a ceremony attended by Pascal Couchepin of the Swiss Federal Council, Upper Austria’s Governor Josef Pühringer, Richard Kühnel, head of the Representation of the European Commission in Austria, Martin Heller, artistic director of Linz09, and Ambassadors Selim Yenel of Turkey and Bengt O. Johansen of Norway.In six different panels, scholars, journalists and men and women active in cultural life in Norway, Switzerland and Turkey will be discussing the nature of Europe and the EU. The agenda includes economic and security policy issues, the general attitude of these countries to the EU, and the role that art and culture can play in creating a European identity.
Friday, March 20, 2009
10 AM Welcome and Keynotes
11 AM–12:15 PM Panel A: The European Union. Perception and Expectations From Inside and Outside
1:45–3 PM Panel B: The European Union as Melting Pot? Is an EU Identity in the Process of Emerging?
3:15–4:30 PM Panel C: The Role of Culture and Art in the Creation of Europe: Contributing to Unity or Strengthening Differences?
Saturday, March 21, 2009
10–11:15 AM Panel D: Global Markets, Global Crises
11:30 AM–12:45 PM Panel E: Threats and Challenges to European Security
2:15–3:30 PM Panel F: The EU in 2020
3:30 PM Final Communiqué
The symposium language is English.
Venue: Wissensturm, Kärtnerstr. 15, 4020 Linz, Austria
Admission is free of charge. Reservations are not necessary.
