Office of Science & Technology - Kick-Off of the George C. Marshall Austrian-US Visitors Program
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Kick-Off of the George C. Marshall Austrian-US Visitors Program Print E-mail
First US Environmental Technology Experts’ Visit to Austria
bridges vol. 16, December 2007 / Feature Article
Marshall at Spittelau_JuB_small.jpg
The delegation poses in their hardhats at the Spittelau Waste Incineration Plant in Wien.
From October 7th to 14th of this year, the George C. Marshall Austrian-US Visitors Program was held for the first time in Austria. The establishment of such a program was originally announced during a meeting between then-Austrian Federal Chancellor Wolfgang Schüssel and US President George W. Bush at the Vienna EU-US Summit in June 2006.

Each year from now on, a delegation from the US Senate, the House of Representatives, and various federal and state-level agencies and universities will be invited to visit Austria. They will participate in a weeklong series of presentations, briefings, and meetings that highlight Austrian innovations in industry and technology, while improving mutual understanding through communications on both a personal and a professional level.

The Marshall Visit 2007 focused on "Environmental Technology," an area in which Austria is among the leaders worldwide and
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The delegation at the Biodiesel Refinery at Lobau Harbor.
is able to provide best practice models, expertise, and innovative know-how. The comprehensive weeklong visitors' program was prepared and coordinated by the Ministry for European and International Affairs in cooperation with the responsible federal ministries, the Austrian Parliament, the City of Vienna, the regional government of Lower Austria, and the Austrian Economic Chamber. The heavy schedule included not only numerous meetings with experts on sustainability and environmental technologies, but also visits to facilities such as Biodiesel Vienna in Lobau, to Europe's largest passive house office building in St. Pölten, Lower Austria, and to the waste incinerator of the Fernwärme Wien in Spittelau.  

Apart from offering Austrian and American experts and entrepreneurs a unique personal platform for exchanging information and best practice models in the area of environmental technologies, the visit also helped to build useful contacts and develop networks within the professional community. Currently, two concrete projects are being pursued: a "Memorandum of Understanding" regarding Environmental Technologies between Austria and the government of California, and a potential participation of the City of Vienna in a conference on the topic of restoration of river beds planned for spring 2008 in Washington, DC.

The following Q&A is based on an interview in which Austrian Information spoke with Dale Medearis, senior environmental planner with the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and a participant in this year's visit.

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Event Series: Fulbright at Sixty
We are celebrating this year’s 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Austrian-American Fulbright Program with a screenings of the documentary “Fulbright at Sixty” in the United States. Details on the screenings throughout October in Minneapolis (MN), Oakland (CA), Washington (DC), and New York (NY) and on RSVP procedure will be available shortly.
Register Now! Austrian Science Talk  (AST) 2010 in Vancouver, Sept. 18
This year’s AST will take place on September 18, 2010 in Vancouver. The topic is "The Globalization of Science and Technology - Chances and Challenges in Austria."
The AST brings together Austrian scientists and scholars in North America with a delegation of Austrian experts in science, research, and technology Policy to discuss policy developments and new opportunities. The event provides an excellent opportunity for networking with fellow scientists. Further information is available in the agenda and at brainpower austria’s Web site.
ASciNA Awards Ceremony, Sept. 17, 2010
The ASciNA Awards 2010 - funded by the Austrian Minister for Science and Research, Beatrix Karl - will once again be awarded in the categories ‘Young Scientist Award' and ‘Junior PI Award'.
The ceremony will take place on September 17, 2010 at 7:30 pm at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Vancouver, Canada. Secretary General Friedrich Faulhammer of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research will perform the award ceremony on the evening prior to the Austrian Science Talk 2010. The festivities will conclude with a reception in honor of the scientists. Find details on registering to attend the award ceremony in the agenda of the Austrian Science Talk 2010.