Europa Forum explores EU's business and political climates
Jason Yu Heng Lin, Public Relations Chair, Europa Forum Conference
Issue date: 3/13/06 Section: News
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The Europa Forum Conference Series, a multidisciplinary student-led conference series examining issues of US-European interest, hosted the Second Europa Forum at the Michigan Union last week.
The theme of this year's conference, "Leadership Styles in Europe and the US," addressed the challenges of intercultural leadership by contrasting leadership styles across the two continents. Dr. Jan Svejnar, Professor of Business Administration at Ross, introduced the conference by underlining Europe's continued significance in the context of global politics and economics. Dr. Svejnar pointed out that despite slowing growth, the EU bloc still constitutes the largest economy in the world.
The first keynote speaker, Fred Hoffman, Director of State Relations at DaimlerChrysler Corporation, used DaimlerChrysler's merger as a framework for discussing the cultural challenges of successfully synergizing the firm's European-American leadership. He also examined the disparate working cultures of the two continents by highlighting the different working hours and productivity levels across the two arms of the company. Citing his concurrent role as Honorary Consul General of Germany, Mr. Hoffman emphasized the importance of intercultural leadership in today's increasingly integrated global environment.
The second keynote speaker, Thomas Morel, Business Director of Diamond Trading Co. of De Beers France, focused on corporate management to examine cultural, social, and historic experiences that shape diverse styles of leadership. He acknowledged the universal role of the corporate world in generating value for stakeholders, stating, "The crucial difference lies in the importance, balance, and eventually the priorities we give to these objectives." A Ross alum, Mr. Morel used anecdotal evidence from his extensive international experience both inside and outside of the corporate world to illustrate his analysis.
The first panel, titled "Down the Road: Turkey's Accession," tackled the contentious issue of Turkey's prospective entry into the European Union. A distinguished panel of experts examined the issue from political, economic, and social perspectives. Yasemin Congar, Washington Bureau Chief of CNN Turk, addressed the journalistic challenges she encounters daily in providing an accurate and unbiased portrayal of Turkey's position to a cynical audience. Harald Günther, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Austria, detailed Austria's oft-misunderstood concerns regarding Turkey's accession. With Austria currently holding the EU Presidency, he stressed that it was the position of both the Austrian and EU governments that Turkey's accession was central to the project of European integration. Nurten Ural, Honorary Consul General of Turkey, pointed to the fact that Turkey has played a role in European politics ever since the days of the Ottoman Empire. Professors Goçek and Nas rounded off the animated discussion by outlining the social and economic implications of accession.
The second panel, titled "German Politics: The Winds of Change," examined the recent political shifts in Germany and the subsequent political, economic, and social repercussions. Alan Charlton, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the UK, stressed the significance of Germany in the EU's political economy. Dr. Günther Hega of Western Michigan University analyzed the significance of the election of Angela Merkel as Germany's first female Chancellor. Michael Kennedy, Director of the European Union Center, concluded by describing Germany's struggle for a national identity within the enlarged EU.
The conference attracted over 100 attendees that included a diverse mix of students, faculty, and other members of the University community. Aki Balogh, Chairman and Founder of the Europa Forum, voiced his hope that the conference would further raise awareness of Europe on campus.
The theme of this year's conference, "Leadership Styles in Europe and the US," addressed the challenges of intercultural leadership by contrasting leadership styles across the two continents. Dr. Jan Svejnar, Professor of Business Administration at Ross, introduced the conference by underlining Europe's continued significance in the context of global politics and economics. Dr. Svejnar pointed out that despite slowing growth, the EU bloc still constitutes the largest economy in the world.
The first keynote speaker, Fred Hoffman, Director of State Relations at DaimlerChrysler Corporation, used DaimlerChrysler's merger as a framework for discussing the cultural challenges of successfully synergizing the firm's European-American leadership. He also examined the disparate working cultures of the two continents by highlighting the different working hours and productivity levels across the two arms of the company. Citing his concurrent role as Honorary Consul General of Germany, Mr. Hoffman emphasized the importance of intercultural leadership in today's increasingly integrated global environment.
The second keynote speaker, Thomas Morel, Business Director of Diamond Trading Co. of De Beers France, focused on corporate management to examine cultural, social, and historic experiences that shape diverse styles of leadership. He acknowledged the universal role of the corporate world in generating value for stakeholders, stating, "The crucial difference lies in the importance, balance, and eventually the priorities we give to these objectives." A Ross alum, Mr. Morel used anecdotal evidence from his extensive international experience both inside and outside of the corporate world to illustrate his analysis.
The first panel, titled "Down the Road: Turkey's Accession," tackled the contentious issue of Turkey's prospective entry into the European Union. A distinguished panel of experts examined the issue from political, economic, and social perspectives. Yasemin Congar, Washington Bureau Chief of CNN Turk, addressed the journalistic challenges she encounters daily in providing an accurate and unbiased portrayal of Turkey's position to a cynical audience. Harald Günther, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Austria, detailed Austria's oft-misunderstood concerns regarding Turkey's accession. With Austria currently holding the EU Presidency, he stressed that it was the position of both the Austrian and EU governments that Turkey's accession was central to the project of European integration. Nurten Ural, Honorary Consul General of Turkey, pointed to the fact that Turkey has played a role in European politics ever since the days of the Ottoman Empire. Professors Goçek and Nas rounded off the animated discussion by outlining the social and economic implications of accession.
The second panel, titled "German Politics: The Winds of Change," examined the recent political shifts in Germany and the subsequent political, economic, and social repercussions. Alan Charlton, Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the UK, stressed the significance of Germany in the EU's political economy. Dr. Günther Hega of Western Michigan University analyzed the significance of the election of Angela Merkel as Germany's first female Chancellor. Michael Kennedy, Director of the European Union Center, concluded by describing Germany's struggle for a national identity within the enlarged EU.
The conference attracted over 100 attendees that included a diverse mix of students, faculty, and other members of the University community. Aki Balogh, Chairman and Founder of the Europa Forum, voiced his hope that the conference would further raise awareness of Europe on campus.
