Projects

In the context of the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogues, I was delighted to moderate a frank and fascinating discussion for Northland Power, a Canadian operator of clean energy infrastructure and global leader in offshore wind. “From the Idea to Implementation of the Canada-Germany Energy Partnership” packed the house at the Canadian Embassy in Berlin, with the Honorable Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources, opening the proceedings. Against the backdrop of the climate crisis and Russia’s war in Ukraine, Germany has had to move quickly to diversify its energy supply. It has [...]

Nickel, palladium, indium, and germanium, not to mention lithium, and the coveted rare earths. They’re just a few on a long list of critical raw materials that are not only key for Europe’s green and digital transitions, but increasingly centre stage in policy discussions as consumption grows dramatically and threats to supply chains persist. I had the pleasure of hosting one such discussion at the Italian Embassy in Berlin. As Europe’s two strongest countries in terms of industrial production – Germany and Italy share an interest in ensuring any European resilience strategy ticks all the necessary boxes – our [...]

After a four-year hiatus the train could finally leave the station, and it was time to reconvene in person for the world's largest trade fair for the rail transport industry, the InnoTrans 2022. And after not one but two pandemic-induced delays, the whole world of transport technology & mobility descended on Berlin to make the most of it. That meant a LOT of reunions, and a busy week for me with the Rail Leaders’ Summit (my 5th!!) for Deutsche Bahn and the German Ministry of Transport, and a Speaker’s Corner event for a new kid on the InnoTrans block: [...]

On June 21st I was back in Bonn for Deutsche Welle’s annual Global Media Forum and proud to host yet another exciting panel for DW Culture. This year we invited artists from Africa and the African diaspora to talk about the power of culture and the arts to transform societies. I was joined by the intrepid Nigerian director Ike Nnaebue, South Sudanese writer and activist Stella Gaitano, Cameroonian-born photo artist Angèle Etoundi Essamba and the wonderful Akinbode Akinbiyi, a British-Nigerian photographer and self-proclaimed wanderer of the world. Ugandan singer and politician Bobi Wine [...]

Live events are well and truly back! And what a blast it was to team up with EIT Raw Materials again for their 4th annual Raw Materials Summit at such an extraordinary time for Europe. In light of the war in Ukraine and continued supply chain challenges, we had frank discussions on how to act fast to accelerate the energy transition while securing and diversifying Europe’s supply of critical materials. It was a packed agenda with sessions on mining & responsible sourcing, magnesium, skills & talent, investment, and recycling, with appearances by European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Thierry Breton [...]

World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd was a fitting occasion for the premiere of "Guardians of Truth,” which I was honoured to moderate for DW Documentaries in Berlin. The first in a new series, the film follows Turkish journalist-in-exile Can Dündar as he meets Anabel Hernández, a Mexican investigative journalist whose fearless reporting on drug-trafficking and collusion between drug cartels and the Mexican government has won her accolades – and forced her into exile. Co-directed by Can and my colleague DW Journalist Linda Vierecke – the film details the impact of drug clan violence and had many in [...]

A new impulse for a new year, and together with my colleagues from DW’s Global Media Forum we kicked off 2022 with some more sounding out of how culture and the arts can shape a better world. As societies around the globe are changing all the time due to disruptions in the digital space, “Arts Dialog” brought together creatives from Europe and the Global South to talk about how the role of artists is shifting, and how technologies can foster greater cultural exchange in turbulent times. In conversation with Steven Walter and Yeni Anikulapo-Kuti [...]

I was delighted to be Master of Ceremony for the opening day of the Women’s Forum Global Meeting 2021. A platform that aims to celebrate women’s leadership and create the conditions for more decision-making power for women, the #WFGM21 is a chance to gather and reflect on key issues where women are disproportionately affected, and have the potential – in business, politics, and society – to effectuate sizeable change. The first of five days was devoted to #Women4ClimateAction (other key themes were women in tech, women’s health and inclusive business), and brought together a terrific range of speakers to [...]

It was a thrill on so many levels to host this panel for DW Culture – as our first in-person event since the start of the pandemic – and as part of the official celebrations marking 1,700 years of Jewish life in Germany. The idea was to explore what it means to be Jewish in Germany today, with a focus on the increasingly diverse narratives of young, Jewish creatives. Joining me in the atrium of Berlin’s Jewish Museum were mezzo-soprano Shai Terry, writer and journalist Dmitry Kapitelman, and Deborah Feldman, author of the bestselling memoir "Unorthodox.” Hetty Berg, the museum’s Director, and Rabbinical [...]

EIT RawMaterials is the world’s largest consortium in the raw materials sector and it was a huge pleasure teaming up with them once again for their flagship event. Held virtually from their offices in Berlin, the RawMaterials Summit 2021 brought their growing community together around topics such as Education and Innovation, the European Raw Materials Alliance (ERMA), and the Circular Economy. As European industry gears up to deliver on the ambitious goals outlined in the EU Green Deal, sustainable supply of the critical raw materials essential to the green transition is a strategic imperative. EIT RawMaterials aims to drive [...]