Bridging the Atlantic III
On December 1st, 2021, Georgetown University’s Global Irish Studies Initiative and BMW Center for German and European Studies, in association with the Embassy of Ireland, The Clinton Institute at University College Dublin, and Queen’s University Belfast presented:
Bridging the Atlantic III- Ireland and the US
The third annual Bridging the Atlantic conference sought to spotlight issues of mutual concern in the USA, Ireland, and the EU—among them the US-EU relationship, transatlantic trade, and the current challenges of peace-building in Northern Ireland after Brexit.
Media Coverage
Walsh School of Foreign Service
Event Schedule
8:30am: Registration and Tea/Coffee.
9:00am: Opening remarks from Dean Joel Hellman, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service; Prof. Katrin Sieg, Director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies; and Prof. Richard English, Professor of Politics at Queen’s University Belfast and Director of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice
9:10am: Panel 1–US-Europe Relations Under New Transatlantic Leadership
This panel will discuss the resetting of transatlantic relations, with new leadership in Germany and the US, and in the unsettling context of shifting global power dynamics and climate emergency. It will consider the role of Ireland in the emergent realignment of EU-US relations.
- Amb. Peter Wittig, Former Ambassador of Germany to the UK and the US, current Senior Fellow in the School of Foreign Service, BMW Center for German and European Studies, Georgetown University
- Dr. Heather Conley, President Designate of the German Marshall Fund
- Ed Luce, Associate Editor, Financial Times
- Moderated by Dr. Thomas Wright, Director of the Center on the United States and Europe, The Brookings Institution.
10:00am: Break
10:10am: Panel 2–US-Ireland Trade and Investment: A Two-Way Street
Over the last year the US and the EU have made commitments to work together on economic recovery through sustainable and digital transitions and tackling global trade challenges. This panel will consider the mutually beneficial impact of US-Ireland trade and investment and how Ireland can help strengthen the post-Brexit EU-US economic relationship.
- Amb. Daniel Mulhall, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States
- Marjorie Chorlins, Senior Vice President for European Affairs, US Chamber of Commerce
- Dr. Siobhán Roche, Director of Science for the Economy, Science Foundation Ireland
- Dr. Jayne Brady, Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service
- Moderated by Niamh King, Deputy Director of the Aspen Strategy Group and the Aspen Security Forum, Aspen Institute
11:00am: Break
11:10am: Panel 3–Protecting Peace in Ireland, Including the Role of the United States
Panelists from Northern Ireland and the US will discuss the current state of the Northern Ireland peace process, with a particular focus on Brexit, the border, the future of power sharing, and the role of the United States.
- Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pennsylvania
- Rep. Bruce Morrison, Co-Chair Ad Hoc Committee to Protect the Good Friday Agreement
- Prof. Katy Hayward, Professor of Political Sociology, Queen’s University Belfast.
- Brian Rowan, Journalist and Author
- Moderator by Ted Smyth, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin
12:00 noon: Closing remarks
This event was free and open to the public. If you wish to make a donation to support the Global Irish Studies series of free lectures and seminars, it will be gratefully received. Please go to our Giving page to make a tax-free donation or click on the button below