Encounters

Encounters

• is a series of dialogues initiated by the Center for Asian and Transcultural Studies (CATS) and the Heidelberg Center for American Studies (HCA) at Heidelberg University. The events focus on the relationship between the two superpowers of the twenty-first century – the United States of America and China. With the rapid rise of the People’s Republic in recent decades, this relationship has become increasingly confrontational.
• looks at this new constellation and its consequences for Germany and Europe: How do the European Union and its individual member states position themselves in the conflict between China and the United States? Which social and cultural interactions and processes can we observe in this special bilateral relationship?
• brings prominent Chinese and American artists and authors, activists, representatives from the business community, policy makers, and public intellectuals to Heidelberg where they engage in conversations with scholars from the HCA and CATS.
• offers a nuanced discussion on a wide range of critical issues of these exceptional bilateral relations, such as environmental and trade policies, technology and innovation, white-collar crime and digital surveillance as well as human rights and freedom of expression.
• thus contributes to an informed exchange among academia and the general public, including the business community, the political sphere, and the media. The critical dialogues of the series constitute part of an informed public debate on one of the most important issues for the future of Germany and Europe.