Culture
Parliamentary Group NRW-USA Visits New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.
Traditionally, there have been close ties between the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the USA in the fields of politics, economics, science, society, and culture. These relationships are reflected in robust trade and economic connections, university collaborations, city and school partnerships, and much more. Recognizing the significance of these connections, the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament, through the NRW-USA Parliamentary Group, is committed to fostering transatlantic dialogue.
Under this guiding principle, 38 cross-party members of parliament engage in the exchange of information and perspectives, delving into current political questions and developments in German-American relations. In this context, their recent information trip to New York City (NYC), Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. was significant.
In NYC, the delegation visited the 9/11 Museum and engaged in discussions with NRW University Offices (Campus OWL, University Alliance Ruhr, University of Cologne, and UAS7), as well as with the “Museum for Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. They also held a meeting with the German American Chamber of Commerce (GACC) to discuss the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), renewable energy and energy efficiency in the northeastern USA, education, and training.
Building on these discussions, the delegation continued their talks in Philadelphia with the State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs in Pennsylvania, focusing on industrial transformation processes, the use of AI, electoral reform, climate change, and the partnership agreement established between NRW and Pennsylvania since January 2022.
In Washington, D.C., the delegation gathered insights into current day-to-day political developments at the American-German Institute (AGI), the representation of the European Commission, and the German Embassy. Subsequently, they engaged in a conversation with Deloitte regarding the use of artificial intelligence in modernizing administrative structures.
The visit to the “United States Holocaust Memorial Museum” deepened NRW’s connections with both this institution and the “Museum for Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust” in NYC. A visit to Georgetown University provided further insights into the U.S. education system. Discussions at the State Department with the Office of the “Special Representative for City and State Diplomacy” sparked ideas for even stronger subnational networking.
The delegation concluded their visit to Washington, D.C., with a conversation at the NGO “Brady: United Against Gun Violence,” where participants gathered information on gun legislation and gun violence in the USA.
This trip by the NRW-USA Parliamentary Group took place as part of the NRW-USA Year, celebrating and strengthening the close ties between NRW and the USA.
