Fulbright Germany Launches New Transatlantic Diplomacy Program for Future Leaders in International Politics

Berlin, 2026-06-09 – With the new Transatlantic Diplomacy Program (TAD), Fulbright Germany is expanding its funding portfolio to include an innovative German-American scholarship program for Master’s students in the fields of international politics, diplomacy, and global governance. The program is aimed at future leaders who want to actively shape the response to transatlantic challenges.
TAD combines academic exchange with hands-on diplomatic learning formats and fosters the development of transatlantic networks at an early career stage.

The goal of the program is to prepare outstanding young professionals from Germany and the USA for current and future challenges in international relations. In addition to academic studies, the program focuses on developing diplomatic skills, intercultural exchange, and practice-oriented formats.

„We are deeply grateful to have the USA as a friend by our side. Given our shared history, this is by no means a given. It was the USA, in particular, that reached out to us Germans after World War II. Every generation of Germans and Americans bears a historical responsibility to breathe life into the transatlantic partnership and thereby continually strengthen our bonds. For three-quarters of a century, the Fulbright Program has stood for precisely this idea. The new Transatlantic Diplomacy Program builds on this tradition and represents a significant investment in the next generation of leaders who will shape our shared future."

– Florian Hahn, Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office

„In this special year, as the USA celebrates 250 years of independence, the Transatlantic Diplomacy Program is an impressive symbol of what the German-American partnership stands for. By bringing together the next generation of diplomats, we are investing in the people who will carry this relationship forward with shared values and goals."

– Scott Weinhold, Minister-Counselor for Public Affairs of the U.S. Embassy Berlin and Board Co-Chair of Fulbright Germany

In its pilot phase, TAD is working closely with the following universities, which both host and send students:

Germany

• University of Duisburg-Essen

• Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt

• Hertie School, Berlin

• Dresden University of Technology

• University of Trier

USA

• George Washington University – Elliott School of International Affairs
• University of Denver – Josef Korbel School of Global and Public Affairs
• University of Pittsburgh – Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
• University of Washington, Seattle – Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies and Evans School of Public Policy and Governance

This creates a joint cohort of up to 30 young diplomats, including 15 Germans in the USA and 15 Americans in Germany.

Fulbright Germany supports the scholarship recipients with comprehensive benefits, including:

• A stipend of $13,800 (for one semester) or $31,000 (for two semesters) to cover living expenses.

• Tuition waivers provided by the partner universities.

• Access to the global Fulbright network as well as diplomatic and academic contacts.

The study period begins in the summer of 2027 for the 2027/28 academic year and lasts between four and nine months.

Fulbright Germany
Jennifer Witt, Communications
witt@fulbright.de