AHS Professional Chapter Members Attend the 2026 European Forum Alpbach in Austria

A select group of AHS Professional Chapter members recently attended the European Forum Alpbach (EFA) alongside our partners at Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), as part of a program titled “Shaping the Multilateral Future: The Next Generation of Transatlantic Leaders.” Since 1945, EFA has brought together policymakers, business leaders, academics, and rising young professionals from around the world to grapple with how to promote democracy, freedom, and prosperity. This year, the Forum focused on one  question: In a world that acts faster and more decisively—can Europe still win on the decisive issues?

It’s a question that cuts to the heart of Europe’s current moment as it grapples with  accelerating technological change and mounting pressure to compete on a global stage that rewards speed and decisive action.

“We are proud to have AHS represented at the 2026 European Forum in Albach. Participating in such a prestigious world forum reflects AHS’s direction toward greater engagement and the opportunities it provides to those in our network,” said Molly Tobin, AHS Deputy Executive Director. 

This year’s conference theme entitled “How Europe Wins”, takes on particular weight given the scale of the 2026 gathering: an unprecedented summit of five heads of state, a ministerial debate on European competitiveness, and a keynote from former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta on the future of the European single market. Over the course of five days, AHS members engaged directly with senior European officials and and leading opinion makers—including Austrian Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger, Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz, and Munich Security Conference chair Wolfgang Ischinger—to discuss democracy, security, finance, and technology. They also contributed to a dedicated KAS panel on Europe’s role amid today’s geopolitical upheaval.

After the forum, our members traveled to Vienna, where they met with officials from the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), the UN Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA), and more. These meetings closed with reflections on democratic culture and Vienna’s role as a historic crossroads of European political life.

“The conference was an enlightening and engaging experience that provided me with invaluable insight to discuss transatlantic issues, hear European perspectives, and in return provide our thoughts as Americans,” said attendee Spencer Faragasso.

Sending our members abroad reflects a core part of AHS’s mission: giving the next generation of professionals firsthand exposure to the forces shaping global affairs through direct engagement with the people making the decisions. Partnering with KAS furthered that mission by connecting our delegation to a broad transatlantic network committed to strengthening the dialogue between the U.S. and Europe.

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About the Alexander Hamilton Society

The Alexander Hamilton Society is a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to identifying, educating, and launching the next generation of foreign policy and national security leaders, guided by the Hamiltonian vision of a strong and engaged America.