The core – or even heart – of a fellowship programme is a closely knit, productive and happy community of fellows, who share an interest in debates, exchange of knowledge and joint learning. Each cohort develops their own dynamics, and with every new group of fellows that comes to the Academy in Bonn, a sustainable network develops and grows. This network of associate fellows, current residents and incoming fellows of the next cohort met on Friday, December 12th, for an online event. The alumni and AIA team were happy to see familiar faces, while the new and future fellows had a chance to connect and get a more tangible impression of the programme at the Academy.

Among the things to expect, some of the most mentioned assets of the Academy include the vibrant, international environment of the UN city Bonn, the lovely surrounding and excellent office space in Rheinallee 24 and the supportive and welcoming culture at the Academy. The group of 19 fellows had a chance to engage with each other on one of the key issues across different groups, namely the challenges and promises of AI, which will also feature centrally during the next fellowship year. More general questions of the experience alumni had in Bonn were addressed in another part of the meeting, and hopefully assured incoming fellows that they will find excellent conditions for conducting their research and moving their families to Bonn!