Call for Applications: RESET 2026 – Reimagining the Transatlantic Future
The transatlantic partnership is under significant and growing strain. Geopolitical power shifts, rising societal polarization, and increasingly diverging priorities are putting pressure on a relationship that has been built over decades. At the same time, a new generation of politically engaged young people is emerging on both sides of the Atlantic, bringing fresh ideas, new questions, and a strong willingness to take responsibility. Now more than ever, dialogue is essential for mutual understanding and overcoming the significant tensions facing the partnership.
The project „RESET–Reimagining the Transatlantic Future: Strategic Exchange for Political Youth from the Heartlands to the Hinterlands“ responds directly to this unique moment. The project creates a structured, multi-partisan, and values-based platform for dialogue among young political leaders from Germany and the United States.
Through in-person exchanges in both Germany and the United States as well as virtual workshop formats, RESET combines both personal encounters with intellectual depth. At the core of each cohort is a strategic foresight process that goes beyond day-to-day politics to explore the long-term future of the transatlantic relationship. In facilitated foresight workshops, participants analyze emerging challenges and opportunities and develop future scenarios to inform political debates at the regional, national, and transatlantic levels.
In 2026, a group of 20 youth leaders involved with political party youth organizations from across Germany and the United States will convene for online workshops between May and October 2026 and for study tours in Norfolk, Virginia, USA (May 26-30, 2026) and Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany (September 14-18, 2026).
Core Topic 2026: Security in the Transatlantic Alliance
The current geopolitical environment is marked by growing uncertainty, rising conflict, and a rapidly evolving threat landscape. At the same time, the cohesion of the transatlantic security framework is increasingly under strain. Political debates over the future of NATO, unequal burden-sharing, and diverging strategic priorities are testing trust on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, societal perceptions of security and the role of the military differ significantly between Germany and the United States. A quickly evolving security landscape in Germany, the United States and in the transatlantic relationship itself calls for forward-looking dialogue on security realities, perceptions, and expectations. Among the core questions the cohort will explore are:
- What responsibilities do young political leaders carry in shaping the future security architecture of Germany, the United States, and the transatlantic alliance?
- Where are the opportunities for closer security cooperation between the U.S. and Germany?
- How resilient are political institutions at the federal, state, and local levels in both countries to cyber threats and hybrid attacks?
- How can different societal attitudes toward the military and security policy be translated into constructive dialogue?
Program Outline and Benefits of Participation
To address these questions, RESET offers participants the opportunity to exchange ideas with international peers, political decision-makers, experts, and practitioners, and to actively shape the transatlantic dialogue. The program includes:
- Two study trips in Norfolk, Virginia, USA (May 26-30, 2026) and in Wiesbaden, Germany (September 14-18, 2026) to meet with policymakers, conduct relevant site visits, and further the foresight workshop process;
- Approximately 6-8 interactive virtual workshops (appx. 9-12 hours total);
- A multi-stage, professionally moderated foresight process in which participants jointly develop future scenarios and strategic options for action;
- The joint development of project results in the form of a publication;
- The opportunity to deepen understanding of international political cultures in both countries, build personal networks, and strengthen dialogue and strategic analysis skills in an international and multi-partisan environment;
- Adoption into the Aspen Germany alumni network.
Costs for participation (travel, accommodation, meals) will be covered by the project.
Eligibility
Applicants for this exchange program must:
- be involved with a youth political party organization in Germany or the United States;
- be between 20 and 30 years old at the time of application;
- live in the United States or Germany;
- be willing and available to participate in all virtual and in-person formats of the program and to contribute to the development of joint results and the publication;
- have a proven interest in security policy;
- be motivated to engage constructively with different political positions;
- have sufficient English skills to engage with colleagues, moderators, and speakers.
Application Process
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until February 13, 2026. To apply, please complete the application found here: Call for Applications: RESET 2026 – Reimagining the Transatlantic Future – Fill out form
If you have any questions, please Katja Greeson at greeson@aspeninstitute.de.
Disclaimer: Program components and schedule are subject to change due to changes in travel restrictions.
The project is supported by the Transatlantic Program of the Federal Republic of Germany, funded by the European Recovery Program (ERP) of the Federal Ministry of Economics and Energy (BMWE).
