U.S. Embassy in Austria, Public Affairs Section

Mission and History

The Mission of the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy in Austria encompasses public engagement with Austrian citizens; sharing knowledge about the U.S. and its institutions; shaping Austrians’ opinion about the United States; and, providing opportunities for educational, academic, and professional exchange between the United States and Austria.

The beginnings of U.S.-Austrian diplomatic relations date back to 1838, when the first emissaries where exchanged. By 1850, Austria had established 11 honorary Consular Offices, mostly along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts, focusing mainly on trade in tobacco and cotton. Over time, and despite two worlds wars, the U.S. and Austria built and rebuilt trade relations that prosper today. The U.S. is Austria’s second largest partner in trade and investment. For U.S. companies, Austria represents an attractive and affluent export market.

Programs And Activities

The Public Affairs Section conducts a variety of programs, including:

Working closely with Austrian media to share information about the U.S. and providing opportunities for U.S. positions to be articulated.

Inviting U.S. experts from a variety of fields to share their knowledge with Austrian audiences.
Organizing public engagement programs and events featuring various aspects of U.S. society and culture.

Providing opportunities for educational, academic, and professional exchange as well as youth exchange.

Supporting study of the United States at Austrian schools and universities.
Providing opportunities for young Austrians to meet U.S. citizens through the MeetUS outreach program

Recent trends include increased use of social and digital media for outreach purposes; honing the image of the United States and aligning it with the actual impact of U.S. popular culture and business on Austrian society.

My personal portfolio includes the administration of the Embassy’s academic and professional exchange programs including the International Visitor Leadership Program; Study of the U.S. program; and others as well as liaising with Fulbright Austria.

I advise the Ambassador and other Senior Embassy officials on invitations extended to Embassy leadership and carry out all preparations for visits and speaking engagement at universities, friendship societies, think tanks, and others.

I also work closely with the Austrian universities, in particular the departments of English language and American Studies, History, and Political Science and administer the Embassy’s support for their endeavors.

Another element of my work is the observation of anniversaries. In that capacity, I conceived and organized the Embassy’s yearlong campaign in observance of the 70th anniversary of the Marshall Plan in Austria, in close cooperation with the Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation and Austria Wirtschaftsservice (aws).