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Dr. Johannes Meier joins the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board and Board of Trustees

Media and information technology expert Dr. Johannes Meier joins the Bertelsmann Stiftung Executive Board and Board of Trustees. As a member of the Executive Board, he is also responsible for business management.


Bertelsmann conference center in Berlin opens its doors

Bertelsmann Representance Unter den Linden 1 in Berlin.

We firmly believe that an aging society has potential that must be tapped. What is more, demographic change presents a rare opportunity to fundamentally reform our society. The productivity of older people could be a great asset if we change our image of aging and the institutional setting in which it takes place.

To strengthen civil society, we must develop and disseminate new ways of thinking about families, about aging, about the division of labor and smart value creation, about what is personally meaningful and socially useful. Innovative examples for new values and behaviors already exist to some extent and in some localities; to become the accepted norm, they must spread widely and take root throughout our communities.Bertelsmann Transformation Index (BTI)
The Bertelsmann Stiftung's Transformation Index (BTI) analyzes and evaluates the quality of democracy, the market economy and political management in 128 developing and transition countries. It measures successes and setbacks on the path toward a democracy based on the rule of law and a socially responsible market economy. In-depth country reports by 250 international experts with nearly 7,000 individual evaluations provide the basis for assessing the state of transformation and persistent challenges, as well as the ability of policymakers to carry out consistent and targeted reforms. The BTI is the first cross-national comparative index that uses self-collected data to comprehensively measure the quality of governance during processes of transition. The BTI later leads to a sister project, the Sustainable Governance Indicators, which examine governance and policymaking in the OECD member states – and starting in 2014, all EU member states – in order to evaluate each country’s need for and ability to carry out reform.


2003 Carl Bertelsmann Prize: Corporate culture and leadership as factors for success

The topic for the 2003 Carl Bertelsmann Prize is "Corporate culture and leadership as factors for success." The evaluation criteria focus on management techniques that emphasize participation and inclusion as well as dialogue-oriented partnerships within the company or institution. Key dimensions are partnership and collaboration based on dialogue and transparency, identification with goals and tasks, decentralization and delegation of responsibility as a process with rights and duties, and continuity of leadership. Other important criteria include respect for cultures and people as well as the establishment of a reporting system for the further development of the company and corporate culture as part of its social responsibility.
The nominees: BMW Group, Hilti and Novo Nordisk
The winner: Hilti Aktiengesellschaft


2003 NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition

Finals of the NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition 2003, in the Gütersloh Community Center. Winner of the competition Franco Fagioli with Gérard Mortier (chairman of the jury), Liz Mohn and Gustav Kuhn (artistic director).

Winner of the tenth International Singing Competition in October 2003 is Franco Fagioli, 22, of Argentina. The countertenor impresses the international jury, led by Gérard Mortier. In second place is Russian tenor Maxim Mironov, 22, while lyric baritone Song-Hu Liu, 28, of China takes third. More than 1,200 up-and-coming singers from 50 nations participate in NEUE STIMMEN in 2003. Eighteen preliminary rounds are held in cities around the world, including Berlin, Buenos Aires, Chicago, Cape Town, London, Moscow, Munich, New York, Beijing, Sydney and Yokosuka (Japan).

For the first time, singers from Armenia, Cuba, Equador and Iran enter the competition. A total of 48 singers from 18 nations qualify for the final rounds in Gütersloh.
Work-Life Balance: Opening press conference with Liz Mohn and Renate Schmidt

Family policy is the wave of the future, ranking high on the political agenda. Yet workplace requirements do not always match up with what employees want or need. As a result, the expectations of both individuals and businesses must be brought into alignment. This requires developing realistic approaches to family-friendly infrastructures, as well as expecting employees to take the initiative in creating innovative solutions.

The Bertelsmann Stiftung intends to support these processes. We help leaders and managers become experts in developing a family-friendly human resources policy that promotes work/life balance. We recognize individual employers for creative solutions that balance work, family and private life. We train stakeholders from companies, trade associations and communities to establish regional programs offering information, advice and continuing education.


3rd International Culture Forum in Beijing

Germany and China welcome and honor the engagement of the Bertelsmann Stiftung and the China Association for International Cultural Exchange. Promoting cultural dialogue between China and Europe, the International Cultural Forum Beijing takes place in Beijing on May 14 and 15, 2003. In addition, the Chinese preliminary round for the NEUE STIMMEN International Singing Competition is held there on May 9–12. The best singers in this round perform at a gala opera concert at the end of the International Cultural Forum. Under the direction of Maestro Gustav Kuhn, they join the Wagner tenor Siegfried Jerusalem, NEUE STIMMEN stars Eteri Gvazava and Xiaoliang Li, and Chinese soprano Ma Mei on the stage.