Anniversary: The Bertelsmann Stiftung turns 40

For 40 years, the Bertelsmann Stiftung has been committed to developing solutions for societal challenges, in keeping with the beliefs of its founder, Reinhard Mohn. To date, it has invested €1.3 billion in its charitable activities. During a commemorative ceremony and a “Citizens’ Day” organized with the city of Gütersloh, the Bertelsmann Stiftung is joined by longtime supporters, project partners, employees and the interested public to look back at four decades of successful nonprofit work.

Reinhard Mohn Prize for Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Former Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves receives the 2017 Reinhard Mohn Prize, dedicated to the topic “Smart Country – Connected. Intelligent. Digital.” With the award, the Bertelsmann Stiftung honors Ilves as a politician who recognized early on the opportunities digitalization offers for transforming society. The presentation speech is given by Professor Jan Gulliksen.

Anniversary: NEUE STIMMEN turns 30

The international singing competition celebrates its 30th anniversary. It all began with a competition initiated by Liz Mohn in 1987, which drew 36 applicants from various countries, 29 of whom ultimately travelled to Gütersloh. That figure has now risen to 1,430 candidates from 76 nations – although only five female and five male singers participate in the finals. In 2017, the winners of NEUE STIMMEN’s anniversary competition are 26-year-old Bulgarian mezzosoprano Svetlina Stoyanova and 24-year-old South Korean bass Cho ChanHee. Each receives prizemoney of €15,000 and outstanding prospects for a career in opera.

Lehrkräfte Plus

This year marks the launch of the project Lehrkräfte Plus (Educator Plus). The goal is to qualify participants for a possible job teaching in a school in North Rhine–Westphalia. Twenty-five candidates take part: trained teachers who were forced to flee their native countries. The program is held at Bielefeld University. The Bertelsmann Stiftung serves as a program partner.

Forum Bellevue on the Future of Democracy

The Forum Bellevue on the Future of Democracy is a series of events organized by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in cooperation with the Bertelsmann Stiftung. The goal is to hold critical and open debates on current and fundamental issues as a way of promoting democracy and contributing to its well-being. The series commences on September 19, 2017 with the question “Which future will the West have?”

Ethics of Algorithms

The Ethics of Algorithms project examines algorithmic decision making and its implications for society. The goal is to help create algorithmic systems that allow everyone to participate. The focus is on ensuring that digital transformation actually serves society and its needs.

State by State: Monitoring Early Childhood Education

In 2017, for the 10th time, the project publishes updated data on topics relating to early child education and care (ECEC). Particularly noteworthy is the redesigned online portal www.laendermonitor.de, which now also provides information on ECEC in Germany at the county/city level and for districts served by youth welfare offices.