Together in Transition: Lessons from the Ruhr Region and the Rust Belt
with Emily Adams,
German Chancellor Fellow, German Council on Foreign Relations
John Austin,
Senior Fellow, Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College; Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution; and Visiting Fellow, Academy of International Affairs NRW
Jörg Kemna,
Chief Executive Officer, Business Metropole Ruhr GmbH
moderated by
Dr. des. Juliane Borosch,
Research Group City Scripts / Scripts for Postindustrial Urban Futures
Tuesday, June 10, 2025 | 06:00 p.m.
Auslandsgesellschaft.de | Steinstraße 48 | 44147 Dortmund
The Ruhr region in Germany and the so-called Rust Belt in the United States have undergone profound transformations in recent decades. Both regions, long defined by coal, steel, and heavy industry, have experienced the economic, social, and political consequences of deindustrialization. Yet despite structural similarities, the paths they have taken in responding to these changes differ—and offer important lessons for each other. Which economic and political strategies have been pursued in response to the challenges posed by industrial decline? To what extent have these measures succeeded in ensuring economic security and social stability—and where have they fallen short? How have processes of regional transformation influenced public trust in democratic institutions and party preferences among working class voters? What can both regions learn from one another to create viable futures for their populations and lay the groundwork for long-term prosperity?
We are looking forward to discussing these and further questions with:
Emily Adams is a German Chancellor Fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), where she researches economic policy and regional perspectives in foreign policy across the Atlantic. She is also a Fellow of the Transatlantic Dialogue on the Industrial Heartlands at Das Progressive Zentrum. Ms. Adams has previously held roles at the Brookings Institution Center on the United States and Europe, the German American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago, and she was a Fulbright grantee in Chemnitz, Germany. From Northern Wisconsin, she holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago and a B.Sc. in Economics and German from North Central College.
John Austin is a Visiting Fellow at the Academy of International Affairs – NRW and a Senior Fellow with the Eisenhower Institute at Gettysburg College (EI), leading EI’s work promoting ideas and network-building to spread economic opportunity and strengthen democracies across the globe. He also serves as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow with the Brookings Institution where for over twenty years he has led efforts to support economic transformation in the American Midwest and in the industrial heartlands of Western democracies. Mr. Austin is also an Affiliated Faculty with the University of Michigan Marsal School of Education. Previously he served 16 years as a state-wide elected official on the Michigan State Board of Education, including as the Board’s President for six years. Austin received his Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and a Bachelors from Swarthmore College in Economics & Political Science, with High Honors and Phi Beta Kappa.
Jörg Kemna is the Chief Executive Officer of Business Metropole Ruhr GmbH (BMR). As the regional economic development agency, BMR represents the economic interests of the Ruhr region’s 53 municipalities and supports the Ruhr area on its path to becoming a modern and future-oriented business location. Kemna has been with BMR since 2014. Before taking on the role of CEO, he served for three years as an authorized officer. Prior to that, he was responsible for strategic areas such as structural policy and funding, site and investor services, and emerging markets. His responsibilities included overseeing major initiatives such as the 5-Location Program and the Hydrogen Metropole Ruhr project office.
Dr. des. Juliane Borosch is a humanities scholar with a focus on transatlantic, postindustrial urban and cultural studies. She holds a PhD in American Studies from the University of Duisburg-Essen and was part of the research group “Scripts for Postindustrial Urban Futures: American Models, Transatlantic Interventions” of the University Alliance Ruhr. In her dissertation she investigated landmarks of the former industrial city at the conjunction of creative and sustainable urban development in a transatlantic comparison of Detroit and the Ruhr area. In 2021 and 2022 she was a Visiting Scholar at Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She earned a combined MA in American Studies and Literature and Media Practice and a combined BA in History and Anglophone Studies, both at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
Tickets are limited and will be allocated on a first come, first served basis. We kindly ask you to only reserve the number of tickets that you will definitely use.
This event will be held in English.
