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What We Do

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Salzburg Global Seminar?

Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit organization based at Schloss Leopoldskron, Salzburg, Austria with additional offices in Washington, DC, USA, Middlebury, VT, USA, London, UK and Vienna, Austria. The mission of Salzburg Global Seminar is to challenge current and future leaders to solve issues of global concern. To do this we design, facilitate and host international strategic convening and multi-year programs to tackle systems challenges critical for the next generation. 

You can read more about our work here: About Us

Why is Salzburg Global Seminar based at Schloss Leopoldskron?

Salzburg Global Seminar was first established as the Salzburg Seminar in American Studies in 1947, an initiative launched by three young Harvard students – Americans Richard Campbell and Scott Ellredge, and Austrian Clemens Heller. As Austrian Jews, Heller’s family had been forced to flee Austria following the Nazi annexation of Austria in 1938; a fate also faced by theater impresario Max Reinhardt, the pre-war owner of Schloss Leopoldskron. 

Following a chance meeting in early 1947 with Helene Thimig, Max Reinhardt’s widow, on the New York subway, Heller (who had been a student of Thimig’s at the renowned Max Reinhardt Seminar for Performing Arts in Vienna) secured the use of Schloss Leopoldskron for the first-ever Salzburg Seminar in American Studies, held for six weeks that summer.

In 1959, after over a decade of renting, Salzburg Seminar bought the Schloss outright. The neighboring Meierhof, which now houses most of the Salzburg Global Seminar offices as well as 55 hotel rooms, was purchased in 1973. 

You can read more about the founding of Salzburg Global Seminar and the history of Schloss Leopoldskron here: History

How can I become a Fellow?

Participants of Salzburg Global Seminar programs are inducted into our Salzburg Global Fellowship. To become a participant of a program, check out our upcoming programs and click on the “register online” link to apply.  We accept between 40 and 60 participants per program.

You can see all of our upcoming programs here.

You can read more about the achievements of our Fellows here: Faces of Leadership

In addition to our programs at Schloss Leopoldskron, we also host Fellowship events across the world. You can see a list of our upcoming Fellowship events here: Fellowship Events

How much does it cost to attend a Salzburg Global Seminar program?

Our programs are fully residential, with board and lodging included in the fee, from dinner on the opening day until breakfast on the departure day. Depending on the length of our programs, the fee can vary. The fee for each program can be viewed on the individual program webpage. The fee does not included travel to and from Salzburg. Click here to read more about fees and registration information.

Are there scholarships available?

As we wish to bring together as diverse a group of Fellows as possible per session, the fee can vary depending on the financial circumstances of an individual applicant. Discounts are considered for organizations in non-OECD countries and for NGOs, universities, research institutes and think tanks. There are also limited partial scholarships available for some programs – early registration is strongly advised.

For a limited number of outstanding early to mid-career applicants from developing countries, Salzburg Global Seminar and its partners offer scholarships, covering travel as well as program fees. Our aim is to bring together a unique mix of people and we strongly encourage individuals from all parts of the world to apply.

What is the structure of a Salzburg Global Seminar program?

Salzburg Global Seminar programs are not conferences; they are designed to be much more intimate, dynamic and collaborative experiences. Rather than being just a space for speakers to deliver presentations and papers, our programs are designed to move participants beyond their ‘comfort zones’, by being participatory, prompting candid dialogue and fresh thinking, and constantly in the search for innovative but practical solutions.

Our exclusive setting enables Salzburg Global participants to step back from the world, share quality time together and form life-long bonds. The Schloss’ spacious atmosphere, European elegance and playful grandeur leave a vivid and enduring imprint on participants’ memories, often described as the "Salzburg magic." Over breaks and meals, walks around the lake, drinks on the terrace and evening social time in the Bierstube, conversations begun during working sessions are continued, allowing for greater nuance, wider exploration and enhanced creativity.

In addition to interactive plenary presentations and working group discussions, our programs have also incorporated elements of role play, team debates, rapid cycle prototyping and structure play

Our programs are fully residential, with board and lodging offered in the Meierhof of Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron (the adjacent building to the Schloss). All meals are provided and are usually taken in either the Marble Hall or Venetian Room of the Schloss. 

Our sessions also incorporate informal evening events including fire-side chats and concerts hosted in our Great Hall, tours of the Schloss and socializing in the Bierstube – our basement bar. Some programs also include excursions into Salzburg city center and the surrounding province.  

Can I visit Schloss Leopoldskron without attending a program?

Schloss Leopoldskron is a fully functioning hotel. With 55 rooms, 12 suites, and three townhouses, the historic palace of Schloss Leopoldskron, birthplace of the Salzburg Festival and a location for the filming of “The Sound of Music”, is an exclusive and discreet hideaway just minutes from the center of Salzburg. You can book to stay at Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron, as well as renting any of the Schloss rooms for weddings, banquets or conferences. 

You can book a room and to find out more about Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron's rooms and facilities here: Hotel Schloss Leopoldskron

While the grounds and Schloss are not open to the public, Salzburg Global Fellows are welcome to visit on prior arrangement. If you are a Fellow and would like to visit the Schloss, please email Fellowship@SalzburgGlobal.org. Fellows are also entitled to a discount on hotel rooms. Please contact our Reception Team directly to make a booking, stating your name and the session you attended.

What opportunities are there to work or intern at Salzburg Global Seminar?

All career and internship opportunities at Salzburg Global Seminar are listed here: Job Opportunities

Internships in Salzburg are unpaid but full room and board offered on-site at Schloss Leopoldskron and a return ticket to your place of residence is offered. Internships in our Washington, DC office offer a stipend. 

Salzburg Global Seminar is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

How can I support Salzburg Global Seminar?

Supporting the work of Salzburg Global can take many forms including financial support, volunteering and offering recommendations of possible Fellows and partners. 

You can find out how you can support the work of Salzburg Global Seminar here: Support Our Work

I still have questions; how can I contact Salzburg Global Seminar?

You can contact Salzburg Global Seminar by emailing info@salzburgglobal.org

Alternatively, all our staff and their emails are listed here: Staff

You can see our full contact details here: Contact Us