RIAS Berlin Alumni Chapter meets after long coronavirus hiberation

About nine members of the #RIASBerlin alumni chapter in Berlin met — cautiously and with appropriate social distancing — for the first time in many months on Wednesday, July 1 at a restaurant in the center of Berlin. With the Covid-19 lockdown measures from mid-March having been relaxed in recent weeks, the Berlin alumni chapter decided to try to meet again in person after months of taking part in virtual meetings from their homes and offices.

It was generally agreed that it was really great to see colleagues in the RIAS community in person again after so many months in isolation. Trying to work and juggle home responsibilities during the coronavirus, coping with rabid skeptics of journalism, the future of the RIAS program in 2021, the US elections in November, the situation in Hong Kong, rising rent prices in Berlin and the RIAS Zoom talks were among the topics discussed.

The Berlin alumni chapter members said they hoped to turn the meeting into a monthly Stammtisch gathering in Berlin. Other alumni chapters in Cologne and Berlin are hoping to hold in-person meetings again soon.