"US Elections @ AAU" initiative

Next to the Brexit, the 2016 US presidential elections and theiraftermath are among the most significant events in recent memory. Their impacton the Anglosphere and the rest of the world is inevitable and will befar-reaching. Critical engagement with and understanding of the US presidencythrough one of the best toolboxes available – American Studies – are now neededmore than ever. The "US Elections @ AAU" initiative aimed to educatea microcosm of different communities at Alpen-Adria Universität Klagenfurt inthe cultural, historical, economic, social and media-specific workings of USpolitics in general and the US presidency in particular, and thus prepare themfor the impact of the election outcome and to keep them engaged in what has bynow become the Trump administration. Taking the classroom(s) beyond theclassroom was one of the chief goals of the initiative. This has created amulti-tiered knowledge transfer ecology in which, among other things, studentsteamed up with visiting and intramural experts to organize two outreach eventsfor the benefit of the general public. Moreover, undergraduate and graduateresearch projects have been presented at different academic venues (morestudent participation in preparation).