The board of directors of the "Salzburg Seminar" announced a new name for the organisation, to better reflect the international reach and the new strategic plan of the seminar. It will now be called the Salzburg Global Seminar. The seminar, founded at the end of World War II, initially tried to motivate the intellectual exchange and dialogue between Europeans and Americans, and it was originally called the "Salzburg seminar in American civilization." It soon changed its name to the "Salzburg seminar in American studies."

Recognising the growing worldwide reach and impact of its programmes, the overhauled Salzburg Global Seminar will look to make a difference on significant issues in the 21^st century through a new strategic plan. Its goals include:

• emphasising outcomes and problem solving;
• sharing the intellectual content generated by the Seminar’s programmes through public reports, briefings and the website;
• concentrating in depth on a small number of critical global issues over a multi-year period;
• partnering with complementary organisations to maximise impact.