The openness and curiosity that surfaces in this diverse environment is striking. I was so pleasantly surprised to see how easily our cohort forged into a family, all exaggeration aside. We stepped towards each other with ease, looking for each other’s experience, wisdom, humor and kindness. And this is how big ideas are born and great alliances are formed- through openness and empathy. We, Europeans, consider empathy as one of our core value. It was uplifting to feel that people from all over the World share this value. Special thanks to the Policy Center for the New South for making this possible and welcoming us into the ADEL community. "