The American Academy in Berlin was established in 1994 by Ambassador Richard C. Holbrooke and other distinguished Germans and Americans to foster greater understanding and dialogue between the people of the United States and the people of Germany. A private, nonprofit, non-partisan center for advanced research in a range of academic and cultural fields, the Academy awards fellowships to about two dozen emerging or established scholars, writers, and professionals each year, and brings leading Americans to Berlin for briefer visits for a robust exchange of views between the people of Germany and the United States.