The Austrian Studies Association (ASA) held its annual conference under the theme "Crossing Borders – Blurring Borders" at the University of Michigan, Dearborn on March 26-28, 2015. ASA promotes discussions within Austrian Studies from the widest variety of perspectives. The conferences brought together over 100 Austrianists from three continents to exchange their research and findings in topical panels over three days.

Program highlights included an art exhibit opening and talk by artist Ursula Hübner, entitled "Bodily Obsessions: The History of Austrian painting via Egon Schiele, Maria Lassnig, Ursula Hübner, and other Affinities". The Austrian Honorary Consul in Detroit, Dr. Alois Schwartz, was in attendance to greet participants. Furthermore, author Maja Haderlap, writing about crossing the border from Carinthia and Slovenia, read from her novel Engel des Vergessens.

In addition, the program also included a film screening and discussion of the TV film Franz Fuchs – a patriot, in which actor/director Karl Markovics portrays the right-wing terrorist of the same name. Mr. Markovics joined the discussion via Skype. Previously, he had played Salomon Sorowitsch in Stefan Ruzowitzky's 2007 film The Counterfeiters, winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in that year.