As a part of the activities in commemoration of the 160th anniversary of Japan-German relationship, and the 10th anniversary of partnership between the cities of Yokohama and Frankfurt, Dr. Clemens von Goetze, Ambassador of Germany to Japan, was invited on December 16, 2021 to give an online lecture titled “Germany and Japan: Partners in Overcoming the Challenges of the 21st Century”.
YCU has been promoting bilateral student exchange with Germany with currently two universities: Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main and YCU have been exchanging students for many years already, and recently YCU concluded an agreement with the University of Freiburg – University College Freiburg this year seeking further interaction between German and Japanese students.
Assistant Professor Makoto Seta, and Professor Masahiko Nakanishi, both from the School of International Liberal Arts, served as moderators for the lecture to which more than 300 students took part. Ambassador von Goetze talked about the long history between Japan and Germany, focusing on exchange in the fields of science and culture. The Ambassador mentioned that one of the reasons Japan and Germany—both G7 member countries—have such a good and long-lasting relationship is that they share basic values such as a firm parliamentary system, democracy, the rule of law, and both have a strong commitment to nuclear disarmament.
As to the future relationship between the two countries, Ambassador von Goetze expressed his expectation of further exchange between Japan and Germany, including between universities, in anticipation of the post-Covid-19 era.
In response to a student’s question in the Q&A session after his lecture, the Ambassador talked about the impression of Germans towards World War II and the importance of drawing lessons from history. He also mentioned the important role of inter-city diplomacy as well as his expectations for students as leaders of future generations, stating that no innovation or progress occurs in one country alone, and that the more students get exposed to international ideas and contact with foreign colleagues, the more fulfilling their personal experiences and later scientific carrier will be.