Magnifizenz,
Spectabilis,
Commilitones,

As the motto of Freie Universität Berlin is in Latin, I thought I would see what I remember from my student days! Being here in this auditorium reminds me of that happy time. Thank you so much for inviting me. It really does me good to be here.

Esteemed fellows,

We heard that 480 fellows from 94 countries are here in this room today. You are doing undergraduate or postgraduate studies in Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Yes, the Länder are important in Germany, and I say that even as Foreign Minister.

I was pleased to have a chance to speak at least briefly with some of you before this event and to find out more about you, your experiences here in Germany, your plans, your hopes and your objectives for the future. I would like to repeat here what I just said to the smaller group – I am delighted that your academic path has brought you to Germany.

I say this expressly as German Foreign Minister, as you who are studying, researching or completing your degree here in Germany are ambassadors of your countries for us. You are part of the global exchange and the contact between people, without which science and academic training – and indeed, foreign policy – are not possible.

German foreign policy has traditionally been based on various pillars: classical diplomacy, that is, exchange between heads of state, ministers and ambassadors; the economy as an important pillar of our foreign relations; and culture.

German foreign policy tasks have increased, mainly because of the war in Europe. We now speak less of pillars and more about interlocking cogs. Cultural and societal diplomacy is now an integral part of our foreign policy that fosters understanding and empathy between our people and societies.

The idea behind this policy is that personal contacts build relationships, facilitate understanding and create trust in ways that might not be possible in other areas. Such contacts include those between academics, artists, pupils and of course people like you, who are pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies here in Germany.

This foreign policy takes a long-term approach. It looks to the future and aims to ensure that you will all continue to feel connected to Germany after your stay here. It is our wish that you will explain Germany, promote it and hopefully also encourage others to get to know this country and its inhabitants when you speak with people in your university, company, ministry, parliament or wherever the future may take you. We want you to become ambassadors for Germany in the world.

I am convinced that this type of cultural and societal diplomacy is, however, only possible as a foreign policy in and for freedom – in freedom because this type of foreign policy cannot be decreed or steered from the top down by a government, but can only be promoted and accompanied politically.

That is why our cultural and societal diplomacy relies on a wide range of autonomous intermediary organisations, such as the Goethe-Institut, ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), the German Commission for UNESCO and, in the field of academic exchange, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and of course – which brings me to the reason for today’s ceremony – the German Academic Exchange Service, which is now celebrating its centenary.

It is worthwhile remembering, as Professor Mukherjee just mentioned, that the German Academic Exchange Service was founded 100 years ago in the wake of the catastrophe of the First World War, initially to enable German students to rebuild relations beyond the chasms, the hatred and the victims of the war and to discover other countries, and thus to lead Germany out of its international and intellectual isolation.

Initially founded by an individual, the organisation then developed over the course of decades, but above all following the cataclysm of the Second World War and the Shoah, to become what is now the world’s largest organisation for international student and academic exchange. Since 1925, the German Academic Exchange Service has supported almost three million academics and thousands of university cooperation projects.

Every year, it provides funding to 140,000 Germans and international academics for their stays abroad. That means 140,000 ambassadors for understanding, empathy, academic exchange and innovation every year.

I would like to congratulate you, Professor Mukherjee, the entire team of the German Academic Exchange Service, and you, esteemed fellows, for this success story! The fact that you are here today and that we have around 400,000 international students and over 80,000 academics from all over the world in Germany is thanks to our diverse landscape of free exchange and academic organisations.

It is also thanks to the fact – and I am equally convinced of this – that freedom of science and research is such a precious asset for us in Germany, not least because of our historical experiences with oppression, with the banishment and persecution of so many academics under National Socialism, but also in the GDR.

And I am very aware that the political conflicts in the world, the debates on Germany’s role in the world and the polarisation in society that we are currently experiencing in many topics naturally find their way into universities and research institutes.

And that is – and I say this expressly as German Foreign Minister – important and the way it should be. After all, just as good research and pioneering innovations are only possible in an environment where there is a free exchange of ideas between people, the same goes for good policies and good foreign policy.

In these turbulent times and in view of so many unprecedented challenges to our security, our freedom and our prosperity, we need the best ideas, competition between concepts, opposition and open-mindedness.

That is why it is important that people like you who come to study and research here in Germany can also take part in these debates, doing so within the boundaries of our laws and in awareness of our historical experiences and responsibility. It is also important that you can pursue your academic training and your research free from political interference or any other form of coercion.

We will continue to uphold and protect freedom of art, science, research and teaching, as guaranteed under Article 5 of our Basic Law. We note with concern that this freedom is no longer a matter of course in a growing number of countries, including in our European neighbourhood and among our traditional allies. We see that academics are leaving their home countries because of concerns about freedom of teaching and research and looking for new opportunities elsewhere. This is a painful loss – we Germans also experienced it in the past – for research, innovation and free discussion in these countries.

That is why we feel a duty to provide a safe space and prospects here in Germany to people who have been denied academic training in their home country because of their political beliefs, background or sex. The same applies to academics who face concrete threats to their physical safety or personal freedom and who are forced to leave their home country as a result.

As was already mentioned, I visited Ukraine at the start of this week and saw the destruction there at first hand. Thousands of people, including many academics and students, have had to leave their homeland. I see our protection programmes, such as the Students at Risk – Hilde Domin Programme and the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, as the implementation of our commitment to freedom of science. Unfortunately, these programmes are more necessary and sought after than ever today.

At the same time, such programmes, just like our support for academic and scientific exchange as a whole, the cultural work conducted by the Goethe-Institut and our support for German schools and the learning of German as a foreign language in other countries are strategic instruments of our foreign policy. All of these instruments help to explain and represent our country and our values, which include freedom of science, in the world. And in this way, they also serve our values and interests – our interest in freedom and security, when we support freedom of science and research in other countries, thus confidently representing our free, democratic model of society in the world and when we counter false narratives and disinformation about Germany with facts, knowledge and personal ties. These instruments also serve our interest in economic prosperity when we foster innovations and the strengthening of science and research in Germany.

To this end, we included the 1000 Minds Programme in the coalition agreement, with the aim of attracting talented individuals from abroad to Germany as a location for science and research. And when I look around this lecture hall today and think about the conversations that I had with some of you before the event, I am certain that we are already making good headway in this regard and that some of you are thinking about staying here in Germany. You are very welcome here.

We want to align these instruments and fields of our cultural and societal diplomacy even more closely with these values and interests in the future.

And in this context, we want to focus to an even greater extent on regions that reflect the priorities, as well as the challenges, of our foreign policy as a whole. This means strengthening the transatlantic partnership and enhancing the defence of Ukraine and our partners in Eastern and East-Central Europe against Russian aggression – which largely entails a battle of narratives and a fight against disinformation and for hearts and minds – and endeavours to foster freedom, peace and stability in countries such as Syria.
It does not mean – and this is what makes us different from the authoritarian systems with which we compete globally – exploiting science and research for political purposes. On the contrary, it means standing up for freedom in science and research, and indeed beyond.

“... universities are not possible where there is no freedom.” These words were spoken by the then Commandant of the US Sector of Berlin, Frank Howley, at the opening of this university, Freie Universität Berlin, in December 1948. They could also serve as the motto of our cultural and societal diplomacy. Furthermore, they show that there is probably no better place in Berlin than here to celebrate the centenary of the German Academic Exchange Service with you today. I am delighted that you are here. Thank you very much.Magnifizenz,

Spectabilis,

Commilitones,

As the motto of Freie Universität Berlin is in Latin, I thought I would see what I remember from my student days! Being here in this auditorium reminds me of that happy time. Thank you so much for inviting me. It really does me good to be here.

Esteemed fellows,

We heard that 480 fellows from 94 countries are here in this room today. You are doing undergraduate or postgraduate studies in Berlin, Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Yes, the Länder are important in Germany, and I say that even as Foreign Minister.

I was pleased to have a chance to speak at least briefly with some of you before this event and to find out more about you, your experiences here in Germany, your plans, your hopes and your objectives for the future. I would like to repeat here what I just said to the smaller group – I am delighted that your academic path has brought you to Germany.

I say this expressly as German Foreign Minister, as you who are studying, researching or completing your degree here in Germany are ambassadors of your countries for us. You are part of the global exchange and the contact between people, without which science and academic training – and indeed, foreign policy – are not possible.

German foreign policy has traditionally been based on various pillars: classical diplomacy, that is, exchange between heads of state, ministers and ambassadors; the economy as an important pillar of our foreign relations; and culture.

German foreign policy tasks have increased, mainly because of the war in Europe. We now speak less of pillars and more about interlocking cogs. Cultural and societal diplomacy is now an integral part of our foreign policy that fosters understanding and empathy between our people and societies.

The idea behind this policy is that personal contacts build relationships, facilitate understanding and create trust in ways that might not be possible in other areas. Such contacts include those between academics, artists, pupils and of course people like you, who are pursuing undergraduate or postgraduate studies here in Germany.

This foreign policy takes a long-term approach. It looks to the future and aims to ensure that you will all continue to feel connected to Germany after your stay here. It is our wish that you will explain Germany, promote it and hopefully also encourage others to get to know this country and its inhabitants when you speak with people in your university, company, ministry, parliament or wherever the future may take you. We want you to become ambassadors for Germany in the world.

I am convinced that this type of cultural and societal diplomacy is, however, only possible as a foreign policy in and for freedom – in freedom because this type of foreign policy cannot be decreed or steered from the top down by a government, but can only be promoted and accompanied politically.

That is why our cultural and societal diplomacy relies on a wide range of autonomous intermediary organisations, such as the Goethe-Institut, ifa (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen), the German Commission for UNESCO and, in the field of academic exchange, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation and of course – which brings me to the reason for today’s ceremony – the German Academic Exchange Service, which is now celebrating its centenary.

It is worthwhile remembering, as Professor Mukherjee just mentioned, that the German Academic Exchange Service was founded 100 years ago in the wake of the catastrophe of the First World War, initially to enable German students to rebuild relations beyond the chasms, the hatred and the victims of the war and to discover other countries, and thus to lead Germany out of its international and intellectual isolation.

Initially founded by an individual, the organisation then developed over the course of decades, but above all following the cataclysm of the Second World War and the Shoah, to become what is now the world’s largest organisation for international student and academic exchange. Since 1925, the German Academic Exchange Service has supported almost three million academics and thousands of university cooperation projects.

Every year, it provides funding to 140,000 Germans and international academics for their stays abroad. That means 140,000 ambassadors for understanding, empathy, academic exchange and innovation every year.

I would like to congratulate you, Professor Mukherjee, the entire team of the German Academic Exchange Service, and you, esteemed fellows, for this success story! The fact that you are here today and that we have around 400,000 international students and over 80,000 academics from all over the world in Germany is thanks to our diverse landscape of free exchange and academic organisations.

It is also thanks to the fact – and I am equally convinced of this – that freedom of science and research is such a precious asset for us in Germany, not least because of our historical experiences with oppression, with the banishment and persecution of so many academics under National Socialism, but also in the GDR.

And I am very aware that the political conflicts in the world, the debates on Germany’s role in the world and the polarisation in society that we are currently experiencing in many topics naturally find their way into universities and research institutes.

And that is – and I say this expressly as German Foreign Minister – important and the way it should be. After all, just as good research and pioneering innovations are only possible in an environment where there is a free exchange of ideas between people, the same goes for good policies and good foreign policy.

In these turbulent times and in view of so many unprecedented challenges to our security, our freedom and our prosperity, we need the best ideas, competition between concepts, opposition and open-mindedness.

That is why it is important that people like you who come to study and research here in Germany can also take part in these debates, doing so within the boundaries of our laws and in awareness of our historical experiences and responsibility. It is also important that you can pursue your academic training and your research free from political interference or any other form of coercion.

We will continue to uphold and protect freedom of art, science, research and teaching, as guaranteed under Article 5 of our Basic Law. We note with concern that this freedom is no longer a matter of course in a growing number of countries, including in our European neighbourhood and among our traditional allies. We see that academics are leaving their home countries because of concerns about freedom of teaching and research and looking for new opportunities elsewhere. This is a painful loss – we Germans also experienced it in the past – for research, innovation and free discussion in these countries.

That is why we feel a duty to provide a safe space and prospects here in Germany to people who have been denied academic training in their home country because of their political beliefs, background or sex. The same applies to academics who face concrete threats to their physical safety or personal freedom and who are forced to leave their home country as a result.

As was already mentioned, I visited Ukraine at the start of this week and saw the destruction there at first hand. Thousands of people, including many academics and students, have had to leave their homeland. I see our protection programmes, such as the Students at Risk – Hilde Domin Programme and the Philipp Schwartz Initiative, as the implementation of our commitment to freedom of science. Unfortunately, these programmes are more necessary and sought after than ever today.

At the same time, such programmes, just like our support for academic and scientific exchange as a whole, the cultural work conducted by the Goethe-Institut and our support for German schools and the learning of German as a foreign language in other countries are strategic instruments of our foreign policy. All of these instruments help to explain and represent our country and our values, which include freedom of science, in the world. And in this way, they also serve our values and interests – our interest in freedom and security, when we support freedom of science and research in other countries, thus confidently representing our free, democratic model of society in the world and when we counter false narratives and disinformation about Germany with facts, knowledge and personal ties. These instruments also serve our interest in economic prosperity when we foster innovations and the strengthening of science and research in Germany.

To this end, we included the 1000 Minds Programme in the coalition agreement, with the aim of attracting talented individuals from abroad to Germany as a location for science and research. And when I look around this lecture hall today and think about the conversations that I had with some of you before the event, I am certain that we are already making good headway in this regard and that some of you are thinking about staying here in Germany. You are very welcome here.

We want to align these instruments and fields of our cultural and societal diplomacy even more closely with these values and interests in the future.

And in this context, we want to focus to an even greater extent on regions that reflect the priorities, as well as the challenges, of our foreign policy as a whole. This means strengthening the transatlantic partnership and enhancing the defence of Ukraine and our partners in Eastern and East-Central Europe against Russian aggression – which largely entails a battle of narratives and a fight against disinformation and for hearts and minds – and endeavours to foster freedom, peace and stability in countries such as Syria.
It does not mean – and this is what makes us different from the authoritarian systems with which we compete globally – exploiting science and research for political purposes. On the contrary, it means standing up for freedom in science and research, and indeed beyond.

“... universities are not possible where there is no freedom.” These words were spoken by the then Commandant of the US Sector of Berlin, Frank Howley, at the opening of this university, Freie Universität Berlin, in December 1948. They could also serve as the motto of our cultural and societal diplomacy. Furthermore, they show that there is probably no better place in Berlin than here to celebrate the centenary of the German Academic Exchange Service with you today. I am delighted that you are here. Thank you very much.