While some students spent yesterday afternoon soaking up the sun on McKeldin Mall, a group of about 40 students and faculty gathered in the multipurpose room of St. Mary’s Hall to hear Klaus Scharioth, German ambassador to the United States, speak.
Scharioth came as part of the Office of International Programs’ Ambassadorial Lecture Series, a series aimed at giving students an international perspective on world politics, said Joe Scholten, associate director of the Office of International Programs. During his hour-long lecture, Scharioth explained the nature of German foreign policy while also emphasizing the importance of gaining international perspective through study abroad programs.
International cooperation was a prevailing theme throughout the lecture, as the ambassador stressed the need for a worldwide approach to problem-solving and a “transatlantic partnership” between Europe and the United States.
“Many of the problems between countries have to do with the fact that we don’t know each other,” Scharioth said.
His call for global teamwork rang true with many in attendance.
“He talked about problems that I see as global problems, and it’s good to see that there are other people thinking about them in global terms rather than just ‘What can the U.S. do?’ – he’s saying ‘What can the world do?'” said junior English major Liz Campbell.
Scharioth said studying abroad is important because it’s a way to learn outside the classroom.
“[Studying abroad] is a constantly thrilling experience because, even if you skip classes, you still learn something,” he said.
After his lecture, Scharioth tackled questions from the crowd on a number of issues, including climate change, nuclear disarmament, terrorism, China’s rise and Turkey’s bid for admission to the European Union.
“I thought that he really handled the questions well,” said junior anthropology and German major Allison Chang. “Somebody asked about small arms, and [Scharioth] didn’t need time to answer. He just answered it with, ‘We do have programs; we’re trying to ban small arms.’ He was really on the ball.”
Despite his general openness, the ambassador wouldn’t answer all questions. When asked specifically about his view on the war in Iraq, he said he couldn’t comment on the situation. Some students said they worried the ambassador was painting a rosier picture of the German-American relationship than what actually existed.
“He was a diplomat, basically,” Chang said. “He said everything that he needed to say in the correct way. He didn’t really give his personal opinion except when he was talking about study abroad and his personal experiences; he gave the really official opinion.”
jsensor@umd.edu
