2021.07.05.

Online Open Seminar of UNFA Course（6/16)

On June 16, Integrated Center for UN and Foreign Affairs Studies (UNFA Center) in Kwansei Gakuin University (KGU) welcomed Mr. Martin Eberts, Consul General, Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, Osaka-Kobe. He took up his appointment as Consul General in July, 2020. Prior to his current appointment, he served as a diplomat for more than 35 years in various countries and areas including Indonesia, Taiwan, Brazil, EU countries and Saudi-Arabia. He also experienced assignment to the German Embassy in Tokyo.

Consul General Mr. Eberts visited KGU to give a lecture for the class “Seminar in Diplomacy, Peace and Security” as a guest speaker accepting an invitation from Prof. Takahiro Shinyo, Dean of UFNA Center of KGU and former ambassador of Japan to Germany. Having shared the welcome reception and pleasant talk with Vice-President Prof. Kyoichi Marukusu, KGU Professors introduced beautiful KGU campus in fresh green season and the University Library to Mr. Eberts.

The seminar was conducted with about 30 online participants including the graduate course students and the undergraduates of KGU, Prof. Holger Robert Bungsche (School of International Studies, KGU), Prof. Hans Peter Liederbach (School of Sociology, KGU) and Prof. Anna Schrade (Institute for Industrial Research, KGU).

At the beginning of the lecture, Consul General Mr. Eberts explained the importance of exchanging views with people from different fields, as one of the reasons to give this lecture at KGU. Mr. Eberts is a historian and an experienced diplomat, and he also has a career as policy planner in the Federal Foreign Office of Germany. He emphasized that to have discussions with various people and keep contact with academic research for broader aspects is essential to acquire fresh ideas.

The seminar is titled “Germany and the Indo-Pacific-Challenges, Options, Strategies”. As a material for the lecture, the executive summary of “Policy guidelines for the Indo-Pacific” published by the Federal Government of Germany was provided to graduate students of the class. Having lectured about Indo-pacific strategies and other challenging global issues, Mr. Eberts also suggested to refer to the "White Paper on Multilateralism" published by German government on May 19, 2021, as another comprehensive material to understand Germany's role in the European Union and international organizations through the country’s international action in recent years.

Consul General Mr. Eberts mentioned that the year 2021 is to celebrate the 160th anniversary of bilateral partnership between Germany and Japan. He mentioned our two countries have so many things in common as ideal partners, and German- Japanese collaboration would have more impact to solve the global issues.
After the lecture, Mr. Eberts received various questions from the students and professors, and he provided deep and far-reached answers to each of them.

At the closing, Professor Shinyo expressed his gratitude to Mr. Eberts for the wonderful, comprehensive presentation. “We have different and complicated global issues, so we have to think together, live together to be able to find the solution in amicable way. We are very much grateful to have the opportunity to discuss with Consul General, Mr. Eberts, and share this moment equally all together.