US Department of State Interns Visit German Embassy
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- A group of US Department of State interns were greeted by German Information Center USA Deputy Director Hans-Ulrich von Schroeter at the German Embassy on August 14.
- (© German Embassy, Washington)
"How is the German foreign service different from the US foreign service?" and "What are the prospects of German foreign policy in regards to Europe?"
These were just a few of the many questions recently put by 14 interns from the US Department of State to Hans-Ulrich von Schroeter, the new deputy director of the German Information Center USA.
During a presentation to this group of American interns at the German Embassy on August 14, von Schroeter illustrated what it means to be a diplomat - from the thrill of total cultural immersion to the constant adaptation of relocating your family to several different countries during a lifelong career that could take you almost anywhere.
Yet he has never regretted one single day of being a diplomat, he told the young visitors.
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- Von Schroeter during his presentation to the American interns at the Embassy.
- (© German Embassy, Washington)
He also explained the importance of Germany being part of Europe and that this includes a different approach to conducting foreign policy than in the United States.
Germany was one of the six founding countries in 1957 of what is now known as the European Union. After several successive rounds of enlargement and deepening economic as well as political integration, the EU is now comprised of 27 member states - and counting. This makes it increasingly important for Europe to speak with one voice on certain issues, such as combating climate change, in the global policy arena.
Von Schroeter, who holds a doctorate in law and speaks fluent Portuguese, French and English, was previously posted as a diplomat by the Federal Foreign Office to both Bonn and Berlin in Germany, as well as Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Luanda, Angola.
Following his presentation he chatted with the interns and answered some questions about his job at the German Embassy in Washington, where his focus lies on public diplomacy work via specialized campaigns reaching out to specific audiences, such as college students during the Freedom Without Walls campaign celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
