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The Week in Germany: Culture

October 19, 2007

Chatham University Awards Ambassador Scharioth Honorary Doctorate

Ambassador Scharioth addresses students and faculty at Chatham. Photo: Chatham University

German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth accepted an honorary degree of Doctor of Public Service from Chatham University in Pittsburgh on October 15. Chatham conferred the degree on Ambassador Scharioth in recognition of his contributions to international diplomacy over his career in the German Foreign Service since 1976.

In particular, Chatham noted Ambassador Scharioth's work to strengthen ties between Germany and the United States during his tenure as Ambassador and his personal ties to America, which date back to a year spent at the The College of Idaho on a Rotary Scholarship in 1967-1968.

Ambassador Scharioth addressed students and faculty at Chatham and later answered questions. Scharioth also discussed the importance of protecting the Earth's climate with students and faculty at Chatham, whose most famous graduate may be “Silent Spring” author and environmental activist Rachel Carson.

“He spoke very comprehensively about those issues, and the students were very impressed,” said David Murdoch, who is Germany's Honorary Consul in Pittsburgh and also attended the event. “The students were also fascinated to hear about his participation in the two plus four talks. You could tell that they recognized that the person speaking to them had had a hand in making history,” said Murdoch, referring to the talks between East and West Germany and the four occupying powers that laid the groundwork for the unification of Germany following the fall of the Berlin wall. Ambassador Scharioth participated in the talks as a member of the German legal team.

Chatham University, which has an undergraduate program for women as well as graduate schools for men and women, has placed an academic focus on Germany for the 2007-2008 academic year as part of its Global Focus Program. Begun in 1995, the Global Focus Program at Chatham concentrates on one country or region of the world each year to enable the college community to engage in a comprehensive study of that region through coursework, class assignments, campus events, community activities, co-curricular programs and service learning projects.

From left to right: Chatham President Esther Barazzone, Ambassador Klaus Scharioth, and David Murdoch, Germany's Honorary Consul in Pittsburgh, Photo: Chatham University

Links:

Chatham University's Global Focus Program

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Op-Ed by Chatham Professor Allyson Lowe about teaching transatlantic relations to a generation born after the fall of the Berlin wall.

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