Visit of the Ambassador of Germany to RSU - grounds for cross-cultural dialogue

Ambassador of Germany to Latvia Rolf Schütte and First Secretary of Cultural and Media Affairs Christoph Klarmann paid a visit to RSU on 7 September. The visit was organised within the framework of the programme Meet the Ambassador implemented by the RSU International Department. The aim of the visit was to meet RSU students from Germany and the university's senior management, as well as to get acquainted with the university

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During the two hour meeting with RSU students from Germany, the Ambassador gave a presentation on diplomatic relations between Latvia and Germany. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the renewal of these relations. Mr Schütte also informed students about the duties of the embassy and cultural activities organised by the embassy. Time was also devoted to a Q&A session. Students’ questions covered a wide range of topics – from safety and the political situation at the Eastern border of the European Union to the life of the German community and its integration in Latvia.

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More than 100 RSU students from Germany attended the meeting. Vice-President of RSU German Students’ Organisation Deutsche Studenten im Ausland (DSiA) Johannes Steibl: “I liked the event with the Ambassador of Germany very much. Having said that we – the German Students’ Organisation – have already met with him once before. However, this was a very good opportunity to see that our previous connection between the embassy and German students at RSU, as well as the connection to RSU itself is getting stronger. Such events are the grounds for and a result of good intercultural dialogue and international relations.”.

President of “German Students Abroad” (DSiA) Alexander Hasse added: “Thank you and danke schön to everybody who attended and was involved in initiating and organisating the meeting with our Ambassador. It was a very interesting, informative event, not only granting us an insight in the work of the embassy and its staff in general, but also into the work and life of the Ambassador. Our questions alongside the answers from the Ambassador and his colleague Mr Klarmann led to a lively dialogue. All present students appreciated an opportunity to get to know our Ambassador in the university settings.”

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The Ambassador also had a meeting with RSU Rector Professor Jānis Gardovskis, Vice-Rector for Development Toms Baumanis and Director of the International Department Baiba Pētersone.

Currently, students from Germany comprise the largest share of international students at RSU – nearly 800 students that constitute 42% of the total student body. 730 of them study medicine, whereas 68 students were enrolled in the dentistry programme. This semester RSU also welcomed 16 exchange students from Germany with the Erasmus+ exchange programme. Germany is a popular destination for exchange students from Latvia.

RSU has concluded cooperation agreements with 20 universities from Germany, including Humboldt University in Berlin, Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich, the University of Hamburg, the University of Konstanz and many other universities. Student exchange, as well as academic and general staff exchange visits have been organised within the framework of these cooperation agreements. RSU has also established cooperation with Germany in several other fields: student placement in hospitals in Germany, visiting lectures, conferences, symposiums, as well as engagement of researchers from Latvia and Germany in research projects.

Mr Rolf Schütte was appointed as ambassador in Riga in August 2015. Prior to that he took the position of Consul-General of Germany in San Francisco and Boston. In 1981, Mr Schütte assumed his duties in the Foreign Affairs Service in Germany. He has carried out diplomatic functions in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany, embassies in Moscow, Tel Aviv, Rome and the United Nations in New York.