Berlin/Washington, October 3, 2018. Joint press release by the German Federal Foreign Office, German Academic Exchange Service and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies

Inaugural Helmut Schmidt Professor and Five Postdoctoral Fellows, Program on “The United States, Europe, and World Order”

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Joint press release by the German Federal Foreign Office, German Academic Exchange Service and Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies: Inaugural Helmut Schmidt Professor and Five Postdoctoral Fellows, Program on “The United States, Europe, and World Order”

EMBARGOED UNTIL 20 PM (CET), OCTOBER 3RD, 2018

The Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) are pleased to officially open the new joint program of the Helmut Schmidt Professorship in Washington D.C. today. The opening coincides with the launch of the “Wunderbar together” initiative, or “Deutschlandjahr”, initiated by the German Federal Foreign Office, implemented by Goethe-Institut and supported by BDI, the Federation of German Industries. The campaign aims at stressing the depth of transatlantic relations and engaging in a dialogue with Americans society through more than 300 projects and 1,000 events until fall 2019.

Professor Kristina Spohr from the London School of Economics and Political Science has joined SAIS for the 2018-2019 academic year as the inaugural Helmut Schmidt Distinguished Professor in the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs. This new professorship commemorates the long and deep friendship between Dr. Kissinger and Chancellor Schmidt and is part of a multi-year program to enhance research on transatlantic relations at Johns Hopkins SAIS funded by the DAAD with generous support by the German Federal Foreign Office. In addition to Professor Spohr five post-doctoral fellows from Germany, Europe and the United States have joined the SAIS Foreign Policy Institute for research under the theme “The United States, Europe, and World Order.”

On this occasion, the Minister of State for international cultural policy at the German Federal Foreign Office, Michelle Müntefering, stated: “I am most delighted that we were able to inaugurate the Helmut Schmidt Distinguished Chair at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University today, the Day of German Unity and the start of Deutschlandjahr USA. This chair represents a great enrichment of the already very diverse academic exchange between our countries. I am confident that it will become an important driving force in the exchange of views between Germany and the US.”

Giovanni Agnelli Distinguished Professor and Director of the Kissinger Center Francis J. Gavin said: “We are delighted to have Kristina Spohr here at the Kissinger Center and look forward to engaging with her, and the post-doctoral fellows, on important transatlantic and global issues. We are grateful to the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the German Federal Foreign Office for their generous support.” ​

Professor Margret Wintermantel, President of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), said: “Germany and the United States are tied through long-lasting historical cooperation. I would like to emphasize this profound friendship on the occasion of today's launch of the Deutschlandjahr and the inauguration of the Helmut Schmidt Distinguished Chair.

In times of fast-changing world politics, it is very important to maintain these good relations and to jointly approach the challenges and opportunities of global transformation. I am confident that the Helmut Schmidt Chair with Prof. Kristina Spohr and the young researchers will contribute to gaining new scientific insights and a deeper understanding of global change in the 21st century. This knowledge is essential for the global dialogue and will strengthen the transatlantic partnership.”

Media Contact

Nate Thompson
Communications Manager
Johns Hopkins SAIS
+1 202 587-3251 Business
+1 763 229-8580 Mobile
nthomp21@jhu.edu

Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany
Press Department
pr-al-s1@wash.diplo.de
+1 202 298-4251

Bjoern Wilck
Head of Press Relations, Spokesperson
German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD
+49 228 882-644
presse@daad.de 

About Johns Hopkins SAIS

A division of Johns Hopkins University, the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) is a global institution that offers students an international perspective on today’s critical issues. For nearly 75 years, Johns Hopkins SAIS has produced great leaders, thinkers, and practitioners of international relations. Public leaders and private sector executives alike seek the counsel of the faculty, whose ideas and research inform and shape policy. Johns Hopkins SAIS offers a global perspective across three campus locations: Bologna, Italy; Nanjing, China; and Washington, D.C. The school’s interdisciplinary curriculum is strongly rooted in the study of international economics, international relations, and regional studies, preparing students to address multifaceted challenges in the world today.

For more information, visit sais-jhu.edu or @SAISHopkins

About the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs

Established in 2016, the Henry A. Kissinger Center for Global Affairs at Johns Hopkins SAIS hosts a distinguished faculty working to advance research in historically-informed strategy and statecraft.

For more information, visit kissinger.sais-jhu.edu or @KissingerCenter

About the Foreign Policy Institute

The Foreign Policy Institute at Johns Hopkins SAIS was established in 1980 to unite the worlds of scholarship and policy in the search for realistic answers to international issues facing the United States and the world. It seeks to advance practically oriented research and discussion about foreign policy.

For more information, visit fpi.sais-jhu.edu or @FPI_SAIS

About the German Academic Exchange Service

Since its founding in 1925, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has awarded funding to more than 2 million students and scholars in Germany and abroad. DAAD is a registered-members’ association made up of German institutions of higher education and student bodies whose activities go far beyond simply awarding grants and scholarships. DAAD supports the internationalization of German universities, promotes German Studies and the German language abroad, provides developing countries with best practices in establishing universities and advises decision makers in the area of cultural, educational and developmental policy. Today, DAAD is one of the most important funding organizations worldwide for the international exchange of students and researchers.