Germany’s ambassador to Canada visited campus recently, joining Queen’s University leaders, researchers, and students in wide-ranging discussions on international collaborations, research and funding, and knowledge sharing.

Her Excellency Sabine Sparwasser, alongside embassy colleagues and delegates from some of Germany’s top research organizations, including the German Research Foundation and the DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service, and universities, visited campus on Feb. 1, 2023, engaging in a day-long itinerary designed to highlight existing Queen’s collaborations with Germany and explore how new and current partnerships can be built and strengthened.

“It was a great pleasure to welcome Ambassador Sparwasser to our campus and to have her engage so deeply and enthusiastically with faculty and students on important topics like research and partnerships, graduate student mobility, and sustainability,” says Sandra den Otter, Vice-Provost (Global Engagement). “We look forward to building upon this connection and deepening our collaborations into the future.”

During the visit, the German delegation held two information sessions open to the Queen’s community designed to deepen collaborations in Germany. The first session, catered towards Queen’s faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and PhD students, highlighted the research landscape in Germany and opportunities for engagement. The second session focused on short-term mobility opportunities open to researchers and student researchers looking to conduct work there.

Ambassador Sparwasser met with German students enrolled at Queen’s, as well as those students who have studied in Germany, who provided insight into their experiences and highlighted their research areas. Nancy Ross, Vice-Principal (Research) and Vice-Provost den Otter also co-hosted a research exchange, featuring presentations by several Queen’s faculty members currently active in Germany and funded by German research bodies. Discussions that followed these research presentations identified areas for future engagement and development of the substantive research collaborations between Queen’s and universities and research centers in Germany.

The visit concluded with the ambassador’s attendance of a public lecture by Queen’s faculty member Cao Thang Dinh, of the Department of Chemical Engineering, about decarbonization of fuels and chemicals. Clean energy and climate change are topics of mutual importance to Queen’s, the Embassy of Germany in Canada, and German research funding bodies.

“For Queen’s, building and nurturing global relationships such as this one are invaluable steps toward fully realizing our vision of Queen’s as a globally active and impactful university,” says Patrick Deane, Queen’s Principal and Vice-Chancellor.

The German ambassador’s visit further aligns with Queen’s emerging Global Engagement Strategic Plan — slated to be shared with the campus community in the coming weeks for a final round of consultation. As part of the strategic plan, relationships with global partners are set to be bolstered through joint academic programming, research partnership, and knowledge sharing.

To learn more about Queen’s international engagement, partnerships, and more, visit the university’s Global Engagement website.