Germany’s Ambassador Petra Sigmund visits TUJ to deliver a lecture.
Germany’s Ambassador to Japan, Petra Sigmund, visited the Japan campus of Temple University (TUJ) on February 17, 2026, to deliver a lecture on the European country’s foreign policy. The visit was particularly timely, taking place just after the Munich Security Conference, one of the year’s most important geopolitical gatherings.
Ambassador Sigmund was invited by Adjunct Assistant Professor of Communications Dan Sloan, drawing a large audience of students, faculty, and staff that filled the classroom for the 90-minute lecture, which began at noon. After Sloan’s introduction, he asked the ambassador to comment about the Munich conference.
The ambassador walked through the conference from Germany’s perspective, quoting comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, including a prominent mention to work more closely together with Japan. She then opened the floor to questions from students, many of which focused on prospects for resolving the war between Ukraine and Russia, and Germany’s key role in preserving peace in Europe amid ongoing geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine four years ago.
Answering students’ questions, she spoke about her country’s foreign policy and its relations with Japan and other Asian countries. Speaking about her impressions of Japan after spending two years in the country, she said she was surprised to see the continued influence of German culture in Japan.
She noted German-origin words used on signs in shops and restaurants, which the ambassador said originates from deep diplomatic relations, established in the Meiji era in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
When asked for advice for students who aspire to become diplomats, Sigmund said diplomatic requirements vary among countries but emphasized that “the most important thing is a genuine interest in politics.”
“If you follow politics, you read the newspaper… you follow the news and you are interested in debate. I think this is already what it takes, that you want to be part of that debate. From the questions, I could see that many of you are already part of the debate. But that’s the number one thing – so go for it and don’t wait too long.”
Diplomats and both foreign and domestic government officials, corporate executives, and representatives of international organizations regularly visit Temple University Japan, offering students valuable firsthand insight into global affairs, current events, and corporate developments.
Most recently, in October 2025, Romanian Ambassador to Japan Ovidiu Raețchi visited the campus. In July 2025, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, and his delegation also visited Temple. Earlier, in June 2025, Genevieve Apaloo, Ghana’s ambassador to Japan and Singapore, spoke at the university, followed by Sibi George, India’s ambassador to Japan, in February last year.
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