European perspectives

Leading politician and expert on Europe Dr Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (FDP) visited Reutlingen University on Monday, 4 March at the invitation of ESB Business School. She held a keynote speech on the topic of “Europe’s role in the world” in the university’s auditorium.

In front of a large audience of academics and university staff, interested members of the public and representatives from the regional media, she shared her views on the challenges and opportunities facing Europe now and in the future. As a member of the Bundestag and due to her experience in local politics, she brought a host of different perspectives to the Reutlingen campus.  

Dr Strack-Zimmermann placed special emphasis on the benefits of today’s Europe to the Reutlingen students: “Today we have a Europe that couldn’t be cooler. We have a single market; the borders of the European Union are open. You can study anywhere you like; you can choose to live anywhere you like. There is an Erasmus programme, you can learn all these languages – that is truly amazing”.  

The keynote speech covered a wide range of topics, including the current Taurus wiretapping scandal, the Taiwan-China conflict, security in Europe and Strack-Zimmermann’s vision for the future of Europe. She also emphasised the importance of solidarity and cooperation in times of uncertainty and the role of the younger generation in shaping the future. Towards the end of her speech, Strack-Zimmermann addressed the students in the audience: “My wish is that you be critical, but always democratic”.  

In addition to Strack-Zimmermann, Andreas Glück, FDP politician and member of the European Parliament, also visited the Reutlingen campus. In his speech, he appealed to the students, saying that it was their generation that mattered. After all, they were the key to finding solutions to many of today’s problems, including climate change. For this reason, he called on the students to pursue their studies with true enthusiasm. 

Professor Dr Julia Brüggemann, co-organiser and Professor of Corporate Finance and Risk Management at ESB Business School, was delighted with the keynote speech.: “The dialogue with leading figures from politics, business and society is extremely valuable for our students. At ESB Business School, we prepare them for their future careers in a manner that is as close to the real world and actual practice as possible. We also succeed in this thanks to the inspiration provided by the speeches of Ms Strack-Zimmermann and Mr Glück.”  

ESB Business School at Reutlingen University is made up of students from over 70 nations. In a highly international working environment, ESB prepares its students for global challenges and trains them to become the responsible leaders of tomorrow.