The Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan, H. E. Mr. Hans-Joachim Daerr visited Kobe University on September 1, 2009. He was accompanied by his wife, the Consulate-General in Osaka-Kobe, Dr. Alexander Olbrich and his wife and Mr. Stefan Biedermann, the Deputy Consul-General in Osaka-Kobe.

H. E. Mr. Hans-Joachim Daerr was in Kobe to deliver a speech at a lecture hosted by the Association of Germany and Japan, Kobe NPO and EUIJ-Kansai. Prior to the lecture, the Ambassador and the party visited Kobe University to pay a courtesy visit on President FUKUDA Hideki and Vice President/Director in charge of International Exchange Dr. NAKAMURA Chiharu. In the meeting, President FUKUDA touched on the fact that Kobe University has made several academic exchange agreements with universities in Germany and how these have encouraged continuous people-to-people exchange among students. He expressed his desire to see the same thing happening among young researchers in their exchanges. In response, the Ambassador agreed with President FUKUDA and added his hopes that the young researcher exchanges would further activate intellectual partnership between the two countries.

In the lecture held later that day, the Ambassador included his personal recollection of Kobe in the speech entitled "Current Status of Germany-Japan Partnership". He told the audience that his first diplomatic assignment abroad was to work at the Consulate General in Kobe, that his two children were both born in Kobe and this latest appointment as the Ambassador to Japan marks his 10th aggregated years in Japan. The Ambassador also emphasized the importance of strengthening partnership between Germany and Japan for both countries face similar problems that could only be resolved through cooperation.