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The Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ�� Centre for Global Challenges, – the King’s Commissioner for the province of Utrecht, as well as the Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��’s section of International Relations in Historical Perspective organized a student meeting with the German Ambassador to the Netherlands, . Prof. dr. Jacco Pekelder moderated the afternoon.

Residing in the beautiful and historical, the meeting focused on the representation of Germany beyond ‘The Hague’ and the practices of Public Diplomacy and Multilevel Governance in the 21^st Century. Mr Brengelmann addressed central questions such as “why is the province of Utrecht relevant to a German ambassador?” and “Why does an ambassador aim to represent German beyond The Hague, the Dutch political capital?”

Commencing the meeting, Hans Oosters talked about the historical relevance of the Paushuize as the venue has a rich history in housing former diplomats and government advisors. Also, Mr Oosters pointed towards the increase in multilevel governance and the decline of centralization in the Netherlands. This meant that public diplomacy and the spread of a nation’s story is increasingly directed towards a broader portion of citizens within international affairs through intercultural communication. Moreover, Mr Oosters hinted at the warm relations between the Dutch and the German citizens, which have increased regional level cooperation on various social issues.

After the introductory talk by Hans Oosters, his Excellency Mr Brengelmann initiated this talk for the students. Mr Brengelmann stressed the importance of public diplomacy since it serves as the first indication and feeling that diplomacy happens with regard to the citizens. Citizens often think that diplomacy happens behind closed doors in faraway political capitals. However, public diplomacy reduces the feelings of marginalization and closes the gap between politics and citizens. Mr Brengelmann acknowledged that it is imperative to the work of an ambassador to explain what they are working on and be able to justify these activities, both to national governments as well as municipalities and local communities.

Regarding the daily public diplomacy activities beyond the political capital of the Hague, Mr Brengelmann told us that he regularly travels to major university cities like Groningen, Leiden and Nijmegen as well as smaller municipalities in the border area. In doing so, he elaborates on current examples of the cooperation between the Netherlands and Germany. He told us that he consistently meets with the Dutch media to discuss social and cultural issues in both Germany and the Netherlands. For instance, there is a great interest in German literature and the German parliamentary election, and Mr Brengelmann talked extensively with various journalists about these topics.

Moreover, in his travels to the border between Germany and the Netherlands, Mr Brengelmann endeavors to raise visibility on and create awareness of the diplomatic activities conducted by the German Embassy in the Hague. According to the senior diplomat, raising awareness in and building networks with these lower levels of government are of crucial importance to the successful German-Dutch relationship, and a visit by the ambassador helps in grasping bilateral affairs as something concrete and proximate.

In conclusion of the event, Mr Brenglman stated that this special relationship should not be taken for granted; we should try our utmost best to continuously invest in and nurture the positive relations between Germany and the Netherlands.