Peking University, May 16, 2023: Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the People’s Republic of China, Dr. Patricia Flor on May 11, 2023, delivered a lecture titled “Feminist Foreign Policy in My Eyes” at the Peking University (PKU) School of Foreign Languages (SFL) Democracy Building. 

Jointly organized by the German Studies Center (ZDS) at Peking University, the SFL Department of German Language and Literature, the PKU Office of International Relations, and the Lanyuan Centre, the lecture was hosted by Professor Huang Liaoyu, director of the German Studies Center, and was attended by students and teachers from various faculties at PKU as well as guests and delegates from the German Embassy. The event was part of a series of activities celebrating PKU's Global Engagement Year. 

In his opening address, Huang welcomed the German ambassador to PKU and introduced the context for the theme of the lecture. Huang highlighted how Ambassador Flor’s background and experience make her a perfect candidate for today’s lecture: Apart from being Germany’s first female ambassador to China, she was also the Chair of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from 1998 to 2000 and has worked to promote women's voices throughout her career. 
 
During her lecture, the Ambassador argued that women have historically played a crucial role in resolving international issues and contributed important ideas for achieving peace. She noted that China has always been among the few countries in the world contributing to female representation in international affairs. 
 

During the dialogue session, the audience engaged with the Ambassador on various topics. Ambassador Flor encouraged women to find solidarity with other women and build a strong support network. She also thanked her husband for challenging gender roles by being a diplomatic spouse and supporting her throughout her career.

After the dialogue session, Ambassador Flor accepted an interview from PKU News, during which she shared the importance of cultural exchange as the foundation for bilateral relations. 

To her, learning a language is the best point of entry into understanding a different culture as it offers deep insight into how people think and act. She noted that the PKU German Studies Center provides a good model for the promotion of cultural exchange between countries and that the areas of education cooperation between Germany and China can be expanded. 

Noting that Chinese students in Germany tend to pursue education in more technical fields such as engineering, she hoped that more Chinese students could pursue an education in the social sciences in Germany. When asked about the difficulties she experienced in her diplomatic career, she shared that what kept her going was a deep interest in understanding different cultures and languages and her willingness to be a bridge between people and to directly contribute to peaceful conflict resolution.

At the end of the session, Ambassador Flor concluded her visit to PKU with a tour of the Weiming Lake accompanied by Huang.