The American Council on Germany (ACG), the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG), and the German Studies Association (GSA) are launching a new virtual series, Meet a Bundestag Member: German Politics Today. The series offers students of German language and culture the chance to engage directly with members of the German Bundestag on timely political issues while practicing their German language skills.
The first session will take place on Tuesday, September 16, at 11:00 am ET and will feature Metin Hakverdi, Member of the Bundestag and Germany’s new Coordinator of Transatlantic Cooperation. He will join ACG President Dr. Steven E. Sokol for a 45-minute moderated discussion — held in German — on the importance of the transatlantic relationship, incorporating questions posed by the audience.
The transatlantic partnership is a key pillar of Germany’s foreign policy. The United States and Canada are Germany’s closest allies outside Europe. Large areas of common interests, shared challenges and fundamental values form a bond between our democracies on both sides of the Atlantic. How close transatlantic relations are is clear also from the multitude of societal and cultural contacts between Germany and the United States and Germany and Canada.
Following each event, the conversations will also be released as podcasts, making them easily accessible for members, students, and educators to use in the classroom.