German President visits Oxford as part of UK state visit

Oxford formed the final stop on the President’s visit, and provided an opportunity to celebrate long-standing academic partnerships between the University and Germany, and to recognise shared strengths in research, innovation and education.

As part of the visit, the President met with Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor and Chancellor, and attended an academic showcase held in the Divinity School, highlighting research initiatives with strong German links, including work relevant to the German economy and collaborations within the Oxford–Berlin Partnership. The President met researchers from The Oxford-Berlin Partnership, which is the largest interdisciplinary partnership of its kind between the UK and Germany and has supported over 1300 researchers and generated over £17 million in third-party funding since its inception in 2017. He also met academics involved in collaboration on Quantum and Battery Technology, as well as researchers involved in the University’s pioneering research centres for democratic resilience and the opportunities and challenges presented by the internet and AI. The Centre for Democratic Resilience focuses on understanding reactive political behaviour and the promotes the use of democratic tools to support resilient democracies, while the Oxford Internet Institute (OII) focuses on tackling societal opportunities and challenges posed by rapidly-developing Internet technologies.

Following the showcase, the President was admitted to an Honorary Degree in Convocation House in a ceremony presided over by the Chancellor, which included music performed by The Queen’s College choir.

The visit to Oxford closed the President’s state visit, which had earlier included engagements with the Royal Family, the Prime Minister and members of both Houses of Parliament, as well as visits to cultural institutions, community organisations and UK–German scientific and industrial partnerships. During his three-day visit the President undertook engagements in London, Coventry and Oxford, including national ceremonial events, meetings with political leaders, cultural visits and business discussions.

Oxford’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, said: ‘President Steinmeier’s visit is a powerful reminder of the depth of the ties between Oxford and Germany. Our collaborations stretch across disciplines – from science and technology to the humanities and social sciences – and they are strengthened by long-standing partnerships such as the Oxford–Berlin Research Partnership. It was an honour to welcome the President and First Lady to showcase the research and innovation that our academics and students advance with colleagues across Germany. These relationships enrich our work and help us address shared global challenges.’

German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said of the visit:

‘Preserving one’s independence is one of academia’s noblest tasks. That is why I regard the concept of the university as numbering among the most important gifts that Europe has bestowed upon itself and the entire world. The collaboration between the University of Oxford and the Berlin universities which form the Berlin University Alliance is a prime example of the European tradition of joint research and the free exchange of knowledge beyond national borders.

‘I feel deeply honoured to have been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Oxford today. Rest assured that I will do my best to continue promoting academia, research and inter-university collaboration.’