Consul General of Germany in Los Angeles Andrea Sasse recently visited a community-engaged course taught by UCLA professor David Kim, where she discussed issues ranging from diplomacy and intellectual curiosity to career development.
by Fiona Bates
Fiona Bates is a first-year doctoral student in French and Francophone studies. Her research interests include migration, diaspora and postcolonial studies.
UCLA Humanities, May 8, 2026 — On a recent Wednesday afternoon, students in the UCLA course “Between Los Angeles and Europe: New Approaches to Transatlantic Studies” were treated to perspectives from someone in a unique position to weigh in on the subject.
As consul general of Germany in Los Angeles, Andrea Sasse leads the German consulate’s efforts to strengthen German-American relations with a focus on Southern California and the southwestern U.S. On April 29, she visited a special session of the class to discuss issues ranging from diplomacy and intellectual curiosity to career development.
Sasse’s appearance was arranged by David Kim, a professor of European Languages and Transcultural Studies, who leads the community-engaged course. The seminar, which enrolls undergraduates and graduate students, examines the history of transatlantic partnerships between the U.S. and Europe, as well as best practices of promoting partnerships between UCLA and universities in Germany.
Sasse offered insights into why such partnerships are crucial for strengthening U.S. foreign relations — and how students can contribute to them. She stressed that beyond efforts at the federal level, regional efforts in public diplomacy are essential to meeting diverse needs on both sides of the Atlantic.
“I strongly believe that it comes down to every single one of us,” Sasse said, encouraging the students to consider how Californians and Angelenos in particular are uniquely positioned to engage in international partnerships. “What I really love about California is that you identify a problem and then you find a way forward.”
Sasse, fourth from right, told the class she admires Californians’ ability to “find a way forward” when confronted with challenging problems. Professor David Kim is pictured at far right. (Photo: Sean Brenner/UCLA Humanities.)
Kim’s course explores how effective collaboration among students, researchers and community partners helps address pressing global problems in public health, environmental sustainability, technology and other fields. Those partnerships are often labeled “science diplomacy,” but the class prompts students to consider how humanities can play a role, too.
“None of the big societal problems we are facing nowadays would be solvable in the long run,” Kim said, “if humanists did not raise difficult ethical and moral questions, or if we did not have powerful narratives of the common good.”
Throughout the quarter, students also meet with representatives from organizations such as the Thomas Mann House and the Goethe Institute in Los Angeles, as well as the German Research Foundation, the German Center for Research and Innovation and the German Academic Exchange Service in San Francisco.
When asked how humanities students could meaningfully contribute to diplomatic relations, Sasse encouraged them to engage with international community partners who might benefit from their research and learning.
“And don’t limit your studies to the theoretical part,” she said. “That’s OK, too, but I think it’s very important in our world that everyone tries to change or contribute to something in practice. And there is a practical angle to every field of study.”
Published: Friday, May 8, 2026
