Are you a prospective student at LSE? Are you wondering about what kind of events LSE societies offer to current students? This blog post is for you! Let’s talk about the German Symposium.
What is the German Symposium?
Initiated in 1988 by German LSE Students, it is an event taking place over one week at LSE and consisting of a series of different conferences with major public figures. After being hosted online due to COVID last year, the German Symposium was hosted in a hybrid format this year with most of the conferences in person for LSE students and streamed online for all those wishing to attend. I personally attended some of the conferences of the Symposium and I really enjoyed them! The LSESU German Society managed to invite important figures such as the Lithuanian Prime Minister, the European Commissioner for Justice, the German Health Minister, the Austrian Finance minister, as well as many other important public figures. Each year the society chooses a relevant theme to discuss, and this year speakers engaged in conversations about “Navigating Transitions” and topics such as the recovery from the COVID pandemic, climate change, and diplomatic challenges.
I am not part of the Society, but I really admired the great effort the students put into this event. The committee started organising the event a year ago in April 2021! This is why, I decided to ask some questions to Nicolas Burger, president of the LSE German Society, who was very happy with the outcome of the 21st edition of the Symposium: “It was extremely exciting to see both our audience and our speakers returning to in-person events with so much enthusiasm. We weren’t sure if people would value the comfort of online talks more than the in-person experience, but the Symposium clearly showed otherwise”.
Why is the German Symposium interesting?
While dealing with current affairs every day during their studies, LSE students will find it interesting to engage in discussions with professionals! “The Symposium is the largest conference in the UK discussing Anglo-German and European relationships featuring heads of state, senior ministers, economists and executives. There will be interesting discussions regardless of your main interest,” affirmed Nicolas.
At the end of each conference, it is also possible to ask questions directly! Many students addressed the speakers with different questions regarding current global challenges. The president of the LSE German Society expressed his enthusiasm about it, affirming his favourite part was to see how engaged the audience was, soaking up the experience. “It’s the people who attend our events we are doing this for and seeing our work being so appreciated made me extremely happy,” concluded Nicolas.
If you’re thinking of applying to LSE for your studies, do not forget to have a look at the next German Symposium!
