Seminar on "The Rule of Law" Held with Dr. Clemens von Goetze, German Ambassador to Japan

October 12, 2022

On Wednesday, October 12, 2022, the "Seminar on 'The Rule of Law' with Dr. Clemens von Goetze, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan" was held at the Mita Campus of Keio University.

Following opening remarks by Ken Tsutsumibayashi, Dean of the Faculty of Law and the Graduate School of Law, and an introduction by Professor Christoph Ann, a Guest Professor (Global) at Keio University and a professor at the Technical University of Munich, a keynote speech on "The Rule of Law" was delivered by Dr. Clemens von Goetze, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Japan. Professor Ann spoke from a legal perspective and Ambassador von Goetze from a political perspective, both addressing the importance of the rule of law in light of the current global situation.

In the panel discussion, the three main speakers were joined by panelists Professor Philipp Osten and Professor Atsushi Ogushi, with Professor Yuko Kimishima serving as moderator. A lively discussion took place about the ideal form of the rule of law with Ambassador von Goetze, a graduate of the Faculty of Law who has been active at the forefront of diplomacy and politics, with comments and questions from various perspectives based on the speakers' international research in fields such as the history of political thought, international criminal law, Russian area studies, and intellectual property law. The seminar was attended by over 80 Keio students, including international students, and faculty and staff members, along with President Kohei Itoh. The ambassador also graciously answered questions from the Keio students. In his closing remarks, President Itoh spoke to the Keio students about the importance of free and academic discussions like this seminar.

Even after the closing, pleasant conversation continued for a while around Ambassador von Goetze, and the seminar concluded successfully.