Published on April 15, 2022 by Sean Flynt  
Moltman
(L-R) Michael H. Johnson, Melanie Moltmann, Samford president Beck Taylor and Angela Ferguson

In February, the World Languages and Cultures Department was pleased to welcome to campus Melanie Moltmann, Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Southeastern United States, and Samford alumnus Michael H. Johnson ’87, Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany to the State of Alabama.

Moltmann spoke to a group of 20 students and faculty about the new governing coalition in Germany and the importance of Germany’s diplomatic relations with the United States. She and Johnson also fielded questions about the current situation in Ukraine, national and international security, education, climate change and climate policy, and the importance of educational and professional international exchanges and internships.

Moltmann and Johnson highlighted the opportunities available to students who speak at least one language in addition to English. Moltmann also emphasized the significance of immersing oneself in another culture in order to gain a deep understanding of the people, history and culture of another country.

 
Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.