Witten/Herdecke University welcomed around 170 guests to the 24th "Hohensteiner Tafelrunde" of the Wittener Universitätsgesellschaft (WUG) on November 25 in the Great Hall. Former WDR director and foreign correspondent Tom Buhrow was invited as the keynote speaker.

Classification of global changes

Under the title "The world in upheaval - Germany on the move!", Buhrow spoke about the current geopolitical challenges and Germany's role in a reorganizing world order. He looked back on his experiences in Paris and Washington and categorized the political developments. He particularly emphasized that the world is not just going through a transitional phase, but a long-term structural change. For Germany, this means positioning itself more strongly and taking on more responsibility.

Serious analysis - with a twinkle in the eye

Despite the seriousness of the topic, a personal anecdote made for a few laughs: Buhrow reported that he was unsure whether he was taking the right exit on his journey on the A448 - because the university had not yet been signposted there. The Presidential Board had already addressed this issue previously, and Witten's mayor Dirk Leistner also supported the proposal for better signage. Buhrow humorously agreed: "I'm also in favor of this sign!"