Martin Roth is new ifa president
“Strong cultural and educational relations are important in politically turbulent times”
On 1 July, cultural studies specialist Professor Martin Roth assumed the presidency of the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (ifa). He is the successor of Ursula Seiler-Albring, who held office for over ten years.
As ifa president, Martin Roth will above all perform representative duties, representing ifa in cultural policy bodies. In addition to this, he would like to raise the profile of the institute as a cultural and arts mediator, as an institution of knowledge and information and as an actor in civil society dialogue. “Many of the dangerous geopolitical developments in recent years call for strong international cultural and educational relations. That makes ifa’s work even more important in the future,” emphasised Roth.
ifa Secretary General Ronald Grätz honoured the new president at his inauguration with the words: “It is an honour that an established cultural expert and president who has been active in cultural policy worldwide will help shape ifa’s future.”
World-class cultural visionary
Martin Roth was born in 1955 in Stuttgart. He holds a doctorate in cultural studies and enjoys international recognition. After working in Berlin, Paris and Dresden, in 2011 Roth was appointed director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London where he was celebrated for his innovative exhibition concepts.
Services of Ursula Seiler-Albring honoured
The outgoing president, Ursula Seiler-Albring, shaped ifa’s work for eleven years. It was during her time in office that the ifa Akademie was founded and the Research Programme and the work area of humanitarian assistance were developed. She attached importance to the integration of Europe through culture. Ursula Seiler-Albring looks back on a long and active career in politics and diplomacy.
About ifa
In 2017, ifa is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its foundation. Germany’s oldest intermediary organisation for foreign cultural relations was founded in 1917 as “A Work of Peace in the Midst of War”. Today it sees itself as a competence centre for international cultural relations and discourse in the arts. ifa offers a wide range of programmes in the fields of cultural exchange and civil conflict regulation.
Cultures of We – the ifa celebrates cultural diversity
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