Dr. Tobias Endler is an Americanist and political scientist, freelance publicist, keynote speaker and presenter. In addition to research, teaching and academic management at the University of Heidelberg, the University of Cologne and Yale University (USA), he has also worked for many years at the Heidelberg Centre for American Studies.
As an experienced observer, he closely follows the domestic and foreign policy scene in the USA, transatlantic relations and developments in the West. His expertise extends to questions of democracy, debate and the public sphere in contemporary Western societies.
Tobias Endler is the author and editor of six books covering a wide range of topics. As a fascinated traveller, his passion for discovery takes him time and again to the land of opportunity.
Through regular appearances and commentaries as an expert on the USA and the transatlantic in analogue and media forums, including ZDF, SWR, DLF, funk, Frankfurter Rundschau, Der Standard, Carta and many more, he actively contributes to public debate and opinion-forming.
Tobias Endler in an interview:
1. What are the core subjects of your keynote speeches?
My lectures are about:
- USA:
– Current political developments / presidential elections
– US economics
– US society and its values, challenges & issues - Transatlantic relations:
– politics and trade – issues, challenges, benefits
– The US and Germany
– The West and the Rest - Democracy and its challenges in our time:
– populism, polarization, fake news, role and responsibility of the media.
– What should democracy look like today?
– Democracy vs. autocracy – who wins?
– What is “liberal”, “conservative”, and “left-wing” today?
2. Which audience or which branch do you reach with your speech?
The speech has a wide-ranging impact across the realms of politics, business, and culture. On the political front, the target audience includes federal and state-level politicians, as well as the EU Parliament and associated organizations at the European level. In the business field, the discourse caters to a diverse audience, encompassing both major corporations (DAX) and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), extending to internationally operating companies and various business associations. In the cultural context, the speeches are tailored for universities, educational institutions, foundations, museums, organizers of cultural events, and media companies.
3. Are you a PREMIUM SPEAKER? Where do you get your insights from?
I am a dedicated bridge-builder, and I know what it means to cross rivers since I have moved between worlds all my professional life: between academia and the media world, between experts and the interested public, between politics and the business world. And always between people: I gain my insights from talking to people from all sectors and all walks of life, and from listening closely to what they have to say. I have lived on two continents and in several countries, with different languages and cultures. A premium speech or premium moderation reflects an open mind and a willingness to learn – and it offers a potential way forward that charts new territory.
See you at the other end of the bridge!
4. What will be in the future? Does «time» play an important role in your work?
Time is a crucial factor and reference point for everything I do, and the questions I deal with in my everyday work. We cannot hope to understand or explain transatlantic relations, Germany’s role in the world, the United States of America or the state of democracy in our country, and neglect the idea of “time”. Stability is important, as it can mean predictability and a reliable basis for decisions we make today, in trying times, on the global stage, in Europe, and in Germany.
Yet in the end, we all look ahead, at a world constantly in motion and changing before our eyes: what does the future hold in store for us, and how do we prepare for it: in politics, in the business world, in society? I’ll go with Hans Rosling, therefore: “I’m not an optimist. I’m a very serious possibilist.”
5. Tell us your life motto? What do you want to give your listeners to take with them?
“In real life, I assure you, there is no such thing as algebra.” – Fran Lebowitz