Foreign Correspondent Unplugged: Social Cohesion in Times of Uncertainty

Vladimir Balzer is an award-winning radio journalist and moderator at Deutschlandfunk. He grew up in Leipzig and studied in Dublin, Venice, and Leipzig. He began his career as a presenter, reporter, and editor at Deutschlandradio and MDR. Mr. Balzer hosts, among other programs, the daily program “Fazit – Kultur vom Tage” on Deutschlandfunk Kultur. In 2022, he was selected to be a Kellen Fellow by the American Council on Germany. In 2023 he started as a correspondent at the Capital Studios of Deutschlandfunk in Berlin. He is known as a commentator for German Television, such as ZDF. He also regularly reports for his broadcaster from the United States. 

A native Texan, Celeste Diaz-Schurman is a Co-Host of “Hello Houston”, a dynamic live daily talk show airing on Houston Public Media, an NPR station. Ms. Diaz-Schurman is deeply committed to connecting with Houston and Texas’ diverse communities, particularly its Spanish-speaking audience. Her approach to journalism is characterized by a dedication to inclusivity and a passion for storytelling that resonates with a broad spectrum of listeners. 

With over a decade of experience in media, including roles at ESPN Deportes, Fox 26 Houston, and the University of Texas’s Moody College of Communication, Ms. Diaz-Schurman brings a global perspective to everything that she does. She engages with a wide array of topics that matter to her listeners. From discussing state and national politics, to investigating local community issues, she ensures that the conversations are both relevant and reflective of the city’s vibrant diversity. Her ability to navigate complex issues with empathy and clarity makes her a trusted voice in greater Houston area.

Steven E. Sokol has been the President and CEO of the American Council on Germany since 2015. Previously, he served as President and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh and prior to that he was the Vice President and Director of Programs at the American Council on Germany. Prior to this, Dr. Sokol served as the Deputy Director of the Aspen Institute Berlin, was the Head of the Project Management Department at the Bonn International Center for Conversion GmbH (BICC), and a Program Officer in the Berlin office of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Earlier in his career, he also was a Program Manager at the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and was a paralegal at Fulbright & Jaworski.
 
He holds a Doctorate in Law and Policy from Northeastern University as well as an M.A. in International Relations and International Economics from the Johns Hopkins University’s Paul Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Wesleyan University. He has also studied at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg and as a Fulbright Scholar at the Freie Universität in Berlin. Dr. Sokol serves on several non-profit boards and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He was awarded a Bundesverdienstkreuz (Order of Merit) for his work to strengthen German-American relations.