Speaker(s): Dr Ursula von der Leyen | Ursula von der Leyen is Germany's Minister of Defence, a position she has held since 2013. Since 2005, Ursula von der Leyen has been a member of the German Federal Cabinet. Before she was appointed Minister of Defence, she served as Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs since November 2009. From 2005 to 2009, she was Federal Minister for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Dr von der Leyen studied at Göttingen and Münster, Hanover Medical School and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Minouche Shafik is Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science. Prior to this she was Deputy Governor of the Bank of England. The LSE European Institute (@LSEEI) is a centre for research and graduate teaching on the processes of integration and fragmentation within Europe. In the most recent national Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014) the Institute was ranked first for research in its sector. The German Society is a student union society at the London School of Economics and Political Science. This event forms part of their annual German Symposium which takes place from 28 February to 2 March.