Dr. Hans-Christof von Sponeck (UWC Iraq Focal Point, 2005-2017)

While studying at Salem school in Germany, Dr. Hans-Christof von Sponeck was deeply influenced by Kurt Hahn’s philosophy. This led to the creation of the UWC Iraq Focal Point in 2005, which was designed to find exceptional students from Iraq to study at UWC schools. In UWC’s 60th Anniversary year, we spoke to Dr. von Sponeck and asked him to reflect on the power of a UWC education to change lives. 

Q. Please can you tell us about how your association with UWC started.

The UWC spirit was already within me because of studying at Salem school in Germany. Kurt Hahn was my powerful and inspiring history teacher and David Sutcliffe, the future headmaster of the UWC Atlantic, was my housemaster and English teacher. It was David Sutcliffe who many years later in early 2000 asked me to identify Iraqi students for possible scholarships at UWC Adriatic in Duino, Italy. I had just left my UN assignment in Iraq, and this started my direct involvement with the UWC system, leading to board memberships at UWC Adriatic and UWC Mostar. 

For political reasons, a regular Iraq national committee was not possible at the time, but I was determined that this shouldn’t prevent young Iraqis from participating in the UWC movement, so I decided to create what I called the ‘Iraq Focal Point’ – a designation which was accepted by the UWC International Office in London and by the individual UWC schools.