I have been in Germany for just over two weeks now and have had a great time. I arrived on a Sunday and immediately started work the next day at BIGS Potsdam. This is a think tank focused on international society and security. Fellows in the company are working on projects that range from the influence of the internet on Islamic extremism and how to better censor the information, to forming an international task force that is going to make a transatlantic cyber security network. It is not quite what I expected but I love it even more than I thought I would. The environment in the office is not particularly typical, people come and go as they please, lunch is eaten around a large conference table, the walls are all white and with huge windows so it is always bright. I have my own office with a window because I was told by the head of the think tank that it was “not like America” and here it “would be rude” to not let me have at least my own window.
I have been working with Dr. Neil Ferguson on research evaluating first responders to emergency situations. I have learned A LOT about research during this process and how it can be tedious, but how rewarding it can be. We are working with quantitative data I have learned how to use stata to enter large amounts of data in an organized way and use the variables to compare different aspects of a persons personality and life to the likelihood of them being a first responder. I have been fascinated by the work and though the data entry can be slow it is yielding very interesting results. Next week I will be a part of the control experiment where random people who “look like they could be firefighters” will be chosen to do the same experiments and survey to have something to compare the firefighters to.
In addition to this work I have been helping another fellow in the office with his research grant proposal that he is sending to the European Research Commission in mid August. I have drafted letters of support to send to other organizations and even US congressmen to help with his proposal. I think that the first week it is important to establish that you are willing to take on any task, some of the work that I have done was not what I expected but it has been the most helpful because it is something I had no idea how to do. Additionally, don’t be afraid to ask for help or even look up the things you do not know. When I drafted my first grant proposal I went over it with the man applying for the grant, then when I went to work on it on my own I had a template up on my computer that I found online, and then I went back to him to see what recommendations he had. You will not know everything and that is the point. You are there to learn and grow as a person so don’t be afraid.
I am looking forward to continue this work but I am also excited because I am going to start attending some conferences that people in the office have been invited to but cannot attend. Next week for example I am attending the talk between the Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the American Senior Advisor for Security and Defense Policy, and the HEad of German Policy Planning, and they will be discussing the outcomes of the Warsaw Summit that happens this week.
I actually got this internship through a family friend, I sent my resume to everyone I knew with a cover letter explaining that I did not have much experience, but I outlined what my interests and career goals were. I got a response from BIGS Potsdam a few weeks later because my resume and CV had been passed on to them. They do not typically have an internship program so it was kind of made up as it went along, but it is working out! My advice to someone looking for an internship would be to tell everyone you know what you want to do, don’t be afraid to reach out to others, people really do want to help you succeed. Additionally, if you are thinking about interning abroad, I would highly recommend it but just realize that it does come with its own challenges in addition to the new internship. It can be hard to find housing when you don’t speak the language, metro signs can be confusing at first, but you can do it, it just takes a bit of practice and being willing to go out on a limb and try something very new.
downtown Potsdam (left) and BIGS Potsdam Office building (right)