Four

Ksenia Puzyreva, a second-year MA SES student, has completed her internship at Flood Hazard Research Center (Middlesex University, Middlesex, London). FHRC is a research institute focused on the analysis of floods and particularly of their social and economic consequences.

Ksenia shares her impressions: ‘During the internship, I have collected part of the empirical data for my MA thesis. I also participated in a scientific research project conducted by the FHRC while staying in Great Britain. It was a great pleasure for me to work with highly qualified and friendly experts from this research center! I have gained rewarding experience of doing field research (which no course on methodology and methods can provide, even the best from the best). I also enjoyed the opportunity to collect unique empirical data on how people who had suffered from floods worked together to minimize the negative effects of future natural disasters. The organization of this internship, however, turned out to be a challenge for me. I had to work hard, but it was worth it! I am extremely grateful to MA SES Director Anisya Khokhlova and the Center for German and European Studies for their support and assistance!’

Every year the first year students of the Master’s degree program ‘Studies in European Societies’ spend three weeks in Bielefeld and Berlin to take part in the Winter school. The annual Winter school supervised by DAAD visiting lecturer Madeleine Block is devoted to economic, political and social institutions of German society. This year is no exception. The first part of the School which took place in the city of Bielefeld is already over. For two weeks, our students have lived in a small German city which is known as one of the most influential intellectual centers in the field of social sciences in the world. Such prominent scholars as Niklas Luhmann and Norbert Elias used to work in Bielefeld University.

The program of the School was really hard-driving: every day the students attended German classes and got acquainted with the University of Bielefeld and a number of local enterprises, political parties and non-governmental organizations. For example, the students had a chance to meet the representatives of “The Greens” and the Chamber of Commerce and visit the regional branch of the most successful German corporate group “Dr. Oetker“.

Ekaterina Rogozhina, participant of the School, says: “Most of all, I have enjoyed our excursion to the Mensa (that is how the Germans call the student canteen). I had formerly spent a semester in Bielefeld and had been eating in the Mensa every day, but it is only now that I saw how the process of food production and supply was organized”.

The students were also highly impressed by their visit to the internationally acclaimed foundation ‘Bethel’ which deals with epilepsy cure, rehabilitation of disabled people and relief aid. Bethel occupies a large city area where both patients and employees live: it actually makes a town in the city of Bielefeld, with its own manufactures and currency. Another MA SES student, Elena Frenklakh, says: “I was struck by the range of activity that Bethel demonstrates! We also had a great opportunity to visit the museum of Bethel and learn more about their work. For two weeks, we have been plunged into learning German in Berlitz language school. We have also experienced the everyday life of the University including the fantastically well-equipped library and the huge canteen. When visiting different organizations, we had a chance not only to meet experts but also to discuss the possibilities of future internships. What I liked most was the meeting with Thomas Prahl, the representative of the DAAD. Our conversation was very open, friendly and positive”. Inside story by MA SES student Victoria Mokretsova