After completing the spring semester of my first year at GraSPP, I spent the fall semester on exchange at the Hertie School, a partner university specializing in public policy located in Berlin, the capital of Germany. For me, having spent as many as twelve years in the workforce before entering GraSPP, gaining the opportunity to learn both at GraSPP and overseas was a precious experience that allowed me to look back on who I had been, and to broaden and deepen my interests from a variety of perspectives.
Classes at the Host University
In “Migration and Human Rights,” one of the courses I took at my host university, I was able to learn—under a faculty member with work experience at international organizations—about international migration and the various human rights issues that arise from it, through theory and case studies, centered on a European perspective. Splitting into different standpoints on a given case and holding discussions in class was challenging, but I believe I acquired the posture of critically reading large amounts of information and literature in English and presenting my views without flinching.
In the “Strategic Management” course, there was a group project as an assignment. We were to choose an existing public institution, identify that organization’s challenges, and analyze them using the knowledge and methods gained in the lectures. My group consisted of four members in total, including one from Europe and two from South America, and we spent a full two months on the entire process, from setting the problem and gathering information to preparing materials and presenting in class. Partway through, everyone’s approaches and opinions differed and there were times when we made no progress, but by engaging deeply with the task, dividing up the work, and having each member draw on their own strengths, we ultimately received high praise from the instructor—something that gave me the confidence to see things through even amid difficulties.
Extracurricular Activities
At the Hertie School, events and club activities are thriving. Through Halloween and Christmas events on campus, the extracurricular lecture series “Policy & Pizza” given by faculty and experts, badminton club activities, hiking on the outskirts of Berlin, and more, I enjoyed communicating with other students and expanded my circle of connections. These activities also let me step away from my daily busyness, refresh myself, and build up energy for my studies.
The Hertie School is located in Mitte, a central district of the capital Berlin, within walking distance of socially and historically important sites such as the Reichstag Building, the Brandenburg Gate, and the Mori Ogai Memorial. Among these, being able to visit the open days of the Reichstag and the German Federal Foreign Office and talk with officials while taking in the local atmosphere was extremely meaningful for getting to know local politics and society.
In Closing
Studying abroad was not all enjoyable; I had many anxieties as well. Could I keep up with the classes there? Could I blend in with circles of younger students? Would I even be able to gain my workplace’s understanding about studying abroad in the first place, and could I meet the English-language requirements for studying abroad? Even so, I kept moving forward with an eye on the future, supported by the cooperation of the administrative office staff as well as my family, friends, workplace, and everyone else involved. I am truly grateful.
GraSPP’s exchange program, provided you meet each partner university’s conditions, lets you choose partner universities in non-English-speaking countries as well, with English proficiency as the language requirement, and it is a program with many advantages, such as tuition waivers at the host institution and credit recognition after returning home. As one option for learning, I would like to recommend studying abroad to many people.
