Why did you choose the Sustainable Tourism program at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences?
After graduating from high school, I spent a year traveling and wasn’t sure exactly which direction I wanted to go in. But I wanted to do something related to sustainability and climate protection, and while traveling, I felt that there must be ways to do this differently, without harming the environment. I then found a university near Berlin—since I’m from Berlin—that offered a master’s in Sustainable Tourism. I really liked that, so I looked around to see where I could study this program as an undergraduate. I think that was only possible at two locations in Germany, and one of them was Kleve. I decided relatively quickly to apply here, and I didn’t mind that Kleve is more rural than Berlin, since I prefer that to living in a big city anyway.
What was the topic of your bachelor’s thesis?
I collaborated with the startup socialbnb, which was still relatively new at the time. The concept is similar to Airbnb, except that it includes a social component and travelers stay with organizations. As a result, a portion of the money paid for accommodation goes to the organization. I wanted to analyze whether this concept, which the startup brought to market, was also adapted to the needs of the organizations. My thesis was titled: “Challenges of NGOs in Peru in Application to Socialbnb,” and the question I wanted to answer was: “How can Socialbnb fully leverage its impact to support registered NGOs through that platform?” I conducted qualitative interviews to determine whether there might be other needs and to explore how Socialbnb could provide support. I wrote my thesis in English because, although it’s a German degree program, that was a minor point of criticism for me—I felt that tourism could also be taught quite well in English.
You work as a climate protection manager in the municipality of Uedem. What does your typical workday look like?
My daily work is very diverse. My main task is to develop an integrated climate protection concept for the municipality of Uedem. This involves compiling measures across various areas of action—from renewable energy and mobility to climate adaptation—that lead to energy and greenhouse gas savings for the municipality’s overall balance. To this end, I collaborate with an engineering firm that compiles this energy and greenhouse gas balance sheet, which serves as the foundation for the entire concept. From this balance sheet, we can derive targets, greenhouse gas emission reduction potentials, and strategies for Uedem. The goal of this concept is for the municipality of Uedem to become greenhouse gas neutral and to develop measures that will lead to achieving this goal. The catalog of measures is ultimately the heart of the whole initiative, as it is based on the action areas and serves as a roadmap for municipal climate protection. I currently hold a federally funded position, and after the two years are up—once the concept has been developed—it should not disappear into a drawer but rather be implemented. To ensure that happens, part of the plan involves developing a communication and sustainability strategy, as well as a monitoring framework to ensure it is implemented. And I am now responsible for coordinating and managing the entire process and addressing these issues. Some of the tasks are quite demanding, and you can ultimately think of it as a major research project. So it’s really very diverse, since I also have other responsibilities, such as engaging relevant stakeholders. I have to organize workshops and events, talk to lots of people, and then try to bring all these ideas together and incorporate them into the plan.
What do you particularly like about your job?
The responsibility and autonomy I have. I report to the “Planning, Construction, and Environment” department, but I have a project position, which means I can make a lot of decisions on my own, and that gives me a lot of flexibility. For example, I can design my own workshops, communicate with various stakeholders, or share insights and ideas, and through that, you can really make a difference when it comes to climate protection. So I have the freedom to act, but I still have someone above me who guides and supports me when I need it. It feels very meaningful to do this job.
What skills did you acquire during your studies that you can now put to good use in your profession?
For example, we had a course in project management, which is definitely benefiting me now for this project, and we also had several courses on sustainability that gave me background knowledge. The teamwork in the program also helped me a lot. But I learned most of it from everything that went on around me at the university. I worked in three different jobs at the university and gained experience in organizing events, and in my bachelor’s thesis I also developed a small concept. Otherwise, I was active in many university groups and also volunteered outside of school. Of course, the work is now something completely new, and student life is also very different from working life. Theory and practice are sometimes very different, and you have to work your way into a lot of things, but soft skills like teamwork and openness toward those who think differently—which I need now—I definitely strengthened during the course of my studies. Something that was frequently offered in our program were day-long events and workshops, for example on “Local Emotion Start-up” and “Human-Centered Design,” and I found these formats exciting not only in terms of content but also in how they were facilitated. I often think back on those experiences now and try to do something similar or draw inspiration from them.
What advice would you give our students?
Well, I think that was pretty clear: take advantage of every opportunity you have outside of just studying. I think that if you get to know all the different cultures studying here at the university, actively participate in student groups, and take the time to get involved and make things happen, you can grow and learn a great deal from it. So I would recommend attending the events offered here and also initiating some yourself—whatever you’d like to see here. And another piece of advice would be to get involved in a club outside of the university. There are so many clubs that are always looking for people, and students bring a fresh perspective, have lots of ideas, and clubs are usually very open to implementing those ideas. That’s great for personal development, and it’s how you learn to take on responsibility.
In three words, how would you describe Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences?
Intercultural, sustainability-oriented, and the third one is hard for me to come up with, but I’d say “long communication channels.”
Date of the interview: March 2023