IfEU Alumni Newsletter 2|2022

Welcome back!

Welcome to our second alumni newsletter of the Institute for European Urban Studies (IfEU) at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar!

Read on to hear more about the alumni meet-ups and Urbanistikball in June, what our alumna Magdalena Janzic is currently doing after completing her Master's degree in European Urban Studies and how you can collaborate with us for future alumni newsletter and stay conntected with the IfEU.

Save the date(s)

After our small digital get-together last October, we would like to invite you all to this year's alumni meet&greet on the 17.06.2022 at 6pm (CET) in Weimar! We are thrilled to meet you all again and to hear what you’ve been up to since finishing your degree at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar. In addition, the Urbanistik-Alumni-Verein will tell us about its activities and is eager to hear all your questions. The meeting will take place in our beautiful IfEU garden (Belvederer Allee 5 | 99425 Weimar).

If you are already in Weimar a couple of days before the 17th, you are more than welcome to join the Urbanistikball on the 10.06.2022 and the meet-up organised by the German-speaking Urbanistik alumni network on the 11.06.2022 at 5pm (CET).

For planning purposes, please just drop us a message via ifeu.studium@archit.uni-weimar.de in case you are coming to our alumni meet&greet on the 17.06.2022.

We cannot wait to welcoming you back in Weimar!

At a glance:

10.06.2022: Urbanistikball

11.06.2022: Meet-up MSc Urbanistik alumni (17:00)

17.06.2022: Meet-up MSc EUS alumni (18:00)

Keep us updated!

Do you have any news to share with the alumni network? Let us know and send us an email via ifeu.studium@archit.uni-weimar.de!

Meet Magdalena Janzic!

Magdalena is one of our alumni and graduated last year with the MSc European Urban Studies. Find out more about her interests, experiences and challenges after graduation below.

Master’s degree at BUW: M.Sc. European Urban Studies

Graduation: 2021

Master’s thesis topic: Biophilic urbanism as a perspective to improve human-nature relationship in the city. Developing nature stewardship in Lisbon

Magdalena's alumni portrait

What are you doing at the moment?

I am currently working in a non-profit consultancy for stakeholder engagement in projects related to environmental regeneration and sustainability. As a junior consultant, I am involved with two EU projects. My tasks include research – literature reviews and qualitative fieldwork; event management - workshop organization and report writing; and designing local community engagement processes for our partners.

How was your transition from being a student to your current position?

The transition was not easy, as my German language skills are not advanced. Even though it took me some months to find this position, it was a valuable lesson of resilience, confidence, and persistence. :-)

What have you learned during your studies that benefit you now in your working life the most?

In EUS, I had an opportunity to work both on my research skills, as a part of the program, and organizational skills. For example, in EUS I learned how to make a proper research design, how to use Citavi (literature review software), and how to organize an online event – all of which I actively use in my everyday work.

Do you have any further tips and remarks for current (international) students joining the job market in Germany?

I would say – work on your German, even If you are looking to join international organizations (and even in Berlin).

What was the project you were most passionate about in the past years?

Back in Croatia, I had a little NGO of my own – Association of Visual Anthropologists – where we organized a conference about sustainable urban development. That is where my enthusiasm for green and just cities grew so much that I decided to come to Weimar!

Can you tell anything about the most influential parts of your study experience at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar (e.g. interests, courses, GRP, extracurricular activities)?

For me, it was definitely the Guided research project. It includes many stages – research design, literature review, fieldwork, presentation of results – over one year. It gave me an opportunity to gain deep knowledge on a topic I am passionate about – nature-based solutions, and it taught me to be adaptable to circumstances, which proved to be a precious.

Which advice would you give your younger student-self if you could?

If I could go back in time, I would definitely take more opportunities to participate in Research School activities, such as workshops and career coaching. The ones I did take were lovely experiences and very useful when transitioning to the practitioner role.

In what ways are you still connected to the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and your course peers?

Apart from being in touch with some colleagues, I have Elodie to thank for providing reference during my employment process! Moreover, the topics I had an opportunity to explore during my studies in Weimar are still very much part of my everyday work. For example, I recently presented the research conducted for during the EUS studies in a conference "In Search of Well-Being in Liminality: No Longer-Not Yet", so I feel like a proper EUS alumni. :-)

 

Call for contributions

Come and share your experiences with other alumni from across the international IfEU alumni network! You are warmly invited to submit your portrait for future alumni newsletter editions (ifeu.studium@remove-this.archit.uni-weimar.de).

Want to stay connected?

Do you want to stay connected and receive further alumni newsletters in the future?

Please contact us via ifeu.studium@remove-this.archit.uni-weimar.de to be added to the EUS alumni mailing list.

Please contact the Urbanistik-Alumni-Verein via urbanistik-weimar@lists.posteo.de to be added to the Urbanistik alumni mailing list.

Please use the following registration form to be added to the general Bauhaus-Universität Weimar alumni network.

Please let us also know, if you would like to unsubscribe from the alumni mailing list.