Anyone wishing to study abroad should be proactive and open-minded. Katharina Mauz explains why she wouldn’t want to miss out on international experiences. She spent a semester in Uganda.
Mexico, Colombia, Norway, Uganda, Ecuador – Katharina Mauz has travelled extensively around the world during her studies. The most intense experience of all was four months in Uganda last year: From August 2018, the 28-year-old undertook a two-month placement at the Nakivale refugee camp in the south-west of the country, after which she spent two months studying at the university in Mbarara, Uganda’s fourth-largest city. “I’m very grateful that my Master’s programme gave me the opportunity to come to Africa and get to know a new culture there,” says Katharina.
She is studying for the “European Master in Migration and Intercultural Relations”, or EMMIR for short – an EU-funded intercultural degree programme jointly offered by four European and three African universities. “The programme’s content really appealed to me,” says Katharina, who completed her Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies and Economics at the University of Cologne. She then worked for two years, including a stint with a human rights organisation in Colombia. “After gaining this practical experience, I wanted to go back to university and do a Master’s degree on the subject of migration,” she explains.
Practical fieldwork
At EMMIR, students spend the first two semesters learning the theoretical foundations of migration studies; in the third semester, the programme includes a visit to a partner university and practical work on the ground. Katharina’s class of 31 students from 22 countries has modules taught in English. After the first semester in Oldenburg, everyone moved to the partner university in Stavanger, Norway. “The conditions at EMMIR are absolutely brilliant,” says Katharina happily. Because the stay in Stavanger is an integral part of the degree programme, students do not need to apply separately to the university; their academic achievements are automatically recognised. A coordinator is on hand locally to answer any questions – just as there is one in Mbarara. Through her, Katharina was able to find a room in a hall of residence there, for example.
“Of course, a lot of personal initiative is required too. Planning the trips, sorting out accommodation at the various study locations, vaccinations and visas – that’s all down to the individual,” she says. The large EMMIR alumni network is helpful for practical questions, she adds, as current students can get advice from it. Katharina also received support in Oldenburg: through the university’s International Student Office, she was able to apply for a DAAD Promos scholarship for her stay in Uganda. Her application was successful: she received a travel grant and a monthly allowance for the duration of her placement.
Even though the work at the Nakivale refugee camp in particular wasn’t always easy, Katharina wouldn’t want to have missed any of her experiences abroad: “I find it very enriching to get to know other cultures and languages.” Immersing herself in foreign cultures helps her to constantly re-evaluate her own perspective. Her advice to anyone interested in studying abroad: “Just go for it – you won’t regret it!”
