The academic and professional careers of MA SES alumni: The function of internships,

first-hand information from present and former students

Dr. Denis GruberHead of Internship

1. Statistical Data Concerning MA SES Students2. Outline of the Internship Seminar3. Conference “The meaning of an Internship for the MA-SES

programme” 4. Internships of previous and actual Students5. Problems before and during Internships6. The Role of ALUMNI in MA SES

STATISTICAL DATA CONCERNING MA SES STUDENTS

Part 1

Academic Background of all MA-students

students: 44

All MA-students by citizenship statusstudents: 44

Russian 36

Norwegian 2

Chinese 1

Dutch 1

Estonian 1

American 1

Austrian 1

British 1

Current MA-students by citizenship status

Students 1st and 2nd course: 22

Migration flows of Russian students – From Russian Regions to St. Petersburg

Russian students 1st and 2nd course: 18

students: 44 students: 22

Topic of MA-thesis (1st and 2nd yrs. students)

Sciences• Integration and Exclusion of Foreign Students at a German

University• Bologna process and educational policy• “Russian Scientists at a German University: Chances of career

growth”• “Young Turkish Germans: the way to universities”• “Cooperation of Russian and German scientific communities”

Topic of MA-thesis (1st and 2nd yrs. students)

Political Europe • Promotion of Nordic values and democracy in North West Russia• “Explaining EU Tax coordination as a bargaining policy”• “The Public Chamber of the Russian Federation as an instrument

of cooperation between Russia and European Regional Civic Organizations”

• “The Impact of e-Government on policy-making and it’s implementation in the field of Social Security in Belgium”

Energy• “Between energy security and ecological safety: Nordstream Project as it is

viewed in the Baltic Sea Region”• “Politics of Subsidies for Natural Gas in Russia”• “EU-Russia Energy Relationships”• “An examination the European perception of Russia a threat to the energy

markets”

Terrorism“Left wing groups in Germany. The example of RAF”

Social Europe“The role of grandmother in children during transformation of gender order in

Russia and Germany”“Participation of cultural organizations in European identity-building”

Topic of MA-thesis (1st and 2nd yrs. students)

Economical Europe• European business and NGO partnerships in Russia• skills deficit and professional training at workplace in Russia and Western

Europe• “Strategies of image constructing in economic intergovernmental

organization on the example of OECD”

Integration• “Latent forms of national conflicts: caucasophobia in Russia and attitude

towards Turkish in Germany”• “Public policy toward Russian speaking minority in the Baltic states

(Lithuania vs Latvia)”• “The Russian Germans”

Topic of MA-thesis (1st and 2nd yrs. students)

OUTLINE OF THE INTERNSHIP SEMINAR

Part 2

Outline of Internship Seminar1. General overview about internship2. How to write a Cover letter, how to write a CV3. How to finance an internship, how to write a cost

projection4. After the Internship: Internship Report and Thank You

letter 5. Job Interviews: Possible Questions

1. What is an internship?

2. Why doing an internship?

3. How to find an internship?

4. How to apply for an

internship?

• Making contacts to possible future employers• Combining the theoretical knowledge gained in the courses

with practical experience• Strengthen your CV• Gaining material for the Master Thesis

Why internships? To gain knowledge/competences that can be To gain knowledge/competences that can be

helpful in later jobshelpful in later jobs

To check out a job/an occupational area that To check out a job/an occupational area that seems to be interestingseems to be interesting

How our students find an internship

• Internet• newspapers, e.g. St. Petersburg Times• German-Russian exchange• Contacting the Head of Internship• personal information by the scientific

supervisor• finding information in internship reports• asking ALUMNI

CONFERENCE „THE MEANING OF AN INTERNSHIP FOR THE MA SES PROGRAMME

Part 3

Our guests • Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation, Dr. Krumm,

Moscow• German-Russian-Exchange, Astrid Schorn, St.

Petersburg• German General-Consulate, Marcus Stadthaus,

St. Petersburg • German-Russian-Chamber for External Trade,

Katja Wedig, St. Petersburg• Roedl & Partner, Manfred Janoschka, St.

Petersburg Monday, 8th of December

INTERNSHIPS OF PREVIOUS AND ACTUAL STUDENTS

Part 4

Place of Internship of previous students

• Kultur- und Integrationszentrum PHOENIX, Köln• Chamber of Commerce, St. Petersburg• State Duma of the Russian Federation, Moscow• Human Rights Without Frontiers Int'l, Brussels• European Human Rights Avocacy Center, Memorial, Moscow• Grand Hotel Europe, St. Petersburg• European Intermodal Association (EIA), Brussels• Flanders-China Chamber of Commerce, Gent• British Council, St. Petersburg• MAN Ferrostaat AG, Essen• A1 personeelsdiensten, Arnhem• ATTAC Bundesbüro, Frankfurt/Main• British Council, London• Russian Food & Drinks Magazine LLC., St. Petersburg• European Public Law Center, Athens• International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Vienna• Administration of the Committee for External Affairs, St. Petersburg• Graduate School of Social Sciences, Bremen University, Bremen• Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), Brussels

Place of Internships of current students

Transatlantic Partners Against AIDS (TPAA), MoscowNorwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), Department for Russian

and Eurasian Studies, OsloInstitute for Cultural Diplomacy, BerlinRussian-German-Exchange, BerlinGreen Party Russia, MoscowGrand Hotel Europe, St. PetersburgThe Nordic Council of Ministers Information Office, St. Petersburg

International Consulting: Rapp Collins, Moscow

In which countries our students have done their internships? internships: 26

footnote:

only internship reports which are available are included!

1st-year students did not have done an internship yet!

Russia 11Germany 6Belgium 4Norway 1Netherlands 1Great Britain 1Greece 1Austria 1

In which spheres our students have done their internships?

Media 2 NGO 6 Tourism 2 Politics- governmental orgaization 7Politics-non-governmental organization 6Car production 1Personal Recruiting 1

internships: 26

Mobility of MA-students: Doing in internship abroad (not in Russia)

Citizenship:Russian: 20 students abroad: 9 Estonian: 1 student abroad: 1Norwegian: 2 students abroad: 1 US: 1 student abroad: 0 Dutchman: 1 students abroad: 1Chinese: 1 student abroad: 1 internships: 26

Mobility of Russian MA-students: Doing in internship outside of St. Petersburg

Russian: 20 students outside of St. Petersburg: 16 students

PROBLEMS BEFORE AND DURING INTERNSHIPS

Part 5

Your internship report should contain the following aspects:

• Information about the organization you were working for• How did you find your internship?• Why did you apply especially at this organisation?• What duties did you have during your internship? Did you have

your own field of responsibility? What kind of work did you do?

• "Theory-Practice-Reflection": How did the knowledge you gained in your studies help you during your internship? How do the things you learned during your internship help you now in your studies?

• Conclusion: Would you recommend your internship to other students?

Hopes before internships

• to get an inside view in practical work• to collect material for Master thesis• hope to get more analytical skills• to get a adaquate supervision • to be well-prepared for job interviews to get

an internship place

Problems before internship

• waiting for an answer from the organization where students have applied

• travelling costs to go to job interviews which are necessary to get an internship place

• to do an internship abroad is concerned to the problem that these organizations prefer „own“ interns

• paid or unpaid internships• duration of internship (summer/winter)• housing• part-time or full-time

Problems during internship

• lack of tasks• miss a supervisor who is responsible for the

tasks or available for information• less criticism about work• visa problems• not to have ones „own space“, but to be a

„personal assistent“

Learning from internships• summer period is not the best time to do it: holidays,

periodical decline, „summer gap“• missing knowledge of cultures and cultural behaviours

when they are doing an internship abroad need for more cultural /intercultural studies

• „During the MA studies we read a bundle of empirical articles, but hardly ever have a space to discuss the process of designing a project and collecting data“

• wish: sSeminars about „Preparation to make research“

Suggestions for Future

• enlargement of the Internship Seminar (at least 2 weeks)• simulation of job interviews and creation of a „warm

atmosphere“ (to start with a small talk)• dos and nos during interviews and research or internship

stays• discussing of internship reports (1st and 2nd year students)• cultural and behavioural studies (e.g. Germany)• Winter school in Germany is more than helpful for those who

are planning an internship in Germany• Winter school in Germany is an example to organize oneself

in foreign countries

THE ROLE OF ALUMNI IN MA SES

Part 6

Working Places of ALUMNI• Press Officer, “Inteko” company, Moskow• Students at other Universities• “Samsung electronics” company, St. Petersburg• Director of a Foreign Languages centre in Cherepovets• PhD student at Oxford University, Great Britain• Manager of program MITIM, Higher School of Management, SPbSU• “Kristian Jentan“ company, St. Petersburg• in-between jobs • British consulate in St. Petersburg• Lecturer, Department of International Relations and Oriental Studies, Novosibirsk State

University• Sales manager, Business company trading with Italy, St. Petersburg• International Sales Manager responsible for German, Belgian, Dutch, and Russian areas• Researcher, Institute of Sociology, Russian Academy of Sciences• Marketing• Project assistant, Erarta Museum of Modern Art, • Manager for International Relations “Gidromeh“ company, St. Petersburg• Personnel Manager, “General Motors“ company, St. Petersburg• UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime),

Activities of Alumni

• Participation at The “Day of Open Door”, 04.04. 2009

• Agreement for giving help to current students• Taking part in “Christmas Party”, 19.12.2008• Registrated at the social network site of

“vkontakte.ru” as a sub-group “Studies in European Societies”

“Day of Open Door”

“Day of Open Door”

How to improve our ALUMNI network?

• to get students and alumni together in a face-to-face meeting for informational purposes

• Photos and personal information of ALUMNI on our website

• Invitation of ALUMNI in internship seminars or discussion about job interview and working experiences

• Invitation of ALUMNIs to take part at the “Day of Open Door”

• ALUMNI meeting in 2010 (teachers, ALUMNI, current students)