Greetings from Deutschland!
My name is Megan, and I am a second-year International Education MA student currently in Hamburg, where I am halfway through my summer internship at the UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning (UIL).
UIL is a small, dynamic, and very diverse work setting. It is broken up into three main teams based on thematic focus areas: Communications and Publication (The International Review of Education - Journal of Lifelong Learning), Data and Literacy, and Skills Throughout Life. I am part of the latter, which predominantly focuses on policy-oriented research, capacity-building, and the facilitation and convening of people and ideas.
One of the flagship initiatives of UIL is housed within our team–The Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC). The GNLC is an international network of hundreds of cities that have demonstrated a strong commitment to lifelong learning at the local level. By being part of this network, cities benefit from resources, training, and webinars on emerging topics related to lifelong learning, such as sustainability education, digital skills development, and engaging older adults. Additionally, through the network, cities big and small from all over the world benefit from exchanging ideas, sharing best practices, and forming new partnerships.
So far, the primary project I have supported during my internship is assisting with the coordination of the GNLC. For example, I have helped facilitate webinars, email correspondence with cities, and the preliminary review of applications for the 2025 application cycle (held every 2 years). In addition to my GNLC work, I have done some typical intern-esque tasks, such as taking meeting minutes at the All Staff Meeting, copy-editing research papers, and fixing citations in reference lists. UIL is a very international office, both in terms of its staff and beneficiaries; therefore, most documents are in English, but I have also worked with materials in French and Spanish.
One of the highlights of my internship so far has been attending the first Inter-Agency Career Week, where I attended 5 virtual sessions hosted by various UN agencies on topics such as ‘Skills for Future Development’, ‘Holistic Approach to Career Development’, and ‘Identifying Emerging Opportunities’. I found these sessions to be very insightful, both for better understanding my personal career journey, skills, and interests, as well as preparing to enter a rapidly changing world and career field. For example, one session highlighted the projected changes in desired core skills, as seen above. These findings were echoed in a session led by Michael Conneely, Human Resources Management Director at UNIDO, who notably said: “AI probably won’t take your job, but people who know how to use it might”.
When I’m not working, I enjoy going for walks and journaling alongside the canals. I live right downtown, which makes it easy to walk to most of the main tourist attractions and get around the city by metro and bus. I have also really enjoyed going to the weekly farmers markets (the fresh berries are divine!) and the vibrant live music scene. So far, I’ve attended three concerts and have been super impressed by the venues– one being a former WWII bunker (pictured below). I’m very grateful I packed light, because I’m slowly replacing my wardrobe at all the cool thrift shops!
In many ways, Hamburg feels like a combination of my Midwestern roots and the place I now call home, Washington, DC. It’s a very green, lush city with a mix of modern buildings and charming older neighborhoods. There are so many parks and green spaces to enjoy (my favorite being Alstervorland, just a 10-minute walk from the Institute, pictured below), and something is going on every weekend. The weather is mild, for the most part, and it rains often. It is a perfect summer destination, but I would not advise people to come in the off-season, as I’ve been told it is quite grey and gloomy (and I believe it, from what I have seen so far).
I’ve used my PTO and the national holidays to explore other parts of Europe– I returned to Paris to visit a close friend and finally checked Istanbul off my bucket list. I have plans to explore the region a bit more before I leave, including a weekend in Berlin (of course), and a pit stop in the fjords of Norway on my way home. International travel is quite expensive from Hamburg in comparison to other big European cities, but regional travel is very affordable if you get the Deutschland Pass.
I arrived in Hamburg with no expectations and limited knowledge of Germany, but still did not feel much of a culture shock (which has both its pros and cons). It is a country that generally feels similar to the U.S., in my opinion, and most Germans I’ve interacted with speak English. Despite this, the transition was still challenging for me at first. I was feeling burnt out after a demanding spring semester and found it personally challenging to leave my fiancé shortly after our engagement. These feelings were amplified by loneliness, as I am the only in-person intern at UIL, many of my teammates work remotely, colleagues are often away on ‘mission’ and personal leave during the summer, and I live in a short-stay apartment where people are constantly moving in and out. Still, Hamburg has been a beautiful place for introspection and self-growth. Through both the highs and lows, I’ve learned a great deal about myself, both as an educator and as a person.
There is a lot more to learn and do in the month and a half that I have left, and I hope to make the most of it!
Megan is a Master’s candidate in International Education at the George Washington University, with a focus on inclusive education in emergencies. Her work and research focus primarily on refugee education, youth development, and community-based non-formal learning.