Syntegon’s Post

Sharing some insights from the trip to Tunisia, a country rich in geographical, cultural, and historical diversity. One can be said, the experiences gained from travelling internationally are invaluable. To keep it short and simple, here are two lessons I aim to incorporate into my life: - Life is a journey. Take things more easily and don’t overthink every detail. Sometimes beautiful things can happen in unplanned or unexpected situations. - Time: People in Tunisia have different time perceptions, which I especially noticed in the attitudes of some people I met. Based on my perception, they take life more easily (there is plenty time). As an example, being punctual, as Germans would say, "fünf Minuten vor der Zeit ist die deutsche Pünktlichkeit," isn’t a priority as I realized. Based on this, I learned that sometimes it’s good to let life flow and not plan every single day meticulously. You may agree with me that in Germany, time is limited and precious. What do you think? Thankful for University of Applied Management Studies to attend this unforgettable trip.

What does the Inside Culture Academy do? I’d like to introduce someone very special. Sebastian Wittig is truly fantastic, and together we decided it was time to take on a new challenge: facing the shortage of skilled workers in Germany. This is how the Inside Culture Academy (ICA) came to life. Sebastian is the owner of ICA, and in his recent post, he highlights the three pillars of our academy: 👉 Intercultural Training: We offer specialized training focused on German culture. 👉 Mentoring Community: Find all the information you need about living, language learning, studying, and building a career in Germany. 👉 Personal Development: Starting in a new country requires personal growth. We provide specialized webinars and coaching to support this journey. To all companies aiming to enhance their onboarding process, and to international professionals and students looking to thrive in Germany: We are here to support you!💪🏼 Since this is a significant mission that requires #teamwork, we’ve also brought Tanya Keni and Sara Blum on board as trainers and coaches. We’re launching soon, and we’re excited to take this journey with you! 💫💫 Let’s grow together and make Germany a great place for you.

Finding a job in Switzerland can be a daunting task, especially for non-EU/EFTA citizens after completing their studies. It's like being on a battlefield since you not only have to compete with other students with similar qualifications but you also need to convince companies to support your work permit process while managing the stress of your current permit's impending deadline. If the work permit is not secured, you risk losing the life you have built for yourself in the country and moving elsewhere. Although Article 21.3 of the Federal Act on Foreign Nationals and Integration guarantees fair competition for holders of Swiss university diplomats, the reality is different. The different cantons interpret the law in different ways; as you can see in the article, my Ph.D. from ETH was not accepted as a Swiss university degree. This inconsistency leads to various companies avoiding the process by refusing to accept B permit holders, and surprisingly, many companies are even unaware of the law guaranteeing a more straightforward admission process for Swiss diploma holders (unless the cantonal immigration office decides otherwise). It's hard to understand these complications as Switzerland requires specialized professionals but fails to facilitate the work permit process for non-EU/EFTA students who have graduated from universities within the country. Fortunately, I am among the lucky few who found a company willing to take the hard way, or as Simon put it, "der Spiessrutenlauf." I am incredibly thankful to Simon Mueller, @Omar Tawfik, and Stephanie Carey for dedicating their time and energy to get me the work permit while being supportive and encouraging during the long waiting period. Unfortunately, many others weren't as fortunate as me, and they had to leave the country to start over elsewhere. It's unclear who benefits from the complicated process, but I remain optimistic that changes will be made in the future. I appreciate Troxler Irène for writing the article and giving me the opportunity to share my experience. I will finish here with my new favorite slogan that I read in Lorena Coletti's post: Let's stop the #braindrain and start the #braingain. PS: If you're currently a student and a B permit holder in Switzerland navigating the job search process, feel free to reach out to me. I understand how overwhelming it can be and would be delighted to share some helpful tips based on my own experience.

🇩🇪 My first year in #Germany has come to an end and I would like to share my impressions with you: 📚 Studying It is incredibly cool and unusual that you can choose the courses you are interested in, this makes a big difference between studying in St. Petersburg and Bochum. This system concentrates your studies on interesting topics and therefore it is not boring to study. Although I must admit that the first semester consisted only of compulsory subjects, which was quite tiring. In Russia I took only oral exams and it was difficult to switch to written exams. I was able to get used to it and restructure the preparation process only in the second semester. The university itself is wonderful, located in an incredibly beautiful place, the engineering building is brand new and technologically advanced, with a huge selection of literature in the libraries. 👔 Work So far I've had a very difficult relationship with recruiters. Getting feedback after rejection is an almost unrealistic endeavor. This is probably due to the disregard for student jobs. In general, you should always be prepared for extremely slow and long processing and hiring processes, which seems strange, especially after Russia, where you can get an invitation for an interview the day you apply and an offer the next day. In general, you have to get used to the slow speed of decision-making - it's part of integration :) 🏛️ Bureaucracy and domestic issues Over the year, I haven't encountered anything I wasn't prepared for. The situation with terms, housing and overcrowding in Bochum is not as dire as in Berlin and other big cities. But Germany could use some digitalization at some points. The Rhein-Ruhr region itself is beautiful - I fell in love with the small towns in the river valleys and we continue to travel around the area every weekend. I haven't encountered any racism towards Russians yet either - the main thing is to be an open and friendly person. Summarizing this year, I can say that the journey in Germany has not started easy but inspiring. There are a lot of questions to solve, a lot of places to visit and a lot of people to meet. Let's go!

Happy to announce that we had an active and creative start into the summer term 😀 3 ... 2 ... 1 ... Go: Start of the summer semester! With an entertaining introduction into the module "Transformation towards sustainability: Identification of fields of action, conception of measures, implementation and management", this working and study day at Goethe-Universität Frankfurt flew by for all participants, module leaders and business students - even on a Friday. From visualising the answer to "What does sustainability look like for me or us?" to the controversial discussion on the relevance of the sustainability dimensions and the examination of our own values. At the end of the intensive seminar day, everyone agreed: "Sustainability is a joint endeavour and concerns us all. The entire topic is relevant to the future and decisive for our professional practice." After all, the economy and companies are much more than just business figures. It is important to understand and categorise all of the dimensions in the context of historical, economic, ecological, social and cultural perspectives and to be able to present and interpret the resulting conflicts of objectives in the corporate context - as well as to derive and implement fields of action, measures and goals. During the next day of the seminar, we will learn from practical experience how this can be done in a company using the example of Pütz GmbH + Co. Folien KG. Kay Emblen-Perry Lynn Nichol Robin Bell Chris Rebehn Werner Podkowik Dr. Annica Lau

What do fiber optic expansion and competitive sport have in common? Kathrin Polgar knows firsthand that both require clear focus on a goal, good teamwork, and perseverance. Before her career at Telekom, the Head of Production Technical Infrastructure (PTI) in #Berlin was a successful sailor for ten years, including participation in the Olympics. Kathrin has travelled a lot, both in sailing and in her job: She has gained experience within the Group and knows different perspectives - from the control center to the regional team. Kathrin joined Deutsche Telekom at the end of 2013, on the trainee program with a focus on corporate communications. Even back then, she made up her mind: ‘No matter what you do at Telekom, you have to understand the core business and its impact.’ That's why she switched to technology in 2015 following the trainee program and took over committee management for the then Head of Technology Bruno Jacobfeuerborn. At the end of 2016, she moved to Munich in the role of project manager for subsidized broadband expansion. The Berlin native then made the move back home to the Technology East branch, initially as an ‘interface’ between the head office and the region. Then in 2019, she took on responsibility for one of two PTI divisions in Berlin with a team of 260 people. Her team is important to her: ‘Just like in sport, we can only win together.’ She was also able to rely on her team when she had two children in the meantime. ‘At Deutsche Telekom, it's possible to juggle a child and a career. My colleagues have always supported this.’ Kathrin's greatest successes in sailing include 8th place at the 2012 Olympic Games in London and winning the German Championship in 2009. Her greatest successes with the fiber optic expansion team are yet to come: ‘We want to build two million connections in Berlin by 2030. We’re building in my hometown from start to finish with future technology, and it fills me with pride.’ And what really motivates her? ‘With our network expansion, we’re ensuring that people can participate digitally. We are solving real problems for people.’ You only make it to the top with courageous decisions. That's what we can all learn from Kathrin's career path. ‘When I made the move from head office to the region, some people were surprised – but that wouldn't be the case today. The head office and the regions have grown much closer together,’ says Kathrin. ‘You must keep an open mind. I started out wanting to work in corporate communications and then ended up in technology.’ Her courage was rewarded: ‘I couldn't imagine a better job than the one I'm doing today.’ #wewontstop

As researchers, attending international conferences is essential, but going solo can feel quite intimidating. That’s why we’re excited to share a new blog from Samuel Moxon, offering a practical survival guide for navigating solo conference travel. In his blog, Sam shares personal tips based on his own experience, helping you reduce travel anxiety, get prepared, and make meaningful connections at your next event. From airport logistics and staying connected abroad to making the most of networking opportunities, this guide is a must-read for PhD students, postdocs, and any researcher attending conferences alone. Travelling solo may seem challenging at first, but with the right preparation, it can become an enriching, career-defining experience. Whether it’s your first conference or you’re a seasoned attendee, this guide will provide you with the tools you need to make the most of your next solo adventure. Check it out on our platform today and share your own solo travel tips in the comments! https://lnkd.in/dgHPYRxB #SoloTravel #Conferences #PhDLife #ResearchCommunity #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth #AcademicTravel #DementiaResearcher

If you're thinking about moving to Germany, this might inspire you! 🙌 Check out my first article on Security-Insider, where we address the IT talent gap in Germany, share my experience as an international engineer, and highlight the support I received from my company, CLOUDYRION.

I will give a brief introduction to our recent research utilizing Small-Angle X-ray Scattering #SAXS at the Soft Materials Lab during this #workshop. As a #polymer research group, we are fortunate to have a SAXS instrument just two floors downstairs from the lab. We primarily use SAXS to characterize nanoparticle dispersion in polymer matrices, which is crucial for linking microstructure to the macroscopic transport properties of #nanocomposites, including rheological behavior, permeability, and ionic/electronic conductivity. SAXS also allows us to explore the intricate structure of lipid bilayers, the architecture of nanoporous materials, fiber-fiber correlations, and their orientations, etc. These insights are key to advancing our understanding of complex soft materials and developing innovative solutions for various applications in #energy, #environment, and #biotech. This workshop is a good opportunity for researchers to learn more about the capabilities of this technique.

🌍📚 Invitation to Webinar/ Einladung zum Webinar: International Education – Unlocking New Markets for Educational Programs/ Bildung international – Erschließung neuer Märkte für Bildungsinitiativen Access to education, as I have had, is unfortunately not a given for everyone—a topic that occupies me daily. In a world that is rapidly changing and becoming more interconnected through globalization, education faces a significant question: How does education remain relevant and accessible to all? The answer lies in the internationalization of educational programs—a key to unlocking doors and enabling people to achieve their full potential. Always fascinated by the power of education, I encourage a rethinking of traditional schooling. I will discuss the exciting possibilities of internationalizing educational programs at the online event hosted by the Institut für Bildungsmanagement Pädagogische Hochschule Ludwigsburg. 🌐 Language: German 📅 April 26th, 2024 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm (CET) 🔗 Access to Webex: https://lnkd.in/e-dCFVZW Meeting number: 2733 333 8497 (The meeting room opens at 4:45pm (CET).) ➕ Additionally: Before this webinar, there will be an information event for the part-time master's program in Educational Management from 03:30pm to 04:45pm (CET). This program helped me to realize my own potential - highly recommend! Access online via Webex: https://lnkd.in/e_YShDiR Meeting number: 2787 123 6709 Find more information at: https://lnkd.in/eF4JhsHp Can't wait to meet you there and rethink education! 🤓 #education #globallearning #SDG4 #international #sustainability #business #expansion