Bard College Berlin News
From Bard College Berlin to the German Bundestag: Roman Steindler ‘21 takes part in the prestigious International Parliamentary Scholarship
The program offers 120 young university graduates from 50 countries around the world an invaluable chance to witness the highest workings of the German government up close. Roman learned many valuable lessons from this experience, and enjoyed the opportunity to apply the critical thinking skills he obtained during his interdisciplinary liberal arts education at Bard College Berlin in a practical way. When asked how his time at Bard College Berlin prepared him for a position at the Bundestag, he said, “The international student body at BCB pushed me to think on an intercultural level that was way ahead of most of my peers, and helped me appreciate contrasting viewpoints in a way that was helpful for political work.”
As part of the program, the participants are placed with a Member of Parliament as a full-time job. In this position, they write speeches, articles, and letters, and accompany their MPs to meetings of committees, political groups, and other events. Although he can’t discuss the specifics of his work due to confidentiality, he says, "Anyone who wants to work in the political space needs to be ready to move quickly and be ready to calmly address dynamic situations” in order to approach the rapidly changing atmosphere of politics effectively.
In addition to working for the Bundestag, the networking opportunities offered through the program are one of the most invaluable aspects of the experience, including an internship that complements the practical aspect of the program. Roman’s internship included “a lot of educational programming for the entire peer group.” Through this experience, he learned about German politics more deeply, both on the international and the federal level, and learned a lot from discussing these findings with his peers and comparing notes on their respective stances.
The program is conducted entirely in German, and the level required to participate is extremely high. Roman was prepared for this by the in-depth application process, which gave him a sense of the level expected, and his participation in the program further confirmed just how rigorous it is. Roman is currently finishing his master's degree in political science and aims to work in a position as a strategic analyst in public service or to do work related to NGOs.
More information about the program can be found on the German Bundestag website.
Post Date: 11-13-2023