Which DAAD program did you receive support through and where did you go?

I did a research internship in Berlin with the RISE Germany program.

What comes to mind when you think of your DAAD experience in Germany?

Beyond the academic and professional opportunities DAAD provided, living in Berlin for four months and attending the conference with all the other RISE grantees in Heidelberg were transformative experiences. They significantly broadened my understanding of the engineering industry and deepened my appreciation for German culture and people. The connections I made during this time continue to enrich both my personal and professional life, fostering lasting relationships across the globe.

What comes to mind when you think of your DAAD experience in Germany?

Learning about Berlin and the shock of how different the city was both from my home in Canada and the stereotypes through which I had previously viewed it. Getting to know the city really changed the way I saw it, my home and the world.

What impact did this experience have on your career? Your life?

While I no longer work in engineering, the DAAD experience had a lasting impact on both my life and career. It taught me the value of living in new places and adapting to different environments, which has been incredibly rewarding.  This mindset led me to move across Canada from Halifax to Vancouver, and eventually to Hong Kong.  Germany also became a second home to me, which may have played no small role in the relationship between me and my current partner, who hails from Munich.

Is there anything you wish you had known before you went to Germany?

Generally speaking no, as I feel that one of the most truly valuable assets of the DAAD experience was learning things for the first time while I was there.

However, I would have liked to have learned more German before I arrived, as I felt my uptake was quite slow even while there, and that having this skill in advance would have helped me make connections in Berlin and integrate into the city in more depth.

What advice would you give a young scholar thinking of applying to the RISE program?

My biggest piece of advice: do it!  As you progress in life and your career, opportunities to live abroad become harder to come by.
Even if you don’t love it (though I’m sure you will), it will be a chapter of your life you’ll remember forever.

Three months at home will pass in the blink of an eye, but this experience will stay with you.