Student Experience

The Professional Year at the Federal Ministry of Defense (BMVg) offers the perfect opportunity for WCS students who want to gain experience in the practical implementation of the 'Zeitenwende'. From September 2023 to August 2024, I was able to be part of the MEO II 1 unit of the Military Strategy, Deployment and Operations Division (MEO). The unit is responsible for military policy fundamentals and for representing the interests of the Inspector General (GI). As the highest-ranking soldier in the Bundeswehr, the GI represents Germany in the Chief of Defense Sessions in the NATO Military Committee (MC) as well as in the Military Committee of the European Union. This results in a special feature of the unit: the division into a 'Team NATO' and a 'Team EU'.

In the latter, I started my practical year and was involved in the completion of a German-led PESCO project, EUFOR CROC, which aims to improve the crisis response capability of the EU and its member states. Here in particular, I benefited from the content of the WCS course, such as Christian Rieck's course “The Future of European Defense”. I then moved to the NATO team. My work there focused on preparing the GI for the MC sessions at Chiefs of Defense level, which take place three times a year. From my point of view, it is precisely the 'double hat' of the unit, EU and NATO, that makes MEO II 1 so interesting for WCS students, as it allows a direct comparison of different work streams, cultures and ways of working of the two organizations, which I was also able to observe directly on site during business trips to Brussels.

In addition to my interest in the content, my motivation for the practical year was also to gain experience of how a ministry works. As an 'unserviceman' in a department that, with a few exceptions, consisted exclusively of members of the Bundeswehr, the most valuable impressions of my time at the BMVg included the special management culture, the professionalism and the team orientation. The latter can probably be translated into military terms as comradeship. For this reason, too, I can expressly recommend the practical year in the BMVg, especially in MEO II 1, to every WCS student.

From June 1, 2023 to May 31, 2024, I had the privilege of completing my Professional Year at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in the newly created Division G24 - Fragility and Nexus. During this period, I was also involved in setting up the division, which began its work at the same time as I started.

Unit G24 is responsible for fundamental issues, conceptual development, advice and interdepartmental coordination on development policy engagement in fragile contexts. It also has fundamental responsibility for the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus, an internationally recognized integrated approach for linking development cooperation, humanitarian aid and peacebuilding.

In my role, I assumed country responsibility within the department for Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. I was also responsible for integrating the BMZ's priorities within international financial organizations in the area of fragility and nexus, working particularly closely with the World Bank. A particular highlight of this cooperation was the organization of the two-day donor conference of the World Bank's State and Peacebuilding Fund in Berlin.

A highlight of my work at the BMZ was my participation in the World Bank's Fragility Forum in Washington D.C., where I was able to accompany my division head and represent the German government together with her. In this context, I organized a panel discussion on the HDP Nexus on Partners Day of the Forum together with a colleague from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, in which high-ranking representatives of USAID, UNDP and the World Bank also participated as speakers.

In addition, I supported the BMZ's content-related support and strategic positioning for the Enquete Commission “Lessons from Afghanistan for Germany's future networked engagement”. In my day-to-day work, I was also independently responsible for preparing and coordinating the content of management meetings at various hierarchical levels, including the State Secretary level.

My time at the BMZ was characterized by an extremely pleasant and informal working atmosphere in which I felt welcome from day one. The cooperation within the department and with other colleagues in the office was always constructive and inspiring. The Professional Year offered me the unique opportunity to gain in-depth insights into the work of a top federal authority and to take on responsibility independently.

This valuable experience had a very positive impact on my professional career and encouraged me to consider working at the BMZ again in the future. The opportunity to actively contribute to development policy and to be involved in international processes such as the IDA21 replenishment was an enriching and motivating experience for me.