Justyna Wesolowska

MPP Class of 2012

Justyna shares her experience of the Hertie School of Governance and the Master of Public Policy.

How would you describe the Hertie School experience?

As the Hertie School of Governance is a relatively young institution the students are involved in shaping its personality and atmosphere. Compared with older and established schools of public policy, this gives the Hertie School experience a particular advantage. Furthermore the student body contributes to a great extent to the very particular and enriching climate of the Hertie School, as students come not only from many different countries but also from multiple academic backgrounds. It is amazing how much one can learn from one’s fellow students through discussions in the Hertie School cafeteria or during long winter evenings in Berlin’s numerous bars.

How have you experienced studying in a political and cultural hub like Berlin?

Berlin has a wide offer of cultural and political events which are affordable and which every international student should take advantage of. Having lived in Berlin for four years now, I am still amazed by the very particular atmosphere of this capital. Once split into two parts representing completely different mind-sets and regimes, it can now give an example of multiculturalism. Although the rich offer of activities might often give more incentive to spend time going to galleries or conferences rather than studying in the cozy Hertie School library, I would still highly recommend studying in Berlin.

How are your studies at the Hertie School enhancing your undergraduate studies and work experience; and equipping you to effectively engage with public policy questions?

My educational path in Poland, France, Germany and Russia certainly provided me with four very different and very important perspectives on politics, culture and society of these and other countries. Through these experiences I could develop cultural sensitivity. In addition to these soft skills, I was able to strengthen my quantitative abilities throughout my bachelor studies in business administration and economics as well as my work for a consulting company. However, after graduating from my B.Sc., I was looking for a programme that would require a strong combination of these two and enhance them even further. Already after a few weeks of classes, I realized that the Hertie School environment allows for a very intensive and fast development of both soft and hard skills. Through courses such Economics and States and Markets by Henrik Enderlein even someone with a strong background in Economics can learn new things. In addition, the wide range of extracurricular events, lectures and meetings with experienced policy-makers allows for further development of one’s ability to interact with more senior and hierarchically more important people in an smart and sharp-minded way. 

A policy-maker should, in my opinion, be professional, have a sharp, critical mind and be able to explain complex issues in an understandable manner. I think that the Hertie School trains its students to good future policy-makers. In particular, when I worked for the European Union Delegation in Beijing, China, during my professional/gap year, my colleagues highly appreciated my method of work. Writing briefing notes and fact sheets on Chinese and European policies was for me a daily responsibility. Through the numerous factsheets and briefings written during the first year at the Hertie School, I developed a concise and factual style with policy recommendations, which turned out to be very similar to the ones used at the European Commission.