Summer in Berlin as a Hertie Student

It is no secret that winters in Berlin can be dark, gloomy, and long, but summer in Berlin is something sweet to savor. When the sun shines, the city is born anew. It seems that everyone emerges from their winter slumber to enjoy every minute of warm weather and blue sky that Berlin has to offer. In this blog post, Corbin Cerny, Hertie Master of Public Policy and Master of Data Science (2+1) student, tells us more about his experience moving to Berlin, studying at Hertie, and enjoying all that summer in Berlin has to offer. 

Q: Hi Corbin! Can you please briefly introduce yourself? 

My name is Corbin, and I am excited to answer some of your questions about Berlin and all that makes this city a great place to live and study! Originally, I am from the Great Lakes region of the United States, and spent my undergrad and early professional career in Washington, D.C. I came to Berlin for the first time in summer 2023 to attend Hertie as a Master of Public Policy (MPP) student. Hertie caught my eye for its opportunities and expertise in digital governance and emerging technologies - two spaces where I am building my professional career.

During the course of my studies here, I’ve been able to work on the side to build my professional experience and help finance my studies and life in Berlin. Before starting graduate school, I worked in the international development sector. I continued in the industry during my first and second year, working as a part-time project assistant for a firm based in D.C. and overseeing projects across the globe. 

This June, I’m starting a new research position in the climate and energy sector that gives me an opportunity to flex some of the data science skills I’ve been developing at Hertie. Berlin has many professional opportunities for students, and while some require German proficiency (we are in Germany after all), there are still many that only require a B1 level and others which have no German requirement whatsoever. The chance to work while I’m at Hertie makes studying overseas attainable for me, as it does for many of my peers.

Let's dive into your questions!

Q: Why did you choose to join Hertie’s MPP/MDS 2+1 programme? 

When I was considering what I wanted out of a graduate degree, I knew it should help fill gaps in my previous academic and professional experience. Quantitative and data research skillsets were two areas that I wanted to explore and develop. It was also particularly important to me that the skills I developed in the classroom be clearly tethered to real world policy areas.
The ‘2+1’ Master of Public Policy (MPP) and Master of Data Science (MDS) program at Hertie fit the bill. Initially I started as an MPP candidate but learned about the ‘2+1’ track, which allows MPP students to take an additional year of studies to complete the MDS. Students on this track finish with two complimentary degrees in three years rather than four.

The MPP has courses focused on policy areas I am most interested in, namely digitalization. Students take a subset of quantitative and analysis driven courses that then plug into courses focused on policy design, implementation, and governance. The MDS extension takes students a step further, providing courses that build upon the data analysis courses you initially get in the MPP and providing opportunities to further develop those skills and acquire more advanced data science tools. I found the analysis focused courses I had from the first part of the MPP really interesting, so continuing down that path with the MDS was a natural progression for me.

Q: How would you describe life as a student in Berlin (to someone who’s never been here before)? 

I had never been to Berlin before moving here for Hertie - I took a leap of faith when I moved to Berlin, and I’m glad I did. Berlin is a vibrant and exciting city for students, offering something for everyone. There are great museums, plenty of greenspace, good restaurants, sporting events, and plenty of festivals, concerts, and other cultural events. And most importantly, most things are relatively affordable for college students.

Berlin reminds me a lot of a European New York City (I know, how typical for the American student to compare everything to NYC but hear me out). There are folks here from all types of cultural backgrounds just trying to make a good life for themselves. Berlin attracts people with a wide range of life missions in the same way as the Big Apple. There are classical musicians playing in famous opera houses and concert halls, scientists performing cutting edge research at the many universities, families running neighborhood döner shops, and policy students driving positive impact in everything from climate change mitigation to welfare expansion. I could go on but I think my point is clear. You can find a little bit of everything from everywhere around the globe peppered along Berlin’s Straßen.

Q: What is the best park to hang out at on a sunny day?

Berlin is filled with amazing parks and green spaces. Some of the best parks though fly under the radar next to more famous names like Tiergarten and Tempelhof. Viktoriapark is a short U-Bahn ride away from Hertie, boasting a bubbling waterfall that intersects the eastern half of the park. From the highest point, there are amazing views of the whole city. Fior di Latte on the north side has great ice cream (I recommend the Pistazie) and to close out the day, Golgatha Biergarten in the park’s heart is a great place to have a beer with your friends.

Q: Favorite budget-friendly spot to grab a cold drink?

"make tea not war" in Friedrichshain is my current go-to spot for a drink. They even offer events to learn origami, book clubs, and jazz listenings. But I also love grabbing a Späti beer and posting up with friends at Tempelhof or Viktoriapark. Spätis are reliably budget friendly and are found across the city.

Q: What are you most looking forward to in Berlin this summer?

So many things! This will be my first full summer here. I’m really excited to make ample use of my Deutschland ticket to travel outside of the city. There’s lots of interesting places to visit that are within a day trip from Berlin via regional rail. I’m also eager to get back into some long-distance bicycle trekking over the weekends. Most of Germany is pretty bike friendly, and you can go as far as your legs will allow. I’m planning a weekend ride out to the Baltic coast later this month.

There’s also a ton of great festivals that happen here over the summer, including the Festival of Culture, Christopher Street Day, Lollapalooza, the Long Night of Museums, and more! I know that I won't be longing for things to do these next few months.