Katharina, 2023 Summa Cum Laude in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action

Coming to PSIA with already a clear idea of what I wanted to get out of the PSIA experience allowed me to pursue my studies purposefully. My strategy was to focus mainly on business and human rights in global value chains and then choose courses so as to gain as many and diverse perspectives on this centre of interest as possible. Not neglecting my other interests, this strategy yielded a fascinating and diverse set of courses that motivated me to stay engaged, think laterally, and experience a truly enriching learning journey. Trying to further deepen my learning, I also purposefully reached out to professors who work on topics of my interests, and took every opportunity to discuss my ideas and challenge my own understanding.

The diversity of perspectives, from very theoretical to practical, greatly enriched my thinking about business and human rights in general. Learning directly from practitioners allowed me to get a very concrete understanding of relevant current policy developments and some dynamics in the working field. At the same time, theoretical perspectives profoundly shaped my thinking and served as an important starting point for my ongoing critical reflections. The year-long Human Rights, Economic Development and Globalization (HEDG) Law Clinic was one highlight of my PSIA experience: I was able to improve my abilities to work in a team, conduct in-depth legal research in a self-driven way, and build some expert knowledge on global value chains of banana production. Similarly, working on a Master's thesis was a great opportunity to further develop my legal research skills, work independently and build specific expertise in the field of my interest. In the course of these projects, I also learned to become more proactive and comfortable in interacting with practitioners and experts in the field, which I think will also be a valuable skill in my professional future.

Take ownership and proactively create your own learning experience. PSIA is full of incredible opportunities to learn, engage, and meet inspiring people. It is up to us students to take and shape these opportunities. Engage with the issues that you care about and don’t shy away from reaching out to professionals/professors and engage in conversations. Such direct interactions were always incredibly valuable to me - and you never know what might come out of them. Also, don’t forget to create some balance to your studies (choir and gardening in my case), take your time to think, have a good time and make friends along the way.