So German!
Jun 14, 2018 - Sarah Panjvani and Brendon Mustill for SoGerman
Sarah Panjvani, 23, and Brendon Mustill, 24, are the first Canadians to be chosen to participate in the International Parliamentary Scholarship, which gives young adults the opportunity to work at the Bundestag in Berlin for five months with members of parliament. Participants also have the opportunity to attend classes at a Berlin university.
How has their time in Berlin been so far? What are they doing? Both wrote a note to SoGerman.
Sarah Panjvani
Wow! Time at the Bundestag runs really fast! It feels like it was just yesterday that I started working in the office. At that time I was still nervous and confused – luckily I started my time in the office during a non-session week.
Non-session weeks are rather relaxed because the delegates usually work from their constituencies. During that time, most of the employees are involved in administrative and research work in the office. Since my representative, Mr René Röspel from the SPD parliamentary group, is a member of the Committee on Education, Research and Technology Assessment, our office work focuses on these issues.
Session weeks are completely different, and sometimes a bit crazy! Delegates come back to Berlin to participate in meetings and other appointments. As a scholarship holder, I can also participate in most of the discussions, e.g. about artificial intelligence or how digitization could influence the health sector.
So far, the most exciting week of my time in Germany was when I was driving into my constituency. I went to Hagen by train, and there attended several events. It was particularly interesting for me because I could see how much Mr. Röspel is taking care of his constituency. We once ate with his family in a pizza restaurant and more than half of the guests greeted him. He loves his constituency and seems to be just as popular! I look forward to discovering even more of Germany.
On March 1, we all arrived in Germany. So far I’ve experienced a very exciting time.
I personally have lived in Berlin in 2016 for a university exchange. At that time I had studied law at the Free University of Berlin. Therefore I was quite familiar with everyday life in Berlin and with the city in general. Nevertheless, I appreciated the many seminars, events and guided tours that took place in March, which taught us a little more about German history and the German form of government. The guided tours through the topography of terror, the monument to the murdered Jews of Europe, the Federal Council and a stay in Bad Belzig in Brandenburg helped me to understand myself better. Being in a foreign country and discovering a lot about it, I have often been confronted with the question “What does it mean to be Canadian?” Thanks to this internship, I have a good opportunity to think about it all.
On April 9, the internship began in the office of a member of the Bundestag. Nevertheless, I have the opportunity to gain further experience. For example, I’m attending a language course at Humboldt University, Spanish level C1, and I also make some close friendships with other interns from all over the world. Through these friendships, I was able to participate in some interesting events. For example, I recently took part in a conversation about EU-Hungarian relations in the Hungarian Embassy, thanks to one of the Hungarian scholarship holders. There was also delicious traditional food.
I am looking forward to the coming experiences.
