Martin Wirtz, alumnus MA European Studies (Research)
After three years of European Studies as a Bachelor student, I was still fascinated by the process of European integration. The Research Master’s programme in European Studies did not only provide me with further knowledge regarding the many questions I had, but also taught me how to do research on my own: it helped me to transform some vague curiosity about certain aspects of European integration into concrete research questions and made me familiar with the relevant theoretical approaches as well as the methodological tools needed to address them.
Having to hand in a research paper every eight weeks was challenging, but it made me used to the regular ups and downs of an individual research cycle. Equipped with the skills and knowledge from the RMES, I was then able to enter and complete the doctoral programme of the Bamberg Graduate School of Social Sciences. The integration of the Research Master in European Studies in the Double Degree Programme with the University of Cologne allowed me to also experience another system of higher education. Decades of European integration notwithstanding, the acquaintance of a German degree in addition to the Dutch one can facilitate certain administrative matters later on, as I have experienced myself when taking up work in Germany.
While research and teaching in my current position at the Chair for Governance of Complex and Innovative Technological Systems at the University of Bamberg is not directly concerned with European Studies, I still benefit from the experience at my Alma Mater: I teach using Problem-based learning, can get to grips with new topics independently, and am working in an international team.
Martin Wirtz (German)
Akademischer Rat (Research Fellow), University of Bamberg, Germany
Year of Graduation: 2012
