Hi everyone! After a short flight from PIT to JFK, and then a very long flight from JFK to BER, I have finally arrived in my home for the next 8.5 weeks! This first week has flown by while also being packed with many educational and fun activities to introduce us to Berlin. From German language class, to walking tours, to a quick weekend trip to Poland with my program buddies, this week has given me perfect introduction to my program before I get started with my first day of internship tomorrow in the biotechnology industry!
After a night of sleeping off jet-lag, we started our morning on Day 1 with German language class. We started everyday of our orientation week like this. I am very happy that we have the oppurtunity to learn our host countries language to make communicating with people a lot easier in public and in our working environments. We learned the alphabet, how to introduce ourselves, how to order a coffee, and much more. After that, we had a break for lunch and then on to our first excursion of the day. We hopped on the bus and rode to the German Bundestag (Parliament!) to meet with Kai Whittaker, a member of the Christian Democrat Union (CDU). He is also the Chair of the Parliamentary Friendship Group Germany – USA. We had the oppurtunity to ask him questions about his day-to-day life in the German Parliament and how relations with the USA and Germany have shifted over the past couple of years and how that effects ally-ship in both countries. After we snapped a pic with him (shown below), we hopped on the U5 (subway) and traveled to Alexanderplatz for a walking tour around the East and West side of Berlin. We explored the famous TV Tower, Berlin Cathedral, Berlin City Place, Humboldt University, and much more.
After a packed Day 1, on Day 2 we started with German class (as usual), lunch break, and then traveled to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. We were invited to a presentation and then a Q+A session to ask about the German economy and how ministry has the people’s best interest. We also asked what the future of “clean energy” looks like in Berlin, and Germany as a whole. Later that day, we had an incredible oppurtunity to visit the Reichstag Dome which gave us panoramic views of the entire city!
On our third and final day of orientation, we had language class, lunch, and another bus ride to the Deutsche Budesbank. We met with Ken Wroblewski, Public Relations chair, to listen to a brief overview of the institutional structure of the Eurosystem, which differs significantly from the U.S. central banking system. I personally don’t know much about the central differences between the Euro and USD, so this was very educational especially when it comes to budgeting for 2 months! This was our last excursion and then we had free time, which we decided to spend in the famous Turkish Market. They sold everything from clothes, jewelry, fabrics, and authentic food!
After a long week in Berlin, we had a long weekend due to Pentecost being on Monday. So, we thought why not plan a weekend trip! We decided to travel to Poznań, Poland. We explored the Old Town Square, visited Cathedral island, ate authentic Polish Pierogis, and walked through Cytadela Park. After that weekend, we traveled back to Berlin and started preparing for our long awaited internships that start tomorrow!
The industry specific to my company, Surflay Nanotec, is a part of an umbrella. The main industry is biotechnology, but more specifically I could say it falls under nanotechnology and surface science/engineering. As mentioned in my previous blog post, I will be working more in the business development side. As far as necessary skills and strengths, a knowledge in both STEM and business is a huge advantage in my role and the industry itself. When it comes to STEM, interdisciplinary knowledge is crucial such as biology, biochemistry, physics, engineering, etc. They work on a lot of projects across many different topics such as pharmaceuticals, water technology, cosmetics, and much more so having knowledge in these science fields is helpful. Another important skill is technical lab skills. Expertise in operating specialized equipment, such as fluorescence/phosphorescence spectrophotometers and confocal microscopy, is essential. Last year, I had the opportunity to UTA for the “Frog Slime Lab” in the Biological Sciences Department. After this introduction to being a leader in the lab, I feel a lot more confident showcasing my lab skills in the office tomorrow! As mentioned previously, The company spans multiple sectors, from life sciences and cosmetics to water treatment and agriculture. Versatility and adaptability across both pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical application development is highly valued.
As far as skills needed in a Berlin specific working environment, some important ones are business communication/evaluation and technology transfer expertise. In out orientations, we discussed the difference between the US and Germany in communication and evaluation. Luckily, Germany and the US are both low context communicators which makes the transition a little easier. As far as evaluations, Germany generally scores higher in direct negative feedback as opposed to US which is more favorable of indirect negative feedback. Learning to adapt to differences in how I’m evaluated is an important skill I will have to learn. For technology transfer expertise, navigating the commercialization of scientific spin-offs requires a deep understanding of Germany’s R&D ecosystem. Success in this industry depends on the ability to collaborate with institutions like the Max Planck Institute and transfer lab-scale innovations into industrial applications. I’m hoping to learn how to connect with these institutions and expand my networking and communication skills.
After a packed week, I am very excited to finally get started at my new company! Stay tuned to hear about my first week on the job and how I managed my time in the office. Dankeschöen!
