Meet Zisa Drews-Von Ruckteschell – Masters's student in Sea and Society
Through the Sea and Society programme, Zisa Drews-Von Ruckteschell found her interest in marine spatial planning and an internship at the organisation Submariner. She now wants to continue working in decision-making on marine issues.
Why did you want to study the master's programme in Sea and Society?
"After my Bachelor's degree in international relations, I wanted to focus on the topic of sustainability, which I have always been interested in. I realised that it would be super cool to specialise further and found the Sea and Society programme, which, combined with my previous education, gave me a niche. Also, as I have always wanted to work in decision-making, it helps to have knowledge about sustainability. There are so many decision-makers who are not educated in the topics they make decisions about."
What’s it like to study the programme?
"It's a broad education and in the beginning, it felt like an overflow of information from everywhere, but after the first course I found my own path. Since then, I have enjoyed the programme very much. I especially like that the programme is so policy-oriented, more than I thought it would be. It's also good that all the teachers are so helpful, something I haven't experienced in the Netherlands. And I appreciate that you get to meet many lecturers from the 'real' world, such as the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management."
Where did you do your internship?
"I was at the Submariner organisation in Berlin, which works with sustainable use of marine resources. I worked on several different projects and had a lot of responsibility as a trainee. I did everything from taking minutes at meetings to representing the company at various workshops. Submariner also works a lot with communication and coordination, so I got to work with that too. It involved organising meetings, making sure everything stayed on schedule, and writing reports and policy briefs."
What did you learn during the internship?
"A lot! Such as prioritising my time properly and knowing what to put the most energy into in a fast-paced work environment. Also, I have learned to set boundaries, because they expect you to always do a lot, but they also expect you to tell them if it's too much. This was something I really needed to learn, because I always said yes in helping out with tasks, and then I sat there at eight o'clock in the evening wondering why – as a trainee – I was still working. I also learned a lot about how the industry works and what the job market is like."
What are your plans after the programme?
"Now, I'm writing my master's thesis at Submariner and working for them as a sideline. I will see how I feel later, but I think I will stay with Submariner for a little longer, as long as the project funding goes as expected and there are projects I can work on."
What tips do you have for students who are going to enter the programme?
"It helps to start reading up on the different topics before the programme and find what interests you, for example economics, biology, ecology, or politics. This gives you an overview of the topics, but it can also help you ask better questions. Another tip is to go through some of the course literature beforehand, because once the course starts you won't have much time for that."
