MEG15 on excursion to Frankfurt

At 6:30 AM on Thursday, November 7, the whole MEG15 group arrived at the Hauptbahnhof in Freiburg to set off on our two day excursion to Frankfurt. While we were all a bit tired, we were also excited about the packed itinerary to come. As part of the module Global Societal Change, this trip was an opportunity for us to learn about international development aid through direct contact with working professionals.

After a few hours on the bus, we arrived at our first stop: the headquarters of GiZ, the German state development agency. After an introduction to the organization, we dove into a full day of sessions on a variety of topics ranging from international forest policy to sustainable economic development. We finished the day with a talk on the internship and hiring process at GiZ. Based on the number of previous MEGs who have worked at the organization over the years, this information will likely prove quite useful as we search for internships.

After a long day, we were all happy to get to our hostel in downtown Frankfurt. Fortunately, the group still had enough energy to get out and take advantage of some of the exciting food and nightlife opportunities Frankfurt has to offer.

The next morning we had breakfast in the hostel and headed on to our next stop: the German state development bank KfW. The sessions at KfW were diverse and interesting, giving us insight into the role of development finance in international projects including agroecology in India, offshore wind energy development in Germany, and biodiversity protection in the Galapagos. It was fascinating to observe the similarities and differences between GiZ and KfW given that both are development organizations affiliated with the German state.

Overall the trip was a fun and informative look into the practical side of international development and global environmental protection. We are all looking forward to our next excursion to Geneva!

Text: John Walsh / Photo: Adam Oliver