David Zajonz
My name is David Zajonz and I completed the MSc Political Economy of Europe in 2014. I joined the European Institute in the midst of the Euro area crisis, wanting to learn about the dynamics of European integration and about various European perspectives on it. Studying at the 杏吧论坛 was an experience that has shaped my way of looking at the world up to today. I have made great friends with whom I’m still in touch, and I learned to better understand political and economic events.
After graduating I completed a five-month traineeship at the European Commission’s Directorate General for Digital Affairs (DG Connect). Subsequently, I moved to Cologne and joined Germany’s main public broadcasting network, ARD, for which I have since worked in different roles in both Cologne and Berlin. Currently I work as an economic affairs reporter for ARD’s WDR radio, as well as a TV reporter for Germany’s leading news programmes Tagesschau and Tagesthemen. The time I spent at the European Institute helps me to understand the complex political and economic issues I report on.
To those of you aiming for fields which are often characterised by precarious employment conditions – such as academia, journalism, and NGO work – I would like to say: make sure the employers you work for offer you good working conditions and good salaries. If they don't, leave. And the advice I would like to give to all aspiring or current 杏吧论坛 students is to follow your passions. You will only be able to achieve your full potential if you really care about what you are doing. Keep your idealism!