Shadowing day for students

Shadowing Day at the German National Academic Foundation – Anabel Wächter spends a day on a micro-internship at IREES.

It can be difficult to imagine the fields in which you can apply your knowledge and what your everyday working life might look like while you are still studying. The German National Academic Foundation counters this with a shadowing program: short but efficient insights into a possible field of activity and valuable contacts for the future.

We support this career orientation format and are delighted to welcome Anabel Wächter. Here is our ⚡lightning round interview⚡ with her:

❓ Anabel, would you like to briefly introduce yourself and your interests?
💡 I’m Anabel, I study communication science and psychology at LMU Munich and am currently writing my bachelor’s thesis on biases in AI responses. As my combination of subjects suggests, I am particularly interested in research related to media, politics, and society, which is why I was very excited to gain insights into working in such a future-oriented field of research at IREES.

❓ What insights or suggestions did you take away from today’s shadowing day?
💡 Not only did I get to experience a typical Thursday at IREES (including eating tacos together 😋), but I also got to talk to several people from the IREES social sciences team about the projects they are currently working on, how they ended up at IREES, and why career and positive impact are not mutually exclusive. My conclusion:
1️⃣ Communication is key—especially when it comes to complex challenges such as the heat transition.
2️⃣ Many roads lead to Rome.
3️⃣ It is not utopian for a social scientist to make a positive contribution to societal challenges.

❓ What advice would you give to other students who are interested in applied research?
💡 University is cool – but even aside from that, there are so many opportunities to conduct research relevant to everyday life in a motivated environment!

We wish Anabel all the best for her future!

➡️ Curious? Information about internships, theses, and more at IREES can be found here: https://irees.de/karriere/