Matthias Scharpf combines his studies at OTH Regensburg with international experience gained in Zagreb, Malawi and Kenya. In the process, he learns that successful collaboration flourishes above all where people listen to one another, take responsibility and develop solutions together.
For Matthias Scharpf, university life means more than just lectures and exams. As a student on the Bachelor’s degree programme in International Relations and Management at OTH Regensburg, he makes the most of the opportunities available to him: he gains international experience, takes on responsibility and looks for ways to make a difference with his knowledge.
He gained one such experience during his work placement semester in Malawi. His main aim had actually been to understand how international development cooperation works on the ground. However, what has stayed with him most are not strategy papers or funding programmes, but the people he met. The conversations, the mutual trust and the joint search for solutions have changed his perspective on what constitutes successful cooperation.
His journey began with an integrated study semester at Libertas International University in Zagreb. His work placement semester then took him to East Africa. In Malawi and Kenya, he gained insights into a wide variety of development cooperation projects – and experienced just how diverse the challenges on the ground can be.
Taking responsibility and gaining your own experience
In Malawi, Matthias Scharpf helped a local foundation to establish partnerships with the representative offices of the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW). The focus was on building contacts, establishing structures and fostering long-term cooperation. It became clear to him that good solutions do not just emerge from behind a desk. They arise through dialogue with people who understand the situation on the ground.
He gained a different perspective whilst in Turkana County in northern Kenya. The region is characterised by aridity, poverty and the effects of climate change. Whilst there, he assisted a non-governmental organisation in drafting project proposals aimed at securing funding for development projects. At the same time, he took charge of a project of his own: together with the organisation, he oversaw the funding and construction of a small waste-to-energy plant for a secondary school run by the organisation. It wasn’t a major international project. But it was one with a tangible impact. “What really stuck with me was that sometimes even relatively small and practical things can make a real difference when they solve a specific local problem.”
What you can learn from new situations
Matthias Scharpf’s time in Malawi and Kenya did not just shape him professionally. It also showed him how important it is to be able to cope with uncertainty. Not everything could be planned. Some decisions had to be made even though not all the information was available yet. “That’s where I learnt to adapt quickly to new situations and to stay calm even when things can’t be planned straight away.”
This experience has stayed with him to this day. He says this ability also helped him during the selection process for the Bavarian Elite Academy. Out of 396 applicants, he secured one of the 38 places in the current intake. For him, therefore, being accepted is less a goal that has been achieved and more an opportunity to discover new perspectives and continue his personal development.
A degree programme with many different perspectives
What Matthias Scharpf particularly values about the International Relations and Management degree programme is the way it brings together different disciplines. Economic, political and social issues are examined in tandem. It is precisely this mix that helps him to view challenges from multiple perspectives. In his view, many questions cannot be answered solely in economic or political terms. Often, different perspectives are needed to understand interrelationships and develop solutions. This approach is also evident in his involvement outside his studies.
For several years, he has been a member of the board of the Munich-based Christian Liebig Foundation and has been supporting educational projects in Malawi based on the principle of helping people to help themselves. In addition, he is involved with the Liberating Education Organisation, which is establishing hybrid education centres in East Africa and India and providing young adults with access to entrepreneurship education.
His journey illustrates the opportunities that can arise when students remain curious, take on responsibility and are willing to gain new experiences. The question that continues to guide him is the same one that occupied his thoughts during his time in East Africa: “How can international cooperation help to solve societal challenges?”