Internship Report
Celisa Day
S3527972
MA International Security
Contents
Introduction………...Page 2 Searching for a Placement……….Page 2 Why I Chose the Marshall Center……….Page 3 The Application Process………Page 4 Preparing for the Internship………...Page 4 Expectations………...Page 6 The Marshall Center and PASS……….Page 6 Tasks, Supervision, and Evaluation……….…..Page 7 Difficulties, Expectations, and Suggestions………..Page 10 Conclusion……….Page 12 References………..Page 13
Introduction
Participating in a placement is a vital part of the Master’s program at the RUG. Having never done an internship before, I was unsure of what to expect, and yet still the internship was not what I imagined. Despite this, the experience that I had was invaluable and I am thankful for it. My placement at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (the Marshall Center) helped me forward the academic skills that I built in the first part of the Master’s program, gave me a window into a world where academics and practitioners meet, and introduced me to a large network of security professionals whom I would not have otherwise met. The following will trace the steps of my placement, from searching and applying, to
preparing, to a review of how the placement was for me and what it has taught me about myself.
Searching for a Placement
Looking for placements was an interesting process. The RUG tends to give more
assistance to the Dutch students, often advertising for Dutch placements. While I looked at some of the resources available from the university, I still wasn’t sure where to being with searching for placements, so I just started with the big organizations that I knew of—checking whether they offered internships in the time frame I was looking for, if at all—before moving on to key search words. I found the RUG’s flexibility with timing, for due dates and graduation, to be very helpful in this regard. It would have been very difficult for me to find an internship I liked, that would fit within the advertised ‘one-year’ timeline for this program, while also writing a worthwhile thesis.
While I had hoped for an internship at AFRICOM, their application processing time took longer than expected, so I ended up accepting the internship at the Marshall Center before finally
hearing back from AFRICOM. That was a failure on my part however, as I underestimated the difference in response times from various institutions. The way I found my internship at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies was actually through the IRIO’s list of internships of former students. I had not heard of the Marshall Center before and looked it up while scouring the list for internships that were not Dutch.
Why I Chose the Marshall Center
I had not heard of the Marshall Center before this process began and so part of my
internship process required examining the Marshall Center as an institution. From the website the Marshall Center seems quite put together, with its aim being to “identify common values, create transnational friendships, work toward common understandings, and build a more peaceful and cooperative political and security environment throughout the region” (GCMC), which are qualities that sit well with me, as I used to run the international club in college whose main objectives reflected these. While I do think the organization is meeting its goal, I found it to be fairly disorganized as an institution, and particularly with regard to the interns. There was, however, a transition period happening while I was applying as one internship coordinator left, the job was filled in temporarily by someone who was out sick for several weeks, and then a new intern coordinator started during my time there. This created some complications for me, as well as the other interns who started at the same time as me. I believe that once the new intern
coordinator settles in and hopefully makes some improvements based on our suggestions, that the application process, information flow, and general coordination of interns will go a little smother.
The Application Process
The application process for the Marshall Center was startlingly easy compared to some of the other internships which I applied for. The process essentially just consists of emailing the Center with your CV, cover letter, and a short description of which faculty member you would like as a supervisor. They have a list on their website, and I chose CDR Andreas Hildenbrand because he deals with climate change and Arctic security issues, which are areas that I am interested in—climate change in particular. While the spots for the normal summer session had already been filled, the Marshall Center gave a quick reply saying that I would be able to intern during their Program on Applied Security Studies starting in September, with Hildenbrand as my supervisor. There was very little information given as to what my actual tasks would be beyond just assisting Hildenbrand during his seminars. This process was not entirely consistent for all the interns—where I was given an immediate response that Hildenbrand would be my
supervisor, other interns were not told who their supervisor would be until their arrival at the Center, and yet still ended up working more closely with other faculty members. This was discussed with the new intern coordinator and they are coming up with a new process for assigning interns to faculty members who actually need or want interns.
Preparing for the Internship
Since I knew relatively little about what I would be doing at the internship, despite multiple attempts to gather more information, I wasn’t really sure how to prepare for it in respect to content. I knew the seminars I would be assisting with were on climate change and Arctic security, and since I already know a fair amount about climate change from my own interests, I
read up on Arctic security a bit, which was mildly helpful. Preparing for the internship in more concrete ways proved to be similarly difficult.
Finding an affordable place to live in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany was a challenge, but not impossible. I spent a lot of time searching online to find a place, but most of the rooms and apartments in the area are very overpriced since it’s a tourist destination. There are a few websites that you can look through to search but for the most part it’s a lot of local websites, made and run by the families, and often they’re only in German. Likely due to the transition of intern coordinators at the Marshall Center, some of the interns did not receive the list of
accommodations of former interns at the Marshall Center, which—though short—is incredibly helpful in finding an affordable place to live. I happened to know someone from the RUG who was doing his internship at the Marshall Center in the months before me and he sent me the list. We (the interns) talked to the new intern coordinator about this issue as well. While the Center cannot recommend any particular accommodation, it should ensure that incoming interns receive the accommodation list.
The internship pays about 300 EUROS per month, or about 10 EUROS per day. This is not enough to cover the rent for almost any of the accommodations available in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, even the ones that are cheaper for George C Marshall Center Interns. I survived financially on savings and the goodwill of my parents. There was one apartment, just under 300 EUROS per month, but it was cold and full of spiders and I moved within two weeks. I moved to a different accommodation, where two of the other interns were also living at the time. The general impression of housing in Garmisch-Partenkirchen is homely. Older places (as most of them are, since many are family run) have the old-German feel but are usually nice and clean. The city as well is nice and clean, and very quiet. It’s not really a city, but rather two towns, so
new interns should not go in expecting a big city life. I think anyone who looks into the area beforehand should be able to figure that out. The attraction to the area lies primarily in the mountains, which are great for hiking and biking in the summer and skiing in the winter. It’s a very outdoorsy sort of place, and very accessible, having a car was not necessary. The people of Garmisch-Partenkirchen are friendly, and many speak English since it is a tourist hot-spot, but it is difficult to meet people outside of the internship (even if you speak German). While I did talk to many of the participants of the PASS program (described below), the only friends I made were the other interns.
Expectations
The internship at the George C. Marshall Center is the first internship I have ever done, so I wasn’t sure what to expect out of an internship in general or how this one might compare to other internships. I was told that I would be assisting Hildenbrand with his Climate Change, Arctic Security, and Maritime Security courses (though the Maritime security course was
dropped before the PASS program started). I did expect to gain some practical working skills and to use the knowledge which I gained through my courses in the International Security Master’s degree program. I expected to be doing some research because the other RUG student I know who was doing the internship was in the midst of writing an article with someone, that would be published in their journal.
The Marshall Center and PASS
The George C. Marshall Center for European Security Studies is an institution which brings together security practitioners from various sectors from North America, Europe, and
Eurasia to educate, network, and enhance security cooperation. It focuses on the top issues of the region today, including terrorism, cybersecurity, peace operations and crisis management, the role of NATO, and more. The Marshall Center’s College of International and Security Studies (the primary body of the institution) offers several courses revolving around democratic defense management in national, regional, and international security. These include programs on
European security, cybersecurity, countering transnational organized crime, and more. The program which I was involved in was the Program on Applied Security Studies (PASS). The goal of the program is to give security professionals from governments around the world an education in international relations, defense affairs, and security policy, as well as to provide opportunities for these security practitioners to connect with others from different backgrounds and cultures. While the goal of the program is to educate, it also exists to build cultural understanding, cooperation, and networking for security professionals. Participating in the program this time were86 security practitioners from 46 countries—a mix of government, military, and security services members. There were people from foreign ministries, departments of interior, the Gendarmerie, military officers, police officers, border security, the FBI, the OSCE, and more. It was a phenomenal mix of people, and my absolute favorite aspect of the internship. When else in my life will I be able to meet, learn with, and learn from a female Senegalese police officer or an inspector general from Niger?
Tasks, Supervision, and Evaluation
The PASS program was an 11-week program with daily lectures, followed by seminars, and then electives which lasted 7 days each. As an intern, not only did I complete my own tasks, but I also participated in lectures, seminars, and electives. The lectures were attended by all
participants and there was very little I had to do for those besides reading and participating as one normally would as a student. My supervisor presented two of the lectures, one on climate change and one on Arctic security. I was tasked with updating the presentations and doing research for the climate change presentation. I did research on the effects of climate change on the Lake Chad region, and the changing understanding of climate change and security
implications of the region over time. I researched the impacts of Himalayan glacier melt, particularly on the rivers of India and Pakistan, as well as research on the effects of rising sea levels on the coastal areas of Bangladesh. Following lecture every day, we met in smaller seminar groups and I participated in the group led by CDR Hildenbrand. I was tasked with assisting him in these seminars and was given the opportunity to assist him in directing
discussions among the participants. Beyond the daily lectures and seminars there were elective courses which lasted 7 days each. I assisted CDR Hildenbrand in his Climate Change and Security, and Arctic Security electives, and then continued on to participate in two electives during the times when CDR Hildenbrand was not teaching an elective.
While my main tasks were to assist CDR Hildenbrand in his courses, I also completed other tasks for him and other members of the PASS program leadership. I prepared information for the Friends of the Marshall Center partner program that the Center sets up for the
participants. I prepared the presentation of the field trip to Berlin which the participants did in the tenth week. I also did very menial tasks like putting out nametags, or clickers (used for voting during lecture exercises), and setting up the weekly common coffee. While these were much less academically rigorous, I did expect them to be among my tasks as an intern.
One of my favorite tasks was assisting one of the Working Group leaders during the big negotiations exercise that the participants participated in. They were assigned to different groups,
which were four fictional countries and the EU, they were given information on these countries including current regional issues. They were then given a budget, made to create a national security strategy for their respective countries, and then ‘delegates’ were sent from each country and the EU to discuss and negotiate various issues. I assisted the leader of the migration crisis working group, who acted as the chair of a fictional regional cooperation council, in leading the negotiations for a migration crisis. This was particularly exciting for me because migration is one topic that I am very interested in. I was able to see firsthand how difficult it is to make decisions on migration, even for fictional countries. I was able to experience how difficult it is to lead those negotiations, to keep people calm and polite and working together cooperatively.
While I was under the supervision of CDR Hildenbrand, I did work for and with other leadership in the PASS program. As mentioned above, I assisted a different faculty member during the week-long negotiations exercise, and while CDR Hildenbrand and the participants were in Berlin I assisted the Deputy Director of Security Studies, COL Matt Sousa, compile data from participant focus groups for the evaluation of the PASS program, which looks at what was successful in the program and what could be improved upon, and how. I have a good working attitude, as I do like to keep busy, but I noticed if I am not given a timeline of when things need to be finished I tend to take a longer than I should, distracting myself with other assignments that I enjoy more. Time management is a skill I will never stop working on.
While I did find CDR Hildenbrand to be a nice supervisor, I often found myself with very little to do outside of the courses. I ended up volunteering for things or creating tasks where I was able, from assisting the non-native English speakers with their essays to peer reviewing the policy guide written by one of my fellow interns. The issue here was two-fold. At the start of the internship I sat with CDR Hildenbrand and he asked me if I wanted to do some sort of large
research article or if I was writing a thesis for my Master’s. Since I am still writing my thesis I opted not to have him assign me a new essay to write. However, I underestimated how little there would be for me to do outside of the courses (which was only an hour or two a day, depending on the schedule), but it left me feeling a bit aimless and often in search of other assignments. Since CDR Hildenbrand had nothing else for me to do, I would go to other faculty members in search of tasks.
From this experience I learned a little about teaching, and leading discussions and negotiations, about coordinating, and the difficulties of creating programs tailored to so many people with such different backgrounds. There were many little things I learned, but the one thing I truly learned that will stick with me is that I need to have more initiative. For example, the intern whose policy guide I peer reviewed—he had initiative. He chose to create that policy brief on his own, it was not a task which was assigned to him. While I spent my time trying to assist others and ask for tasks, he created his own. That is a skill I need to develop, a
characteristic I need to nurture in myself.
Difficulties, Expectations, and Suggestions
The biggest difficulties I had were with housing (because of the not-so-nice first
apartment), and with running out of things to do. While I have spoken to the intern coordinator at the Marshall Center and they will be doing more to ensure that interns are only assigned to faculty members who want an intern, or will make more of an effort to work with them (some of the other interns rarely saw their supervisors), I do suggest that any student intending to do an internship here should have some idea of a project or research idea that they might want to do while they are at the internship.
I had expected to learn more practical skills to use in the working world, but, since it is a college, many of the skills I progressed were similar to those I gained in the Master’s program at the RUG. Most of my time at this internship I felt like I was still just a student. I went to classes and participated as if I was one of the students. This was the biggest difficulty for me in the internship, as I feel like I learned very few practical skills and just spent another 11 weeks as a student, going to classes and doing research. I would recommend this internship only for students who are looking to stay in academia, or if they want to network with other practitioners in a certain field. This would depend on which program they end up assisting, but the Marshall Center, if its good for anything, is definitely good for networking. I learned a lot from the PASS program itself, and it was amazing to hear the different opinions of security practitioners from such different walks of life. I learned more from them, I think, than I did from many of the lectures.
The placement I chose was assisting in a Program on Applied Security Studies, so it definitely connected back to my studies and my track at the RUG, in fact our first two lectures were on IR theory and the rest were on various security issues and regions, so being able to participate in the program enhanced my applied academic knowledge. It was fun to be able to connect ideas that I learned at the RUG to what they were teaching at the Marshall Center. I was still disappointed, however, that much of what I was doing felt more like academia than like the real world. I don’t feel that I gained many practical skills from the internship. I don’t know if that is just a feeling or if this is just how internships are, since it’s the only one I’ve ever done. I gained many valuable contacts through my internship at the Marshall Center, which I think will be helpful as I begin to look into career options, though the internship itself was not helpful in directing me towards a particular career path.
Conclusion
While I went into this unsure of what to expect, I did have an overall good experience in my internship at the George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies. I had some difficulties in the beginning, which I hope the new Marshall Center intern coordinator will be able to resolve. I was both pleasantly surprised by some aspects of the internship—being able to participate in so much of the PASS program—and also a bit disappointed by others—often finding myself in search of more tasks. I gained many new contacts from different countries and professional backgrounds. I learned more about myself from this internship, and from reflecting on it, than I did about actually working in the field of international security—and while that is a bit disappointing, it is still very important. I need to work on my initiative, carve my own path.
References
GCMC. “The Marshall Center Mission.” Marshallcenter.org.,
https://www.marshallcenter.org/mcpublicweb/en/nav-main-wwd-mission-vision-en.html. Accessed 16 December 2019.
