Constant personal rebranding has become quite common in recent years. No one raises an eyebrow when people want to try a new direction for their career and/or take the time to focus on their education. To make such a plan effective, it’s important to figure out what options are available and make an informed choice. In this guide, we want to tell you a bit about remote studying and what makes Berlin the perfect base for this kind of education.
To provide you with expert knowledge on the topic, we spoke to our colleague Prof. Dr. Katharina Michel, head of administration of the DBU – Digital Business University of Applied Sciences, who is also based inside the dynamic Blogfabrik in Kreuzberg, our creative and inspiring home of the last 5 years. We want to take a closer look at Berlin in its role as a home base for remote studying and will be using the DBU as our practical example.
Remote studying programs offer more flexibility in comparison with traditional university degrees that require the student’s regular presence. That’s what makes them especially useful for people whose schedules are already full, like folks who want to pursue a second degree while continuing to work.
photos: Jule Müller / DBU
The Digital Business University of Applied Sciences is a great option to make the most of remote studying. The additional advantage they’re offering with their online programs (“Online Studium”), as opposed to a traditional remote studying program (“Fernstudium”), is the possibility to interact with other students and professors in real life. The degrees available at the DBU (so far only in German) include Digital Business Management, Digital Marketing & Communication Management, and Data Science & Business Analytics. Their online learning phases are combined with optional blocks of classes that happen once a month at their Kreuzberg campus at Blogfabrik, which leaves you with plenty of time to explore Berlin as the perfect base for remote studying.
A Great Place for Networking
With the constant influx of international ex-pats coming to Berlin each year, the city is buzzing with new concepts and initiatives. There are numerous benefits of exchanging your ideas with like-minded people in a setting that promotes learning and growth. Berlin makes that possible with its numerous coworking spaces. Our personal favorite is quite unsurprisingly the Blogfabrik, and Katharina explains what benefits this location can bring to your study process:
‘’Especially with such a flexible study schedule, it makes sense to form learning groups to meet together and motivate each other. And Berlin has many inspiring places for learning. The DBU Campus in Berlin Kreuzberg, located in a typical Berlin backyard with a modern industrial design, is a place where students find the creative and professional atmosphere to study. In this modern coworking space, there is enough space to learn individually but also in small study groups or through conversations with lecturers.’’
The Accessibility of Learning Resources
Berlin has plenty of amazing universities. Just because you’re enrolled at one of them, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get informed about conferences and talks organized by the others. Some of these events are available to the public, like the Einstein Lectures Dahlem organized by the Freie Universität Berlin and Max Planck Society or the events at the Berlin Science Week coordinated by the Humboldt Universität zu Berlin. You also don’t have to be a student to get access to many of the well-equipped libraries, like the Freie Universität Library, located in an impressive modern building.
A Vibrant Tech Hub
Katharina highlights the importance of digitalization for the modern labor market: ‘’One of the basic ideas of the DBU is to prepare students for the reality of work, which becomes increasingly digital. It is no longer a novelty to have colleagues spread across the country or even around the world. A digital degree prepares students exactly for this work situation – therefore we are convinced that digitized learning is indeed the future.’’ With this in mind, Berlin seems to be especially practical as a base for remote studying, providing the opportunities of a modern startup hub, combining career opportunities with numerous meetups and conferences. The world that you are about to immerse into after your education, is literally just at your doorstep.
The Capital of Open-Mindedness
People choose remote studying for many different reasons. As pointed out by Katharina, the majority of them prioritizes staying flexible throughout working towards their degree: ‘’Either because they already work or want to gain extensive professional experience during their studies. Of course, studying can also be particularly well combined with family commitments or integrated into private activities.’’ Naturally, juggling multiples roles and responsibilities is rarely smooth, but finding people who understand and support you makes it all easier. And since Berlin is known as a capital of open-mindedness, uniting folks from all different walks of life, there’s a good chance you’ll find just the right crowd.
Unconventionality
Last but not least, Katharina mentions the fact that Berlin offers access to many ‘’unconventional work environments’’. It’s hard not to agree with this statement. Contrary to a common misconception, there are way more jobs you can take up that are not linked to a prolific DJ career. Maybe an attempt to broaden your horizons by volunteering in a different field could result in finding a brand new calling. You can browse volunteering options on the platform vostel. Or maybe joining a heated discussion at your coworking space leads you to the conclusion that your ultimate dream career hasn’t been created yet?
The options are infinite! If you are considering getting back into studying and are curious about an online program check out what the DBU has to offer and maybe soon we’ll see you around at Blogfabrik?