To apply what she learned in her studies and gain new practical experience abroad: This was a strong ambition of Elena Fischer, student of M.A. Public Relations and Digital Marketing at HMKW Cologne. Her internship at TROX Austria in Vienna gave her the chance to live and work for a while in one of Europe's most beautiful cities.

Max Beckmann, student of journalism in Berlin, is one of four lucky winners of a German scholarship for the coming academic year. How did he apply for the popular scholarship and what advice does he have for future applicants? That's what he tells us here.

At HMKW Berlin, Anzhela Liashko has found the perfect study combination: Public Relations and Digital Marketing. In this interview, the Ukrainian-born talks about her exciting internship in brand marketing at Zalando Lounge and her upcoming master's thesis, which will focus on the communication of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Selenskyj's government during the Russian-Ukrainian war.

Whether it's the impressive landscapes, exciting activities with other international students or the well-equipped host university: When Kathleen Laux thinks back to her semester abroad in Volda, Norway, she can't help but daydream. Why she also highly recommends an Erasmus semester to all HMKW students, she explains here.

Everything fell into place perfectly for journalism student (and now graduate) Joël Pütz (M.A. Convergent Journalism, now: Digital Journalism): After his internship abroad at the online magazine Parlons Basket in Lyon, he was offered a job there and is now happy to have a permanent position as an editor. We asked him, among other things, what he particularly liked about his internship and what advice he would give other students for their own stay abroad.

Whether as founder of the university's own student newspaper obacht_ or in numerous practical projects: Alumnus Thorsten Gutmann developed an enthusiasm for PR early on. Today, he is head of the communications and marketing department at the German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK) in Moscow. In the interview, he tells us more about his current job and how his studies laid the groundwork for his future career.

An internship abroad is not only a wonderful opportunity to gain exciting practical experience, it's also a perfect way to get to know another country and its culture. Cologne journalism student Julia Flamm decided to look beyond the horizon and completed an internship in online marketing in the picturesque metropolis of Lisbon. Here she tells us about her experiences.

During her internship abroad, former journalism student Hannah Kersting (HMKW Cologne) was able to get a closer look at working at a radio station. While volunteering at Hitradio Namibia in Windhoek, she not only had the chance to gain practical experience, but also to explore the fascinating country in southern Africa.

Nduku Mutinda is about to finish her M.A. in Public Relations and Digital Marketing, where she is writing her master's thesis on brand activism and researching the potential of effective marketing to influence consumers' behavior. We invited her for an interview and asked her about her studies at HMKW, her life in the multicultural city of Berlin and her current job at a Berlin-based language tech company.

Intern, working student, trainee: Saskia Damaschke moves seamlessly from her studies into professional life. Already in October she starts her job at the renowned Frankfurt communication agency PSM&W Kommunikation and will support the team in the development of effective campaigns. We wish her a good start in her first job and thank her very much for the interview!