Agatha Klosa receives the DAAD Prize 2024

Agatha Klosa is currently in her sixth semester on the Bachelor's degree programme in International Business Management. She impressed the jury with her outstanding achievements and her great commitment during and alongside her studies.

During two semesters abroad, she represented the HWR Berlin excellently at SKKU in South Korea and at the renowned Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia. Before Agatha Klosa began her studies at the HWR Berlin in the winter semester 2021/22, she volunteered as a tutor in Polish children's homes. She is also involved in the Imagine Foundation e.V. for young people from non-EU countries and supports them in finding a job in Germany.                                  

In the following interview, she talks about her journey to the HWR Berlin, her voluntary work and her plans for the future.

What does it mean to you to be honoured with the DAAD Award?

I have a long way of studying ahead of me and do not think I have achieved a fraction of my goals. However, with the award I feel like I am going in the right direction.

I am grateful for the time, efforts and guidance of my professors. With each class, my critical thinking advanced and my opinions became more factual and unbiased. I came to the HWR Berlin with little knowledge and not having my interests well-defined. By observing passionate professors in class, I became passionate about learning myself. I also appreciate the support from the university and its commitment to projects that recognize international students, like myself, and our unique experiences at the HWR Berlin.

Why did you choose to study at the HWR Berlin?

The biggest advantage of studying in the International Business Management (IBMAN) programme is being close to global changes. These changes are discussed in lectures, giving us a chance to think about future business opportunities. The HWR Berlin is a great place to develop these ideas and find the right people to pursue them with, as we can observe their work ethic every day in class.

The IBMAN programme stands out for its flexibility as well. Students can select their specialization after the third semester, which was crucial for me as it allowed time to explore my interests rather than committing right after high school without a clear understanding of the professional world. English, being the primary language of instruction from day one, has been instrumental in preparing me for an international career. Personally, I plan to work in Hong Kong, New York, London, and Brussels. This linguistic foundation also simplifies any application process for university projects, events, semesters abroad or internships requiring proof of language proficiency. Thus, English has been truly a key to my development.

During the Covid pandemic, you volunteered to teach German to children in Polish children's homes. You are also involved in the Imagine Foundation e.V. for young people from non-EU countries and support them in finding a job in Germany. What motivates you to help other young people?

As I am also at the start of building my career, I am eager to share my knowledge with those who need it. I volunteer whenever an opportunity arises, a practice that comes naturally to me due to my upbringing in a household that emphasised the values of kindness and helping others. My commitment to giving back has grown alongside my personal development. In high school, one of my strengths were languages, which I utilised to assist struggling students in passing their classes.

At university, I took the initiative to connect firms seeking specific skills with individuals who possess them, regardless of their nationality. Looking ahead, I aspire to leverage my future professional expertise to contribute to non-profit organizations.

What are you planning to do after graduation?

Before starting my master's degree, I plan to gain work experience, initially aiming to become a foreign exchange trader. From my perspective, foreign exchange market has a unique dynamism as it is influenced by a wide range of factors such as geopolitical events, central bank policies, and global economic data. The price changes quickly and seemingly not much but it has an enormous impact on countries and businesses. I find it engaging to analyse the drivers behind these price movements, develop insights for future market trends and observe how it affects other segments of the economy.

After gathering work experience, I plan to pursue a master’s degree in financial engineering. While the International Business Management programme at the HWR Berlin taught me qualitative knowledge and soft skills, I want to challenge myself with mathematics and programming. This will enable me to advance my career in a hedge fund while also equipping me with well-rounded skills to adapt to the evolving work environment in the coming years.

HWR Berlin has been awarding the DAAD Prize since 2006

With the DAAD Prize, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has been offering the HWR Berlin the opportunity to honour exceptional achievements of its international students since 2006. The stated aim of the prize is to put faces to the international students at German universities. The HWR Berlin is proud of its approximately 1500 foreign students who enrich our university.