"I moved to the 'Urban Development Capacity Building Office' Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in April 2001. There I worked, first as a Senior Expert and later I was promoted to the Team Leader position of the Human Resource Training Development Team.

From October 2005 to March 2007 I took an extended leave to further my studies and attained an MSc Degree in Urban Management from the Technical University of Berlin in March 2007.

Reporting back to my office in June 2007 I was appointed to work as a 'Human Resource Development Expert'."

November 2007

“Since november 2007 I am working as an 'integrated expert' for the Ethiopian 'Ministry of Urban Development'. The Ethiopian governmant requested for an assignment of 'CIM experts' to support the implementation of the Urban Governance and Decentralisation Programme in the northern region of Ethiopia, the Tigray region. I support the municipal adminstrations of four cities to cope with the fast rural-urban migration, in the provision of infrastructure and development of policies. I am employed by the Ethiopian ministry."

November 2007

"I am currently operating my own business as a planning consultant in Sydney and working primarily on the environmental assessment of new coastal subdivisions and developments in New South Wales, Australia. I found the Urban Management Course to be comprehensive, stimulating and enjoyable.

Life in Berlin is a wonderful experience, the city has so much to offer and is also a great base from which to explore central Europe."

November 2007

"After my graduation in Berlin I started working as a cost control manager in the 'Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute'. My main job is to control the construction cost from the very beginning to the end of a project, which could relate to water supply engineering, sewerage engineering, building of roads and bridges, architecture and landscape or environmental engineering all over China."

November 2007

“Before I came to study the M.Sc. Urban Management Programme at the TU Berlin, I was working as the Manager (Planning and Implementation) in a real estate company. The Urban Management Programme has helped me to enhance my knowledge base and skills required for a successful career with a leading international development agency like GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation).
Currently, I am working with GTZ-Bangladesh as the Adviser for Strategic Planning in 'Good Governance in the Urban Areas Project (GGUAP)'. This shall build urban management capacities within municipalities.”

November 2007

“After my graduation in Berlin I started working at the 'Peking University Graduate School of Landscape Architecture'. My position is: Director of Center for Training and International Exchange."

November 2007

“The UM programme expanded my focus, and I started looking at the city as a whole, and as such to creating opportunities to improve its actual status. Through my architectural background and the new acquired knowledge, I am currently working as a sustainable development consultant and designer for the Municipal Government of Guatemala City. The main objective is to revitalize the city core and downtown, generating new public space design proposals, new transport and mobility hubs and alternatives, new building codes and creating livable sustainable neighbourhoods and communities."

November 2007

“I was promoted to the higher grade in the public service (thanks to my MSc Urban Management certificate which proved very valuable for my career advancement) and was sent to the 'National Institute of Public Administration' Malaysia, as a Senior Programme Coordinator. I am now managing programmes and courses on local government, urban and environmental management for local government officials in my country."

July 2007

"I have studied traditional Tibetan architecture under old masters in Lhasa. I am co-founder and currently first chairman of the NGO Tibet Heritage Fund (THF). THF implements development cooperation projects involving traditional architecture in Tibetan-inhabited areas, Beijing, the Ladakh region of India, Mongolia and South-East Asia, and a number of THF’s projects won international awards. For more information see www.tibetheritagefund.org. I also lecture on Himalayan and Asian architecture and have given academic presentations at universities in Europe, Asia and the USA."

January 2008

"Following my studies in Berlin I am now working for the state government of Ceara, Brazil, in the 'Secretariat of Cities'. I’m specifically involved in a programme, which aims at strengthening cities that can contribute for the development of inland regions of Ceara State, based on three concepts: Investments in basic infra-structure, Support to the economic sector and Suppor to the institutional sector."

June 2008

"After the completion of my Masters degree at TU-Berlin in the department of Urban management I was able to get employed at Mekelle University as a lecturer in the department of Architecture and Urban Planning. I definitely used the exposure and knowledge I got during my studies to help my students in their career development."

August 2008

"Currently, I am working as an Analyst of Infrastructure at the 'Slums Upgrading Department' of the 'National Secretariat for Housing', Ministry of Cities, Brasilia. I am responsible for managing slum upgrading programs all over Brazil - carried out through the 'Accelaration Growth Program' (PAC). The knowledge acquired during the Urban Management Masters Course certainly helps me to deal with the different roles of the stakeholders involved in the PAC. Moreover, it lets me think about possibilities of international cooperation that could contribute for more efficient solutions for the problems that I encounter in my field of work."

November 2008

"I am currently the Assistant Resources Coordinator in the 'External Resources Department' of the Transparency International Secretariat, Berlin. We mainly deal with fundraising for the programmes that are being handled by the Global Programmes and Regional Departments (Africa and Middle East, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and Central Asia) of the Secretariat and also help the National Chapters with their fundraising. Moreover, I am member of the 'African Good Governance Network'."

November 2008

"I am currently a part time researcher for the Young Cities project ‘‘Developing Energy-Efficient Urban Fabric in the Tehran-Karaj region’’ at the TU Berlin, which is a German-Iranian research and development project within the program “Research for the sustainable development of megacities of tomorrow’’. I am working on the role and contribution of local authorities for improving energy efficiency and climate change adaptation, which is a continuation of research for my master thesis. At the same time, I am planning to start my PhD within the Young Cities project, with a focus on ‘‘Analyzing Potentials and Challenges for the Iranian Municipalities to Act as a Key Facilitator for Energy Efficient Urban Fabric’’. I found the Urban Management course very interesting and practical. It has helped me to enhance my knowledge and understanding regarding urban issues and gave me opportunities for further education and my career."

March 2009

"After working in the field of environmental engineering in China, I decided to take part in the ‘Urban Management’ Masters course, with an aim of solving environmental problems on a higher level. After my graduation, I started working in a carbon trading company in Potsdam, Germany, which provides CDM financing and consultation service in Germany.
As we all know, our earth is facing an unprecidented global warming and climate change. In the future, the international society will have to pay more attention on better urban management, i.e. on energy efficiency and management, green local government, public transportation, public-private partnership with local business. All of these topics were covered in the UM course, which gives me a good over-view to think about climate and governance issues."

March 2009

"Prior to taking the Urban Management course, I was working as a journalist specializing in urban issues for The Jakarta Post, an English-language newspaper in Indonesia. Moving away from the classic hard news reporting to more in-depth ones, one needs a macro understanding of what is going on in cities, in developing countries globally. Such perspective could very much be gained through the UM masters' course, from the intensive exchange of knowledge with teachers and especially colleagues coming from different countries. The learning process takes place inside and outside of class, through discussions on global urban issues at different local contexts."

March 2009

"I took part in the Urban Management Master Programme at the TU Berlin with a clear mission: to pursue a strong academic development and, upon completion, to return to Romania and take office as a public manager, being part of an national programme for promoting the modernization of the Romanian public sector.
Since August 2009 I work as a Research Fellow for Urban Security and Critical Infrastructure Protection at Eurisc Foundation (European Institute for Risk, Security and Communication Management), which is an independent think-tank promoting the dialogue, education, training and research on major issues of national and international security. The main focus is on non-military risks, primarily natural hazards, technological and emerging systemic risks, organized crime, corruption, terrorism, illegal migration and trafficking, as well as on the security culture in relation to Romania's European and Euro-Atlantic post-integration processes and the civil-military relations. "

October 2009

"Prior to my studies at TU Berlin, I was working for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) as a field research officer in the field of planning techniques that fit refugee camp constitution. After my graduation I have worked as a consultant for GTZ (German Agency for Technical Cooperation) in West Bank, Palestine, aiming to develop practical mechanisms for a sustainable stakeholder communication and interaction between refugee camp structure and neighboring localities (2008-09). Currently I am working for UNRWA head quarter Amman, as an advisor for participatory planning in refugee camps. Moreover, I am in charge of the development of refugee camp profiles that include special, physical, infrastructural, socio economic, institutional analysis of camp structures."

October 2009

"During the “Urban Management” Master program, energy and its applications on an urban level was the study field that captured my interest. I chose to work on sustainability, solar energy and public buildings during my master thesis. After my thesis I decided that I would like to proceed with my studies and find a PhD in this direction. I am currently working on my PhD with the title “Energy efficiency and management techniques in sports facilities” at the Faculty VI of the TU Berlin. Energy efficiency and management has recently emerged as a major consideration in the design of high-performance, sustainable and green buildings. I am confident that this new scientific research which prioritizes sustainability and energy efficiency issues, which was one of the main themes in the UM Masters degree, will serve as a turning point for my future career and life."

October 2009

"I found my interest in Waste Management during my Master Course in the Urban Management Studies Program at the TU Berlin. More specifically my interest in Waste Management is related to the city and climate change. The program offered me the chance to learn about the various urban management fields and to find the right field for me. Besides the Studies the course gave me the chance to experience living independently and having wonderful friends from diverse backgrounds from all over the world. Working in these different atmospheres were some of the greatest experiences for me. This is an amazing opportunity and I can only say one should take it, especially women from developing countries.

Currently I am continuing my study on PhD-level at the Institute for Environmental Technology and Energy Economic (IUE), Hamburg University of Technology and joining the Bioconversion and Emission Control Group. There I am working on waste management modeling, the so-called Decision Support Tool (DST) on the direction of a Low Carbon Eco-City."

Mai 2010

After gaining work experience in urban, rural and regional planning in Costa Rica, I decided to move on, to enlarge my theoretical and critical knowledge, aiming to bridge the ever lasting gap between theory and practice. Hence, I settled in Berlin and joined the Urban Management Master Course, in which I not only found great opportunities to widen my theoretical background, but also it provided me with excellent practical experiences. Furthermore, I made very good friends and learnt a great deal about best practices, challenges and successful experiences in other geographical and cultural contexts through the input of my classmates.

Currently I am working at INPOLIS a firm based in Berlin that offers urban professional services. Mainly dealing with international projects, this work experience has allowed me to apply my acquired knowledge in new fields, such as City Marketing and Place Branding, at both a theoretical and practical level. I have also been involved in smaller local projects in the frame of city management and cultural tourism, where I could make use of urban management principles and ideas obtained during my studies.

I am looking forward to continue with my Ph.D. research in the field of participation and the opportunities to foster ‘bottom–up’ schemes in territorial planning, by understanding and decoding the functional logics of locally based organization, put together by the people themselves, in the frame of social contestations and struggles.

July 2010