Being German. Being critical.For many of us, the two are closely linked.Even if we don’t say it that way. At school, we are taught to challenge texts,in university, to question theories,at work, to spot weaknesses,in…

Recently, I wrote about how our systems are often less open than we like to believe, especially when it comes to recruitment. Today, I want to show what that means in practice. Especially for international…

In my last post I asked what to expect from me. Today I want to ask instead: what should we expect from the label “Made in Germany”? Is it a promise, or is it an…

Growing up in a small German village, I hardly ever met anyone who had moved to Germany. “Integration” simply meant assimilation: people should adapt to our customs, language and ways of life. It wasn’t until…

I’m not an expat.I don’t have a migration background.And I’ve never had to prove that I belong in Germany. But I do know what it means to be part of a system. One that often…

I see it time and again:International professionals bring everything you’d expect, education, experience, motivation, and still face rejection. Often even automatically.No conversation. No real chance. And I keep asking myself:How does this match the loud…

In my previous post, I reflected on what structural openness really looks like and where support and flexibility could make a real difference. Today, I want to look at the other side.At the people who…