Student Profile: Hannah Schifko

Building this website has been a grassroots effort. To the collect photos we put out a brief to students in each specialisation. Here, we share a small profile of the photojournalists whose pitches were successful.

Name: Hannah Schifko

Specialisation: University of Hamburg | 'Journalism across cultures'

Nationality: Austrian

Hannah on assignment:

I interpreted the brief as a call for more informal, original as well as personal representations of the Erasmus Mundus Journalism Master and the Hamburg specialisation reality. 

On the one hand, the pictures try to display the unique experience and spirit of studying at Hamburg university – its campus is a very good example of the many ways in which students from several disciplines appropriate to a public learning environment. The campus of the Hamburg university is not only a place for going to lectures, reading books or working on computers: It is a hang-out for both students and professors, a meeting spot and a place for expression, debate and social encounters. My favorite meeting spots are: The cozy cafés on and around the campus such as “Hanse Beans” or “Pony Bar”, the “Abaton Cinema”, the Social Science library and the various bookstores in Grindelallee. The curriculum of this master programme has helped me in opening my horizon and especially the inspiring debates with fellow colleagues from all over the world and staff members are extraordinarily fruitful and rewarding. 

The campus of the Hamburg university is not only a place for going to lectures, reading books or working on computers: It is a hang-out for both students and professors, a meeting spot and a place for expression, debate and social encounters.

On the other hand, the pictures want to showcase how people from all parts of the world discover a new urban and cosmopolitan environment that has always been influenced by new and young citizens coming to the city. Hamburg is often referred to as “City of Arrival” highlighting the long history of the Hansestadt being not only an open harbour, but a melting pot for many cultures and all walks of life. Talking to my fellow students, I noticed how many of them find it easy to feel at home in no time and are interested in discovering the many aspects of their new study environment. For that reason, we indulged in a ferry trip to Hamburg's district of Altona where one can enjoy a great view of the harbor or can take a walk around the vibrant neighborhood of Ottensen. 

Hannah on Mundus Journalism & her career direction:

Erasmus Mundus has provided me with a global network, an open horizon and a profound knowledge of global affairs, media and cultural studies. Moreover, I am experienced in and appreciate working with international teams. After the master, I can imagine staying abroad to work in the field of media/public relations or communications. Also, I would be interested in working for an organization with an international orientation. 

Hannah has been working as a freelance journalist for print and online publications over the past five years and also has experience in PR-, content-, and social media management. She earned her Bachelor's Degree “Journalism and Media Management” at University of Applied Science Vienna.

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