The DAAD RISE Program

Greetings from Germany! This week marks the end of my eighth week working in Jena, Germany. A few months ago, I was lucky enough to be admitted into the DAAD RISE program, which pairs up undergraduate students from the US, Canada, and UK with German doctoral students to work on a research project over a duration of 8–12 weeks in the summer. Right now, I am working at Friedrich Schiller University’s Otto Schott Institute of Materials Research,  studying the mechanical properties of carbon fiber reinforced composites. My work includes preparing different test samples, carrying out finite element (FEM) simulations, programming, etc. This is my first time working on a research project, and I am enjoying every bit of it because I get to learn something new every day.

Aside from working, I also spend a decent amount of time traveling in Germany and in Europe. Over the past few weekends, I traveled to Berlin, Munich, Dresden, as well as Prague and Zurich. I had a lot of fun meeting new friends at hostels and on trains, wandering and getting lost in cities, and simply experiencing new cultures. This past weekend, I took a trip to Heidelberg for the DAAD RISE Scholars Meeting (which was all paid for by DAAD!). At the meeting, I was able to talk with fellow interns, attend research presentation sessions, and of course, tour the city.

To move to a completely new country, not knowing anyone or the language, might seem intimidating at first, but it surely did push me out of my comfort zone and made me grow as a person. I am so grateful for this opportunity to participate in the RISE program, and I can’t wait to take on more adventures in my remaining weeks here!