Internship Testimonials 2014
Interns Awards Ceremony July 2014Watch the intern's awards ceremony hosted by the Hon. Dirk Niebel
(Berlin; July 31st, 2014) |
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Interns Awards Ceremony June 2014Watch the intern's awards ceremony hosted by President Emil Constantinescu (President of the Academy for Cultural Diplomacy)(Berlin; June 6th, 2014) |
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Alessandro Alberto BarraInternship Dates: April 2014 - July 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in April 2014. From the first day I felt a very nice teamwork spirit. My team manager as everybody else was very friendly and helped me find my own place at the Institute. I personally think that this experience can be very useful because it can give me the opportunity to learn more about cultural diplomacy. I usually write articles for the Berlin Global in the field of international relations, politics and culture and I am having the opportunity to interact with highly important politicians and academics during the panel discussions that we usually organize at the Institute. At the moment I am also working on the International Law Program of the Institute, putting into practice what I learned during my university studies in law. I am looking forward for the next months at the ICD. |
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Alessandro BonzioInternship Dates: April - June, 2014My three-month internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy was for me an extremely precious experience. It gave me the chance to learn more about the growing field of cultural diplomacy both by attending conferences and through my everyday work. The highlight of my internship was the International Symposium on Cultural Diplomacy in Europe which took place in Brussels and whose organisation I was actively involved in. However, the most valuable aspect of my internship was the opportunity to work together with interesting people from all over the world, sharing with them my time at the office as well as my stay in Berlin. I have learned a lot during the past three months from a professional but also from a human perspective and that’s why I would highly recommend an internship at the ICD to all those students willing to have a vibrant and multi-cultural working experience. |
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Alžbeta JesenskáInternship Dates: March 2014 - May 2014I was doing my internship at the ICD for three months. It was not my first work experience, but I think it was the first time I got incorporated so deeply into the organization. I met a lot of great young people from so many different countries, so it was a real cultural interchange. Also, I have never been to Berlin, neither Germany before, so I had opportunity to explore the city and many new places. During my internship I learned new things, participated on conferences, worked in different teams and on various challenging tasks. I was amazed, how potential we, youngsters, are and what all we can achieve. Even it was no always easy and simple, my internship was definitely a rewarding experience. |
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Amélie AncelleInternship Dates: April - June, 2014My internship at the ICD was in many ways a good opportunity for me. As it was my first internship I was a bit stressed, but as soon as I arrived I was warmly welcomed and immediately felt the friendly atmosphere of the workplace. Despite some challenges faced from time to time in the various tasks we were assigned, the cheerfulness and friendliness of each team manager and each intern was a very positive element. Going through various teams gave me the chance to increase my knowledge in several areas, including the African continent, the Latin-America area and the situation of the Youth in the European Union. I could also improve my writing skills and my ability to communicate in English. On top of that, as I studied Intercultural Relations at the university, being an intern at the ICD gave me the opportunity to experience that inter-culturally, through the team work with people from all over the world as well as through the very concept of Cultural Diplomacy. Thus, my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy gave me a social, professional and cultural experience which, I think, will be beneficial for me in the future. |
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Ana Valverde MorenoInternship Dates: January 2014 - June 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in January 2014. From the first day I learned a lot about the meaning of Cultural Diplomacy. I found a really great and intercultural group of people, with who I have improved my work skills. My team manager lent a hand in everything that I needed during my internship and taught me how to work like a team and help each other. The best thing in the institute are the conferences which they have every month, where you can meet politicians, academics people, artist, actors, producers… from different countries of the world, and where I always learn something new. I never going to forget my time here, and also I will recommend this internship program to people who want live a multicultural experience in a good atmosphere. |
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Anna Maria StoklosaInternship Dates: October 2013 - March 2014It is difficult to resume my 6 months at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. It has been very challenging but at the same time, very exciting! The atmosphere there is really good because I was working in a very cultural environment, where I have learned a lot specially how to manage cultural events and conferences and also I had the opportunity to receive some lectures about Cultural Diplomacy! After all these months I have realized how many professionals I have met, how many things I have learned about international relations and politics and not less important, how to speak in public thanks to several panel discussions. I even had the opportunity to conduct some interviews. Working with many interns at the same time, who are coming from different places and backgrounds makes you feel so comfortable at work. One of my fears was to feel alone in a new city, in a new country and far from home, but being at the ICD you never feel alone and the time goes so fast. Thank you to the institute for cultural diplomacy for letting me to stay there 6 months, for creating such a good memories of my internship experience like a team leader and specially for the experience that I have acquired. |
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Antoniya MarkovaInternship Dates: November 2013 - February 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in November 2013. From the first day I felt the amazing teamwork spirit. My team manager as everybody else was very friendly and helped me find my own place at the Institute. Throughout my 5 month stay I dare to say, there was not a boring day at the ICD, every day was filled with excitement and something new to learn. From organizing international conferences and meeting highly important politicians and academics to writing multiple articles in the field of international relations, politics and culture. During my internship I have learned a lot about cultural diplomacy and its varies tools to promote peaceful interaction between nations. I cherish every moment I spent at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy and I am thankful to everybody I met for the unforgettable experience. |
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Camilla BoldracchiInternship Dates: February 2014 - July 2014Having recently graduated with a Bachelor´s degree in International Relations and French, I had little or no practical experience on the mechanisms behind Institutions such as the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. Upon acceptance, I embarked on a new journey of professional and personal discovery, unfolding a new path before me. After three intense months of research, event organization, marketing, and travelling- yes, I was able to travel to Helsinki for the ICD´s Conference on International Law and Women´s Rights- I was given the possibility to extend my cooperation with the ICD for an extra three months. A total of six months in which I was pushed and supported to challenge myself and learn from highly motivated individuals. The ICD, situated in the heart of Berlin´s finest location, provides the basis for young women and men like me to explore differing trails, firstly in the field of Cultural Diplomacy and Intercultural Relations, and secondly in area of current political and economic relevance. In my six months at the ICD, I discovered a new self-professional awareness that gave me the boost and the practical approach to face upcoming work related and academic challenges. |
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Cecilia PolizziInternship Dates: February 2014 - April 2014The experience at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy gave to me the opportunity to be more aware about the mechanism of international cooperation and dynamics beyond the political and diplomatic bodies of Berlin and Europe. The interaction into these environment signify an important way of growth, personal and professional. Moreover, a fact i want to highlight is that the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is giving to young people from different backgrounds the opportunity to work together in the name of common principles and values through which they can develop important projects directed to the creation of a world based on equality. |
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Christa GeorgievaInternship Dates: November 2013 - February 2014My internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy was like drawing a painting: starting with a vague idea of what Cultural Diplomacy might be, developing my own concept of it and turning it into passion with my everyday work. From the very first day I was given the freedom to draw in my own style and to believe that we all can make a difference and write together the history of Cultural Diplomacy. Having the opportunity to take various responsibilities and to grow not only professionally, but also personally was one of my main drivers to be part of this tremendous journey. Learning how to cooperate with different cultures and how to practice diplomacy on a daily basis tough me to be more patient and flexible, to react on the spot and always to be ready for changes - exactly like the present time we live in. Meeting high level politicians and discussing the diverse facettes of Cultural Diplomacy broadened my horizons and helped me realize that nothing is impossible. |
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Doina GarabaInternship Dates: February 2014 - May 2014Being an intern at the ICD means a lot for my personal and professional development and will always be a memorable experience. Working here I met extraordinary people from all over the world, I got the chance to work on projects that I am very passionate about and to learn a lot from my fellow-interns and my team manager. The moments that will stay with me forever are the conferences, the panel discussions and the lectures, where I had the chance to meet ministers, ambassadors, MPs or famous artists. The project that is closest to my heart is the OYED - it gives me the opportunity to work for youth and women empowerment and to feel that I am contributing to the building of a better future for the young people of Europe. |
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Erica Di TanoInternship Dates: March 2014 - June 2014I started my internship in March 2014. My first week coincided with the "Berlin International Economic Congress" organized by the ICD, so I had the opportunity to discover the work of ICD from the very beginning. Thanks to ICD I attended interesting lectures and conferences of relevant people from all over the world. Moreover, working in such an international environment gives you the opportunity to appreciate cultural differences, and therefore, to build long-lasting relationships. It is a great chance to learn to work in an office and in teams, especially as first internship, since there are always people ready to help you and give you suggestions. You feel integrated since the beginning and after few weeks you are given responsibilities, which of course help you growing professionally. |
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Eveline KeustersInternship Dates: April - June , 2014First, I would like to thank the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy for having me as an intern. Thanks to your organisation I learnt a lot about Cultural Diplomacy, a very interesting topic. Secondly, it has been a great experience on both a personal and professional level. On a personal level, I learnt that being flexible is a vital competency in the current business world. Furthermore, the ICD provides the best environment to learn how to deal with cultural differences, because you work in mixed teams all the time. In my point of view, the main reason to apply for an internship at the ICD. In addition, it is important to have a positive attitude. It makes work nicer, definitely when it is a little bit repetitive. On a professional level, I improved my research skills, because I had the opportunity to write an academic article and I searched for a lot of contact details. Besides I had the possibility to develop my writing skills further by being part of the Berlin Global team who is responsible for the ICD’s online news outlet. Additionally, I had the chance to put my acquired knowledge into practice. Finally, I also learnt some new things during my internship. Thanks to the conferences that I attended, I know how to deal with high-profile people. Next to this, I learnt how to organise events. So everything you do at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy will definitely benefit you in your future career. |
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Georgia RobertsonInternship Dates: November 2013 - July 2014I began my internship at the ICD in November 2013. I was the only person to start on the day that I did, so of course I was nervous and not knowing what to expect. But as soon as I walked into the lunch area I immediately felt at home and completely welcome. I’ve learnt so many new skills and met so many interesting people including other interns and useful contacts at conferences and other events. Being the youngest person that works here has really benefitted me, I’ve matured a lot and become a stronger and more assertive person during my stay as I have worked with people who are a lot older than me who have taught me a lot. The ICD provides opportunities to create your own initiatives and events which allow you to practice cultural diplomacy effectively whilst teaching you how to organize yourself and other people to create a fantastic event. I wouldn’t change a single thing about my time here. |
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Juan José Fernández RomeroInternship Dates: February 2014 - May 2014During my three months internship in the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy I had the chance to learn many things seeing myself involved in a motivating work. I acquired new knowledge like video editing at a professional level, and I improved some already having skills like article writing, research, or administrative tasks. I also had the chance to meet great people, which is one of the things I enjoyed the most, and also important politicians from all around the world. |
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Kseniia NaberezhnevaInternship Dates: February 2014 - April 2014The time that I spent at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in Berlin was full with beautiful moments and challenges. I have met great people, made a lot of friends and experienced working in an international organization that brings together all cultures of the world in order to foster the dialogue amongst them and the better understanding. During my time at the ICD I have had the opportunity of participating at many interesting debates and to constantly interact with people from different countries therefore to develop my skills of working in a team and to communicate effectively. |
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Lauren BlackmoreInternship Dates: March 2014 - May 2014One of the most positive things about working in the ICD was having the opportunity to be in a diverse, multicultural, and multilingual environment with other likeminded young people who want to support the cause of cultural diplomacy. During my internship I was able to gain a clearer understanding of cultural diplomacy both in theory and in practice, make professional contacts in a multicultural, international environment, and gain practical experience in the marketing, advertising and organization of international conferences and events. During my time at the ICD I participated in many conferences and event, and had to opportunity to listen to, interview and meet interesting speakers from politics, economics, academia and media, and to make professional contacts. |
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Lavinia SardelliInternship Dates: March 2014 - May 2014My three months internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy was my first international experience abroad. It allowed me to look out for those which are the dynamics of international cooperation and dialogue. It made me aware of fields such as human rights, peace building, international dialogues, international law and economics. The interaction into these issues signifies an important way of growth, personal and professional. I worked in a very young and international environment, where I have learned a lot specially how to manage cultural events and conferences. Through conferences organized by the Institute, I had the opportunity to meet and listen to prominent world personalities of political and cultural field. It was an opportunity to work together with young people like me in the name of the same principles and values in a dynamic and challenging environment. Thanks to this experience I had the chance to prove myself and to grow personally and professionally. |
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Leon WeltersInternship Dates: October 2013 - April 2014I started my internship at the ICD a few months after graduating for my bachelor in the Netherlands. I came to the ICD with limited experience and knowledge about international relations and diplomacy. However, in my 7 months at the ICD I have had privilege to work with and alongside of a very interesting and intelligent group of people. Thanks to the responsibilities I received and the boost in confidence that came with it, my stay at the ICD has been a great experience in both my professional and personal development. I cherish warm thoughts for the conferences and events I was able to attend and interesting people I have met. I therefore want to thank the management and my colleagues of the ICD for making my time here a great and very fruitful experience. |
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Magdalena MiernikInternship Dates: April - June, 2014I have been working for Institute for Cultural Diplomacy since April 2014. During my work for ICD I had various interesting tasks to do of including writing articles for Berlin Global platform about international relations (especially between Poland and Germany) and politics, organize conferences and promote ICD on the external events. I had opportunity to meet the best academics and experts in the field of cultural diplomacy and take part in various interesting panel discussions that are regular organized by Institute. Institute for Cultural Diplomacy is a special place because of the people who work there. People are coming to ICD from different places across the world and share their culture, knowledge and experience with the others. I was happy to have an opportunity to work with such a great, ambitious and smart young people. Work for ICD was unique and inspiring experience for me. |
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Maria SyvänenInternship Dates: April 2014 - May 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in April 2014. During the internship I was able to work in a multi-cultural environment with like-minded people. The various events organized by the ICD widened my knowledge about cultural diplomacy and its various procedures. The internship experience at the ICD helped building a better basis for pursuing my future career goals. |
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Mathilde GarretInternship Dates: February 2014 - May 2014The internship I carried out at the ICD has allowed me to discover many new things, and to learn a lot. I have had the chance to work with great people, and great team managers, who have made my time at the ICD a very interesting experience. As I worked for the Africa Team, I acquired a deeper knowledge about the dynamics in action on this continent. Within the Berlin Global Team, I got an insight into the challenges and the opportunities that are encountered when building a new project, creating and implementing the framework in which it is put into place. On a more personal level, I developed skills such as being able to work in a very diversified group, learning to compromise, and learning to be flexible and positively react to quick changes, which are skills that will definitely be useful in my future. As every experience, my internship was full of challenges and of opportunities, not always easy, but that’s what made it such a unique experience. |
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Michela FiniInternship Dates: March 2014 - July 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in March 2014. My experience at the ICD has been extremely positive from day one. I have had the luck to arrive during The Berlin International Economics Congress and I could enjoy from the very start the chance to interact with important political leaders and representatives of the international political and cultural scene. Only a few weeks after my arrival, I also had the opportunity to attend the Conference in Rome, "The Promotion of World Peace through Inter-Faith Dialogue & the Unity of Faiths", during which I could also enjoy fully the multicultural environment that has always been linked to the work of the ICD. In addition to this, during my stay I was given the opportunity to collaborate with the Institute using the skills I have acquired during my studies, and at the moment I am working on the International Law Program of the Institute. The working environment is friendly and inspiring, and I am extremely grateful to the ICD for giving me the opportunity to get to know better the exciting world of cultural diplomacy. I am looking forward to the next months here at the ICD. |
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Nathan EilanderInternship Dat I started my internship in March 2014. My first week coincided with the img src= width=es: February 2014 - April 2014Something that I learnt during my internship includes general knowledge on Africa from when I was on the Africa team. Furthermore, I learnt about the different There were occasional communal lunches, which are good for the team’s atmosphere. Furthermore, there are German classes. This is a very considerate offer of the ICD, which helps the interns in their daily life. The last thing that I would keep the same is to hire interns from many different countries, though still decreasing the total number. The international atmosphere creates much cultural exchange. The greatest thing about the internship, however, were all the amazing colleagues. Tasks that I have done at my internship vary by day, but exist of a couple of possibilities. One of my tasks is to find contacts for the many conferences that the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy (ICD) organizes. This includes contact information of speakers as well as for possible participants. A task that goes together with this is to actually send the invitations, where the most difficult thing is to use the right title for all the different positions. Additionally, I sometimes had to write small biographies/job descriptions of the speakers. Furthermore, I have done research in the field of cultural diplomacy. I was in the ‘Africa team’ where we did research on and find speakers from the African continent. We also did research on corporate cultural diplomacy. For this we used the 100 biggest companies in Africa, based on the ten biggest companies from ten different sectors. I looked for information about the companies and what they do on cultural diplomacy, intentionally or unintentionally. Another task that I had is to assist in conferences in the form of organization and on times participation. These are mainly logistical tasks such as registration and preparation of the rooms. |
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Paola AbisInternship Dates: January 2014 - March 2014When asked about my experience with the ICD, it is hard to pinpoint the factors that have made my personal and professional growth so significant in the short spam of 6 months. Even so, I feel obliged to highlight a few of the most relevant opportunities that I was given and some of the most interesting aspects of working for the ICD. First of all, the opportunity of being a program coordinator and leading a team has allowed me to gain stronger leadership skills, and be able to deal with responsibilities in a professional way. The tasks I was given during my working experience varied from fundraising, marketing, organizing conferences, writing articles for the Berlin Global and conducting research. Despite the fact that the work can be challenging, stressful and repetitive at times, the satisfaction that comes from seeing the result of your efforts is undeniable. Secondly, I had the opportunity to participate in several conferences in Berlin, that covered topics from Art and Music to Economics and Politics. I also attended the Human Rights and Gender Equality conference organized by the ICD in Helsinki, Finland. In these occasions, I was given the opportunity to meet important and inspirational personalities, from politicians to artists and musicians. This has allowed me to be more knowledgeable on interesting and relevant topics to my field of studies, as well as gain strong confidence skills and be able to have political discussions in public. Finally, the working environment interns and managers are faced with is extremely international and vibrant. I had the privilege of working alongside amazing and very intelligent people coming from different countries, eager to share their culture and learn about my own. Every single one of my colleagues has made this experience unforgettable, in an exciting and dynamic city like Berlin. I want to thank the ICD, the management, and most importantly all of my colleagues for the hard work, good times and satisfactions of the past months. |
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Patricia NeamtuInternship Dates: March 2014 - August 2014Already half-way through my experience at the ICD, I can say that this internship is not only about the great international events or good atmosphere. What I find most valuable is the opportunity to live and share a totally new and constructive experience with so many people from different locations and cultures. Everyday life is lived and shared with each other much like a family shares the same home and lives. I think that there is no better practice of Cultural Diplomacy than this one: Different nationalities, cultures, languages, ages, apparels or views become, rather than usual barriers that distance individuals, characteristics that take us closer together and create a whole new culture: the ICD culture. |
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Ralitsa StoyanovaInternship Dates: April - July , 2014I did a three months internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy from April to June 2014. I had the opportunity to work on different projects with different teams, which allowed me to discover how the NGO functions and to develop my personal and professional skills. I wrote articles for Berlin Global, helped with raising awareness for the conferences, participated in the organization of the events and had many other demanding tasks every day. The things which I will remember most of all are the great people, with whom I was lucky to work side by side and the events, which are fun to organize and to attend. I would advise those considering doing an internship at the ICD to be flexible, creative, to keep an open mind and mainly to enjoy themselves! |
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Sara D'ApoteInternship Dates: February 2014 - April 2014The internship at the ICD was my first working experience in an international organization abroad. During this three months I had the opportunity to participate in some very interesting events organized by the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy such as The Berlin Language of Art & Music Conference 2014 and The Berlin International Economics Congress 2014, to get closer to the theories of Cultural Diplomacy and be part of mixture of cultures and languages. Working for the ICD I had the chance to meet many great people from all around the world with whom I built strong relationships and to work in a multicultural environment. |
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Simone MarschlerInternship Dates: February 2014 - July 2014The internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy offers great opportunities for me. Next to meeting important people from all over the world and from different fields of work (politics, diplomacy…) I got the chance to become team leader and to manage a project on my own. I am dealing with online ph3latform publishing news from Berlin. Although I did not study journalism, I enjoy my work a lot since I have to coordinate my team and all participating interns. This enables me to practice my management skills which I really appreciate. However, taking a lot out of this internship also requires putting a lot into it. Nearly all of the time I am busy with various tasks but also this helps to improve my skills in time management. Moreover I like the culturally diverse team at the ICD which itself is practicing cultural diplomacy par excellence. |
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Susanna VillaniInternship Dates: February 2014 - July 2014I have been working at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy since February /img/img/famfamfam/flags/au.pngSara D/famfamfam/flags/au./strongcenterpngbr /Sara D2014 when I was warmly welcomed by a very good team manager. I am supporting the development and implementation of the projects of the Institute, in particular by working at the International Law Program and organizing International Conferences as well as events promoting the empowerment of young people under the OYED. Besides, I am writing academic articles on issues relating to human rights as well as articles for the “Berlin Global” project in order to raise awareness of the relevance of culture as instrument to foster a genuine dialogue among nations. On these occasions, I often have the opportunity to meet highly important politicians and academics in the field of international relations, politics and culture. My internship is enriching my knowledge on the practice of cultural diplomacy around the world and I am growing from a personal and professional point of view. |
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Tamás CsiszárInternship Dates: January 2014 - June 2014I started my internship at the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy in January 2014. During my internship I had various interesting tasks to care of including writing articles, conducting research, organize conferences and to execute campaign. The atmosphere at the ICD is also a special experience. The interns are coming across the world sharing their culture and interest with the others. People come with different background and interest and they can find the team here which most suit to them whether it is economic, political, media or journalism. For me to working at the ICD was definitely a unique experience. |
