"Through the IFEM study programme I found many friends who, just like me, receive the surrounding nature as an integral part of their lives and furthermore understand the importance of the global environment for humankind.

Through IFEM I also found a way of entering a field of practice where I can dedicate myself to the worldwide issue of overcoming global poverty. In the future I would like to work in the field of protected area management, focusing on the protection and the sustainable use of resources in order to partially contribute to solving these global issues."

„After graduating Highschool and doing my civil service in a german national park, I started studying IFEM at the University of Sustainable Development Eberswalde during which i gained a lot of theoretical background knowledge. During my internship in the 5th Semester with the german development agancy (GTZ) in Mauretania, I was able to get an insight view into the work of protected area management. For elevating data for my Bachelor Thesis, I was offered the possibility to go to Belize in order to gain practical experience in the field of sustainable forest management.

After my studies I was able to do an internship at the BIODIV-Project-office of the GTZ in Eschborn, bringin me one step closer to professional life.

By doing so, I was given the opportunity to return to the same national park in Mauretania in which I worked on during my studies.

This practical year of work was very helpful for my personal orientation concerning further studies. In autmn 2005 I started studying „Regional Development Planning“ in the SPRING-Programme of the University of Dortmund and by doing so am preparing myself for my future worklife in the field of "Environment & Development" and "Protection & sustainable use of resources"."