Beyond the Pond Issue 1 - May 2007 (large) by Tino Kreutzer

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Table of Contents 04 At Home in the World Planet Jacobs 06 Roll Call 08 90 Seconds Jacobs 09 Special Dossier IUB in Transition 09 From News to Uproar 10 Behind the Scenes 12 The Treusch Effect Kaleidoscope 14 Briefing 16 Global Warming: Can We Still Cool it Down? 18 Live from the Labs Moving On 20 The Advice Page: Networking 22 Industry Portrait: Environmentalism 24 Just Do it! Entrepreneurship at Jacobs

Life & Style 26 Survival Gear 28 Moving Masterpieces 30 Alumni Cities: Quito

Issue I May 2007 8

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Editorial

What does being an alumni mean to you? We believe there should be more to it than receiving weekly forum digests, occasional elections calls, and an annual invitation for Homecoming. Over the past six years, we have grown into a unique kind of family. Some met the love of their life, while others found the kind of amazing international friends they wish to encounter again. We all got to know many good souls from all over the scientific and professional universe – and many of us have come to appreciate this great resource. But it’s not only about us. Our alma mater is changing constantly. Already today, it is not the same place we left behind when we threw our caps into the air. Even with new leadership, a new name, and new money, Jacobs University still depends on our input to reach its ambitious goals. The first generations, who started living and studying on a chaotic construction site, know especially that things get better over time as long as one’s willing to act. We owe it to ourselves as well as to future generations to never become quiet. And we haven’t really kept quiet so far: millions of instant messages, tons of emails and uncountable hours spent on the phone prove that most of us can’t live without our dear friends from college. While we have all moved on beyond the pond, we still need each other as much as ever. This new magazine is a tribute to our bonds and ties, to the great friends and companions we have become. Our idea is to deliver an attractive compilation of information and entertainment for internationally educated, globally oriented, and multiculturally tolerant young adults - “from alumni for alumni”. It will not only be the new flagship of our Alumni Association, but also become a truly global magazine providing a unique circle with exciting and relevant stories. The road to this first edition brought together alumni from three generations as well as soon-tobe-graduates. Contributors from more than 20 countries, collaboration across several time zones, and the support of our Alumni Office have paid off: we are proud to feature articles covering issues as varied as the Jacobs donation, alumni involvement in scientific breakthroughs, entrepreneurship as a career option and lifestyle tips next to Pakistani truck art. We aim at publishing this magazine several times per year and try to make sure that it reaches all Alumni Association members, wherever they may be. But we need your help. We are looking for serious writers, designers, editors, and administrative support to keep this magazine running and growing. And, above all, your feedback will ensure that future issues will combine professional journalism with exciting features to look forward to. We hope you enjoy this first edition! Hagen Böttcher (‘06), Tino Kreutzer (‘06), Manuel Adolphsen (‘06)

Imprint ‘Beyond the Pond’ is a publication by the Alumni Office at Jacobs University Bremen gGmbH, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany. BACK OFFICE Managing Director Hagen Böttcher (‘06), Bremen Production Assistants Emanuela Kozhoshkova (‘08) Megan Wilmot (Grad) (‘08) Sabibar Rahman (‘07) TEXT Content Director Tino Kreutzer (‘06), Quito Editor-in-Chief Ana Pascual (‘05), Manila Contributing Authors Joanna Bagniewska (‘06), Oxford Kristina Bautista (‘07), Bremen Hagen Böttcher (‘06), Bremen Maximilian Held (‘07), Bremen Sarina Hinte, OCSEP, Bremen Leon Keefer (‘07), Bremen Andreas Kolling (’04/’06), Davis Tino Kreutzer (‘06), Quito Justine MacWilliam (‘05), New York Amruta Mehta (‘05), Bombay Sophia Ojha (Grad) (‘07), Bremen Ana Pascual (‘05), Manila Sian Raghoo (‘05), San Fernando Gianna Schellenberg (‘05), Berlin ART Art Director Manuel Adolphsen (‘06), London Art Department Manager Julia Gyorffy (‘05), Stuttgart Photo and Illustration Credits Except where otherwise noted, content in this magazine is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial - No Derivative Works 3.0 License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 543 Howard Street, 5th Floor, San Francisco, California, 94105, USA. 1/32: © Tino Kreutzer (‘06); 2: Jacobs University (2), Flickr.com (suburbanbloke, nerovivo), © private; 4: © private; 8: Flickr. com (mezzoblue); 10/12: © Jacobs University (2); 16: Flickr.com (eye2eye); 19: © private; 20/21: Flickr.com (Bryan Veloso [2], nerovivo), © private; 23: © private; 24: Flickr.com (ztephen); 26/27: © private; 29: © private; 30/31: Flickr.com (El Freddy, Jungle Boy, Mircea Tudorache, Steve Makin).

Silly dancers – we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. The filming of the four-minute clip lasted eight hours and the ballroom was freezing cold! Dancing the Viennese Waltz on a tiny dance floor while dodging between camera cables proved to be quite an undertaking – especially since the song was not even remotely close to a waltz. Nevertheless, despite the hassle, it was fun to be eternalized in a music video. If you want to check the video out, the band is called Help, She Can’t Swim, and the song – Hospital Drama – can be found on YouTube. Aside from dancing I am now doing an M.Sc. in Zoology at Oxford, and heading off to South Africa in the summer to lead a project on cape foxes and black-backed jackals.” Joanna Bagniewska (‘06)

At Home in the World

Alumni and their Stories

“I am currently part of the Oxford University Dance Sport Team. A former team captain, who currently makes music videos for a living, decided to exploit us for one of his productions. And since he needed someone to «take the lead singer’s soul», I got to play the charming role of a zombie queen.

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Roll Call

Where is everybody? A snapshot of some recent d Planet Jacobs

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Hagen Böttcher, fresh from batch 2006 is engaged to his long time girlfriend Patricia Mikulla. You will all probably recognize him as our current Alumni Officer and Managing Director of this publication. Alex and Alex: the Romanians Vulpe (2006) and Chitea (2005) are currently engaged to be married. Alexandra is working at BBDO Consulting in Düsseldorf while Alex is getting his MSc in Computer Science at Saarland University. And actually tying the knot are Aryani Sumoondur and Urs Rauwald of batch 2004. They both now live in the UK while completing their PhDs. Aryani studies Earth Sciences at the University of Leeds, and Urs Rauwald is at the University of Cambridge studying Chemistry. The IUB Family grows bigger…Don’t forget to congratulate Attiya Noon (2005) on having the first IUB Alumni Baby! She gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last January in London.

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Alumni Lucky in Love

Hard at work and finally turning a profit (hopefully)

After traveling the least amount to complete his GeoAstro degree at IUB, Grohner Peter Dabrowski (2004) is now traveling the world as a Reservoir Engineer for Wintershall, BASF Group. After being assigned to Barnstorf, Buenos Aires, and Tripoli, he is currently in cold Moscow. After Gero Elerd (2005) received his Master’s from the London School of Economics in what is probably the longest degree listed on

Facebook (MPA, Public and Economic Policy, Public Policy and Administration, Public Management), he is now working at the OECD as self-proclaimed “Budgeting Guru.” Chin Yu Lung (2005) is back on familiar territory, completing an MSc in Telecommunications at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and currently a Business Analyst at Cascade Limited in Hong Kong. He was recently at the ITU in Geneva for an internship he won through an essay competition. Many of us use Skype to make internet calls and keep in touch with IUB friends. To Lithuanian Audrius Masalskis (2006) it’s more than just a piece of software, it’s his job. Based in Tallinn, Estonia, Audrius is a Web tester for the popular program.

Professional Students

A number of our alumni continue to burn the midnight oil and study at the most prestigious schools… Ballroom dancer Joanna Bagniewska (2006) studies Zoology at Oxford University. Mihai Bailesteanu (2006) is hard at work completing his PhD in Mathematics at Cornell. Another PhD aspirant in the USA is Axel Domeyer (2006), who is living it up in the Big Apple taking up Political Science at Columbia. Kalina Draganova (2005) is still in Europe at the Max Planck Research School and University Hospital Zurich studying Biochemistry and Cell Biology.

David Schröter (2006) is doing his MPhil in Biochemistry at the University of Cambridge. Sanda Lefteriu (2006) will see some familiar faces at our partner university, Rice, while she furthers her studies in Electrical and Computer Engineering. With probably the most unique Master’s among us, Caner Uguz (2004) is at Leiden University delving deeper into his own culture through Turkish, Arabic, and Persian Studies. And you thought he would stay there forever! Bremer Andreas Kolling finally left home and joined Marisano James (2004), Matthias Goerner (2005), and Tugba Colak (2006) of the Jacobs Frisco community. Andreas is at UC Merced completing a PhD in Cooperative Multi-Robot Systems. He also gets the prize for most exotic proposal location, popping the question to Gosia Skorek (2006) on the highest peak of the Dolomites.

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Home Sweet Home

Many of us chose to go back to our hometowns and enjoy a more familiar environment… Trimita Chakma (2005) is back in Bangladesh working with the United Nations Development Programme. Ian Marshall (2005) is “down under” again working as a scientist in Perth, Australia. He’s putting to good use his degree in Biochemical Engineering from Stanford University. Want to be listed here? Drop the Alumni Office a line whenever your life sees a change!

developments among our 450 alumni.

Compiled by Ana Pascual (‘05).

Remember receiving 300 spams per day? Feel out of touch since? Here is a short wrap-up of what’s happened in the past two semesters.

What will they think of next?

New Alumni Association Leadership

The party scene has been very typical thus far. «Club Beatz» at the bar, the Valentine’s Day party, and several birthday celebrations in our various lounges have been thrown in their usual style, however, one party stands way out from the rest and has ensured a spot in the annuls of student ingenuity: the Pool Party. Using four standard room issued desks, a large plastic tarp, numerous hoses taken from multiple showers, and about two to three thousand liters of water, a crafty 2nd year and numerous friends constructed the hot tub in the bathroom of a three room apartment in Mercator. And as with all good parties, the mood went from hot to steamy – not only did the party have a hot tub, but masseurs and lots of alcohol as well.

Andres Alvarado (‘05) won the election for president of the Alumni Association. Andres, a former EECS major, received 70% of the votes, while contender Laura Jöns (‘06) received 26%. Running unopposed, University College London student Melanie Wilneder (‘06) was elected as new Secretary with 72% of approval. Pioneer president Raluca Puie (‘04) stated during last year’s assembly that she would not be available for re-election because she will attend INSEAD, France to obtain an MBA degree. Other important changes included the acceptance of a new Charter that reflected the Alumni Association’s partly ownership of Jacobs University.

s d n o c e S 0 9 n i s Jacob Compiled by Leon Keefer (‘07).

Of Monologues and Musicals

College Master Shufﬂe The biggest news comes from the college masters. In CIII, Ryan Richards has been given a promotion to Full Professor. Sarah and Sydney Jane are very proud. Mercatorians and many others said “see ya later” to Klaus, Mandy, and Phillip Boehnke and “hello” to their new CMs, Vikram and Niky Unithan. For more details, please visit http://www.mercator-college.org/.

In the world of theater, the Vagina Monologues were staged once more, this time led by the ever enthusiastic Maeve Trudeau. With an almost entirely new cast, it was a fascinating show. The musical this year will be rather small in comparison to previous years, but only in terms of the cast. “The Last 5 Years”, a musical by Robert Brown starring Adina Mois and Leon Keefer, with Esther Singer on piano, is set for Spring.

Sports Update

The sports arena has been rather slow as of late. The Girls’ Soccer Team won their invitational tournament against the local SV Grohn. The Boys’ Soccer Team has yet to begin their season, though the Basketball Team has continued their successful existence in the local league. The Ultimate Frisbee Team will be participating in the 4th Annual Oltimatum tournament in Oldenburg as their growing ties to the surrounding teams strengthen; sadly, this will most likely be their last year for a while.

IUB in Transition

The alumni were shocked at the news last November that our University was receiving a donation of 200 million Euros. Though for some, the fact that we were no longer IUB alumni but 2007 Jacobs University Bremen alumni had greater impact, prompting Facebook groups like Things to buy with 200 Million Euros, I hate JUB! and the more accepting Hello, my name is _____, and I Special Dossier am a JUB. One can imagine that the atmosphere on campus was more intense, with professors and staff alike not sure how to react, some even fearing for their jobs. As for the students, Student Government President Kristina Bautista shares with us how they felt in the days after the announcement. And after all the tumult has died down, we now have some answers straight from one of the architects in an insightful interview with Dr. Christian Jacobs about the challenges the university still faces.

From News to Uproar October 31, 2006. Candlelight, music and old men in suits. That’s how the formal inauguration of President Joachim Treusch started out. The guest list read like a who’s who of Bremen; the Campus Center was filled with politicians, businessmen, academic luminaries and of course, the IUB Board of Governors. Midway through the main course the requisite speeches started. I didn’t really bother to translate all that German in my head, until I heard the words 75 million Euros. Apparently the man at the lectern, a certain Klaus Jacobs, had just pledged that amount to IUB over a course of 5 years. A great applause erupted throughout the hall and I just sat there clapping in wide-eyed surprise. And as if that weren’t enough, Mr. Jacobs rounded off his speech

with the announcement of a gift of 125 million Euros. Everyone practically jumped out of their seats and started clapping like crazy. There were hugs and handshakes and huge smiles all around. Then President Treusch, his face visibly glowing with joy, took his turn to speak. That’s when I first heard it. Jacobs University Bremen. There was another standing ovation but all that was going through my head was, “They’re changing the name?!” It just felt surreal. I headed back to my room with a curious dilemma: To spam or not to spam? I was sitting on what was probably the most explosive piece of news to ever hit the iub-students mailing list. I quickly drafted an e-mail and set off a time bomb with the subject “Introducing: Jacobs University Bremen.”

The response was overwhelming. Almost instantly there were countless replies, both to me personally and to the whole list, my phone was ringing off the hook, people were knocking on my door way past midnight and they were all demanding one thing - an explanation. Over a hundred spams appeared overnight, some were confused, others were downright furious, and then there were the ridiculous ones making fun of the whole situation. Of course, there were people who were quick to defend the renaming and tried to bring more light to the fact that we are about to receive 200 million Euros. The next afternoon, classes were cancelled for a general assembly with President Treusch, who officially announced what every student already knew by then. Students weren’t satisfied by the all-too-brief ten-minute Q&A session after that. Fortunately, the President obliged the Student Parliament with an emergency meeting the next day, where he agreed to another assembly with the students for the sole purpose of answering more questions. The students were anxious for more information and many were not happy with all the secrecy that came with the whole deal. But the hottest topic of all was the name change. Emotions ran high considering the omission of the word “International” from the name, which sparked a bigger spam war. A petition was started, hoping to get enough signatures to keep the “International”. I encountered a whole range of reactions. Some were highly enthusiastic, even taking a few signature sheets themselves, some people didn’t care or thought it wouldn’t make a difference anyway, and some were in strong support of the change, and requested to launch a counter-petition. It appeared that the students were split on the issue – half wanted to keep “International”, and the other half didn’t care or didn’t want it. At an assembly President Treusch gave some muchneeded answers and reassured us that the university would remain international, the name change notwithstanding. Of course, not every single student was appeased, but in barely a week the uproar had died down. To me, it finally seemed as if everyone had made his peace, one way or another. Kristina Bautista (‘07) is President of Jacobs University’s Undergraduate Student Government.

Interview

Beyond the Pond: Dr. Jacobs, when did you hear about IUB for the first time? Dr. Jacobs: I do remember this event very well. It was in 2001, me and a couple of friends developed ideas on how to contribute to the great project “IUB”, and we came up with basic ideas about a research focus on life long learning. We asked Dr. Staudinger to further define these ideas, and what was later presented to my father was the Jacobs Center for Life Long Learning and Institutional Development. Your foundation’s donation of €200 million is the largest private donation ever made to a German or European educational institution. What were the reasons for you to donate such a huge amount of money? Well, a change of personnel always brings certain new winds with it. When Prof. Treusch became the new President of our university, we sat together and had intense discussions about his ideas and visions about the development of the university. It didn’t take long for me to see that this man has not only a unique drive to bring this university to an internationally highly renowned institution, but has the strategic ability to develop a plan to reach this demanding goal. As a Member of the Board of Governors of IUB, I knew about the delicate financial situation we were in. And I also knew that we needed a substantial financial investment to bring us forward. And that is exactly what the university got.

Behind the Scenes Dr. Christian Jacobs, Chairman of the Jacobs Foundation, which now owns two thirds of the university, sheds some light on the 200 million EUR donation and explains the changes he expects to see in the future. By Hagen Böttcher (‘06).

2007

Special Dossier

Do you think this could change views on large-scale giving to higher education in Germany? The more examples, the better the chance for imitators. I sure hope that the feeling of contribution grows stronger in Germany, not only in private realms, but also on the government side. The individual in Germany is pretty heavily burdened with taxes when compared to countries where large-scale giving is more prominent. Nevertheless, it is very important that the idea of supporting education is not only left up to the governments but gains more prominent support among the private individuals, foundations and companies. Without the €200 million donation, IUB was facing bankruptcy in the next year. What kind of a role did that play among the incentives for the donation? The financial situation had no impact on the actual outcome of the decision. It affected the process after the decision was agreed upon. The foundation felt challenged by the visions of the new President. We did not have much time to waste. It was reported that the Jacobs Foundation would not buy the university, but invest in its future. Yet, the Jacobs Foundation now owns two thirds of the shares of the university. In which fields will you use your influence to improve the development of Jacobs University? Since I am a lawyer by profession, I know exactly what the difficulties in such a process are. Without total liberty for the university in terms of admission of new students, of structure of academic programs or in research, things can not function the way they should.

It is said that the idea of the name change came from President Treusch, not from your foundation. Were you instantly in favor? And if no, why not?

trusts the university’s leadership and believes in the plans of President Treusch. Beginning with this year, your foundation will transfer €15 million every January. This money was and will be needed to balance the university’s annual budget. In 2011 the rest of the donation (€125 million) will be turned over to the university, if it has developed as planned. What actually does “developed as planned” mean? What are the conditions?

I did not agree to it right on the spot. This was a decision that required careful evaluation. The Jacobs Foundation confirms its commitment to the development and support of this institution for the long-term future. Such a commitment by far extends a one-time financial investment, and this is in our favor.

The plan is to enable the university and its leadership to reach a balanced budget by that time. This will not happen on the spot, with the change of years from 2010 to 2011, but it is a gradual process developing during the next five years.

A few of the alumni even believed that once the “international” is out of the name of the university, it is also out of its programs and structure. Do you see these concerns as reasonable? Yes, I see these concerns as perfectly reasonable. Yet, the reasons behind the name change are quite convincing: “International” is not a unique title. We would always stay the “international” department of our sister institution the public University Bremen. Jacobs University helps us to establish an independent, unique commemorative effect and sets us apart from other international universities.

The shareholder structure of the university has changed dramatically. Especially from the alumni perspective, since the Alumni Association will own the remaining part of the shares of the university. Is that true? Most certainly. What are the reasons behind this change?

There are also quite some challenges and risks attached. What happens if in 10 years from now, if the University runs out of money again? This will not happen. Prof. Treusch has presented his plans for the development of the university in the next five years to our foundation. These plans include the academic focusing on key research areas, the restructuring of the university’s finances and a further emphasis on networking with other universities and companies. The Jacobs Foundation entirely

“Who else can evaluate and recommend activities for a university better than its former students?”

The alumni are supposed to take part in the decision making process of the university. Involving the former students of our university in shaping its future is not only a great chance for the alumni, it is also a very measure of good quality management for the university. Together, the Jacobs Foundation, the Jacobs University and the Alumni Association will cooperate to support and improve our university. Who else can evaluate and recommend activities for a university better than its former students?

Interview Beyond the Pond: Previously, you mentioned you would be curious to learn how life «smells» at Jacobs. After half a year, what do you think? Prof. Treusch: Life at Jacobs smells very industrious and dynamic. When I left the research center in Jülich for Jacobs, people thought I would slow down a little bit – and actually the opposite is true. I find working and living here at Jacobs more challenging, there is so much more to do, more personal contacts, something I very much enjoy. I am positively surprised by the very warm reception in Bremen, and specifically the positive response from the local community concerning the transition process to Jacobs University. Many students were positively surprised by how present you were on campus and at various activities. What is your impression of Jacobs’ students? I came to Jacobs in the first place because I wanted to work with students again. My impression is that Jacobs students are very active and dynamic, very attentive but sometimes very undisciplined. I am aware that Jacobs students are very young – but I would like a little less expectations, a little less of this taking-everything-for-granted attitude. I don’t think this is a dramatic problem, it is just an impression that I have sometimes, an impression that is reflected, for instance in the lack of punctuality with many students. During your inauguration you mentioned that the Jacobs Foundation’s support would be conditional to the university achieving a balanced budget by 2011. How is that going to happen? What are the big budget items that will change?

The Treusch Effect A lot has changed since Professor Joachim Treusch took over from President Schaumann less than a year ago. Many say the new man in charge has brought ‘new wind’ into Reimar Lüst Hall, something that can certainly be said about Europe’s largest ever donation to a university. By Maximilian Held (‘07).

2007

Special Dossier

The big items are, first, using the facilities on campus more extensively during the summer break and when they are not used at other times to rent them to external customers. Secondly, we want to raise the percentage of tuition fees actually paid, not necessarily at the cost of the students – admissions will continue to be need-blind, but what we would like to see is more external sponsoring and scholarships for individual students, from governments and private donors. We just had a press conference two weeks ago, where we announced that we have acquired more than 20 new donors. Furthermore, there will be an increase in the room and board fee. That is something we have to do to cover the costs that we have and to decrease the subsidies. Also, we will focus more on executive education, such as MBAs, as we already have them for the European Utility Management School. We want to extend these offerings to other areas of studies. And lastly, we want to acquire more funding, our target is four million Euros per year, mostly from Bremen and about three million from the rest of Germany. We aim to receive another three million from foreign governments. These scholarships will be conditional on students going back to their home countries to work for three or four years. We already have some hope in this regard, as we are expecting all the EU ambassadors on campus during the spring semester this year to discuss this matter. Was the increase in German students that we have seen recently decided because of financial considerations? Actually, this was not a decision we made, rather we simply received more applications from talented German students recently. Admissions will continue to be need-blind. What we will do, however, is implement a cap-line: we will not have more than 25% of German students at Jacobs. More than that would change the nature of our university in a way that is not acceptable. I want a situation at Jacobs, that whenever four people sit at a table, chances should be

that there are four nationalities sitting there, including one German. Another interesting point in this regard is that we have up to this second round of admissions, seen more successful applications from American students (48) than Germans. We do know that we will have more German applications later in the process, but still, this is about eight times as many American students as previously. Apparently the press coverage in the New York Times greatly helped us. A very big surprise for us and a great success.

must not in superficial terms be, in any way, at the expense of the quality of individual disciplines. Interdisciplinarity makes sense only when the people who do it are absolutely excellent in their own disciplines. Only when that is the case, will we be able to make interdisciplinary a success. Thirdly, Jacobs needs to become more visible in all of Germany and, in the long-run, internationally. Of course these are processes that take some time, but I am confident that we are on our way.

The name change to «Jacobs» concerned many students. So the worries that internationality will vanish not only from our name, but also from the concept are unfounded?

We’d like to conclude our interview with a look in the future: What do you expect from your alumni in the near and far future?

Absolutely unfounded, yes. As I said during the address after the transition in November, to be international by name is worth a lot less than being international in reality. A couple of thousand universities worldwide bear the name “international”. But I guess IUB was the only one amongst them that really deserved the name. That is why we liked it so much. But in Germany alone, there are 11 “international” universities. Many of which no one knows, just check it out on Google. Money aside, what in your mind, are the most important substantial challenges Jacobs is facing? Naturally, during the first years, when Jacobs was still installing its undergraduate education, the focus was not so much on research. This will have to change. There will be greater concentration on research at Jacobs as part of our transition. This is an academic, but also a financial concern: we aim to increase external grants by a factor of two. I think that is realistic, but there is a lot to be done. The second issue is interdisciplinarity. Interdisciplinarity

“To be international by name is worth a lot less than being international in reality.”

Very pragmatically, like every private university in the US does, Jacobs hopes that its alumni can contribute to its financial well-being. Harvard, I believe has funds of 27 billion dollars. This money comes from somewhere. Just like Harvard, we don’t live from tuition fees. Those are just a minor source of income. Harvard lives from its lively alumni network with many people, who talk about their positive experience at Harvard, who are in influential positions and who advertise Harvard to talented young people. Harvard’s CFO – himself a Harvard alumnus and a financial expert – invests the University’s funds in hedge-funds – something we are not even allowed to do legally. A pool of influential and successful alumni surely will help Jacobs University. I believe that we should not tell the alumni what to do, but to trust that they appreciate what Jacobs has provided them with and to trust in their own initiatives. We have put so much effort and hope into your education, you’re on your own. I think it is good that you get a lifetime Jacobs e-mail address and a newsletter from us from time to time, but other than that: it’s up to you.

Briefing

Elections and weapons: A look at parts Kaleidoscope

Sudan Nicaragua Latin America continues its dramatic shift to the left of the political spectrum, most recently with the election of Sandinista leader Daniel Ortega as president of Nicaragua. Nicaragua will join Venezuela, Bolivia, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador and Brazil in the growing list of Latin American nations that have elected reformist presidents over the past few years. The new governments have committed to reshaping foreign and domestic policy with a focus on social concerns and economic transformation after decades of failed neo-liberal economic policies and dictatorship.

Somalia In June of 2006 the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) overthrew Somali warlords to take control of Mogadishu and much of the south of Somalia, destabilizing the interim presidency of Abdullahi Yusuf, himself a warlord and longtime Ethiopian ally. The overthrow prompted a large-scale Ethiopian offensive in December, with Ethiopia taking much of the territory that had been gained by the UIC over the past six months. Ethiopia sees the UIC as a threat to Ethiopian interests and security and claims that the UIC has links to al Qaeda. They also maintain that Ethiopian government has no long-term plans to remain in Somalia.

Over three years of deadly conflict continue in Darfur, Sudan. It is estimated that 400,000 people have been killed and 2.5 million displaced in the conflict that began in 2003 when rebel groups attacked government targets, claiming that the government was oppressing black Sudanese in favor of the Arab population. Since then, the Sudanese government and government-backed Janjaweed militias have been accused of war crimes against Darfur’s black population in a campaign that has been described by some as genocide.

North Korea On October 9, 2006 North Korea announced that it had successfully tested its first nuclear weapon. In December six nation talks resumed between North Korea, China, South Korea, Japan, The United States and Russia. The talks resulted in the deal struck on February 13, 2007, in which North Korea agreed to begin to shut down its nuclear weapons program in exchange for supplies of heavy fuel oil. Negotiations are ongoing.

Thailand In September 2006 the Royal Thai Army staged a coup against the government of Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Though the military declared martial law, suspended

the constitution, dissolved Parliament and cracked down on freedom of speech, the media and political activities, there was hope among some that the change would bring an end to the political uncertainty and economic troubles of the preceding months. Unfortunately, the military-appointed government has failed to improve political and economic conditions.

Iraq Former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was executed for crimes against humanity on December 30, 2006. Much criticism has surrounded the execution after a cell phone v i d e o revealed that witnesses and executioners taunted Hussein at the time of his hanging. The execution followed Hussein’s conviction in the murder of 148 Iraqi Shi’ites in the town of Dujail in 1982 after an assassination attempt on the ruler. Hussein will be posthumously tried for further crimes he is alleged to have committed during his 24-year reign.

United Nations On January 1, 2007 South Korean diplomat Ban Ki Moon replaced Kofi Annan to become eighth Secretary General of the United Nations. Ban is the first Asian in over thirty years to be elected to the post. Compiled by Justine MacWilliam (‘05).

of our world over the past seven months.

Before this report was published, there was still the scientific possibility that the global climate change in the last 50 years could be explained by natural variation rather than man-made influences, particularly the burning of fossil fuels. However now, “there is no question that this is driven by human activity,” stated Susan Solomon, one of the panel’s leaders.

Global Warming:

Can We Still Cool it Down? Last February, global warming was called “unequivocal” by the leading scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. They also stated that human activity was “very likely” to blame. They predict that the warming will continue for hundreds of years. Beyond the Pond posed this question to a number of alumni to hear their opinions, as scientists, economists and global citizens, on the matter. Compiled by Ana Pascual (‘05).

Global thinking about climate change has to move from debate to action. Achim Steiner, executive director of the United Nations Environment Program says, “the focus will shift from whether climate change is due to human activity, to what on earth are we going to do about it.” So, what are the world’s leaders going to do about it? And will there in fact be enough political will to avert the gloomy forecasts of climatologists? We received a lot of replies from Jacobs University alumni, which ranged from apathy to outright optimism. It looks like our jury is still out on whether an effective action will be taken in time. Being “green” has already hit mainstream culture (as can be seen in the most recent Oscars) but it isn’t enough. “This issue doesn’t pit haves-versus-havenots,” says the John Hopkins foreign policy expert Michael Mandelbaum, “but the present versus the future - today’s generation versus its kids and unborn grandchildren… it will be the biggest interest group in history, but by then it could be too late.”

Sian Raghoo (‘05) - Trinidad and Tobago “Oh yeah, I do believe we can stop it! We have the technology for sure, but it’s all a matter of whether we have the will power to do it. By we, I mean the people, especially

the leaders who make the decisions and who make the cars, the laws, etc. I think that’s where the real problem lies, whether the leadership has the vision to see beyond their five-year term and make the difficult decisions that would undoubtedly affect future generations or take the easy route and just do what would make the money.”

Lars Bochman (‘05) - Rome, Italy “Experts say that Italy will be hit hardest in Europe and turn into desert within the next century. So I guess I am really lucky and don’t have to worry, since I will only live in Rome for the next 5 years... Politicians seem to have a similar view because those who can actually set some guidelines, do whatever they want as long as the results don>t show in the next 4 years. Only recently the newest UN report on global warming came out. And just before publishing, the governments had a chance to review it. They decided to cross out the most important parts, i.e. where it said that up to 1/3 of species may go extinct... Way to go. I guess until we really understand the severity of the situation, we will not change. The media will stop reporting in just a few weeks anyway. So, we will all just keep jetting across the globe until further notice and hope someone else will take care of the world.”

Mike Kujanek (‘04) - Long Beach, NY, US “In my opinion, what has fueled this vicious circle of environmental destruction and industrial progress is the growth of the Western mass consuming, individualistic culture. The effect we have had on the environment has been undoubtedly tremendous. Nevertheless, we can still do something about it. Innovation and technology has

brought us this far; I see no reason why governments and concerned peoples cannot work together to reverse our impact on the global environment. The Kyoto Protocol was only the beginning and stood to confirm the grim reality we encounter. However, Kyoto will not solve our problems. It will take a massive grassroots movement around the world, now underway, to influence our leader’s political agendas to ultimately tackle the larger issues. It is our political leaders that can help steer the development of nations, such as, India and China. But people like you and me can start today to make conscious decisions to reduce our «carbon footprint» and help others to do the same. The way we choose to live affects all walks of life from our neighbors, employers, local businesses and politicians, to governments and foreign nations. If human civilization has come this far, then certainly we are capable of making a difference this time around.”

Peter Dabrowski (‘04) - Moscow, Russia “Climate change is no big news to our planet. On geological timescales we’ve had even warmer times than these, with thick forests going up to the polar circle. The fast rate of change is what is unprecedented and disconcerting. A good question is whether this rapid incline in CO2 emissions would be later followed by a decline that would be just as steep - once our ‘balloon of hydrocarbon resources’ has run out of air. Will humanity’s wasteful excursion be barely noticeable as a CO2 spike on our Earth’s time scale? Certainly our alternative energies will inevitably become main stream - and shouldn’t the global eco-system overreact to this sudden lack of CO2 input similarly to how it does now - only the other way? Well then – we’re possibly just aggrandizing ourselves, and all we have to do is live long enough to see it happening…”

Fay Von Karsa (‘05) - Cambridge, UK “I don’t think we understand the warming up of the Earth well enough. I think it is true that greenhouse gases are a contributing factor and we should stop polluting our atmosphere and we should try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in an attempt to slow down warming or stop it temporarily. However, I feel that we do not understand the non-human factors of climate well enough (e.g., there are ice ages every few thousands of years and there is nothing you can do about it). Hence, I think if we really want to slow down warming we have to do a lot more, like looking at other greenhouse gases and all the other factors that affect climate. Also most of the policies currently decided to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will have almost no effect on slowing down warming (e.g., it doesn’t make sense to tell airlines to stop flying if cars still pollute the air). Personally I am glad people consider the impact they have on the climate, but the problem is that they are not taking a holistic approach. If you want to slow down warming it doesn’t make sense if you just stop e.g., 10% of greenhouse gas emissions globally. Much more has to be done in a scientific approach. Right now the issue is highly political and people all over the world use it to win careers even though they have very little understanding of what they are talking about. I had contacted Laurenz Thomsen recently with a similar question. He now thinks that global warming is taking place - that is a very different standpoint than the one he took when he still taught us. During my undergrad, the GeoAstro Professors told us that global warming is only theory and not enough consistent evidence exists. But it seems they now think that it has been proven, which indicates that there has been a vast amount of research recently, which is a good thing if it is used correctly.”

s b a L e h t Live from led off d n u b n e e b e v r alumni ha u o f o s h institutes d c r ir a h e t s o e r d Tw n a s universitie eir to prestigious rts of the world to further th lumni in different pa rs. It’s no surprise that our a and academic carees at the forefront of researchots to find themselvetheir fields. From virtual rob , doing technology in our alumni are hard at work the curing cancer, to “unravel the mysteries of ase, the what they can you’ll find in Erdal Yigit’s c search universe” or, asere’s a look at the exciting re atmosphere. Hour alumni across the globe. being done by a (Grad) (‘07). By Sophia Ojh

Erdal and GCMs

Imagine that your research lab is actually a garage for military tanks. That is exactly what the first student who arrived at IUB campus realized in 2001. His name is Erdal Yigit (‘04) who hails from Neu Muenster, Germany. Today a physicist, now living in London, Erdal spends hours on end (even skipping his Tai-KwonDo training), working on GCM models at the University College London. To those who are uninitiated in the field of geo-physics, these are General Circulation Models, which are used to study how gravity waves influence the overall dynamics of the upper atmosphere. These gravity waves in the Earth’s atmosphere are constantly shifting, not just vertically towards outer space, but in all directions. Their movement causes energy and momentum transfer in the atmosphere which is evaluated using models such as GCM. Erdal’s mission is to make these models more realistic so that they can be better utilized. More advanced models are crucial in scientific research because they can be used as substitute for what cannot be measured in nature. GCM models tell us a great deal about the Earth’s atmosphere and the more we know about our own planet, the better we can understand other planets in our solar system.

Mentar and Virtual Robots

Lucia and Fruit Flies Heidelberg, Germany is the new home for the Slovakian Lucia Kayserova (‘06) as she joins the group of Eileen Furlong at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory. She studies the development of muscles in the fruit fly, which Lucia points out is a popular «pet» of biologists. Just like humans, this tiny fly has three types of muscles: skeletal, visceral, and cardiac. Lucia explains, “These [muscles] are formed by morphologically and functionally different cell types with identical genetic information. In the lab we try to understand the complex gene regulatory networks behind this fascinating process of cellular differentiation.” Because the process of cellular differentiation is so similar to that in humans, Lucia’s research can be extrapolated to help humans. Her research can lead to useful drugs that deal with muscular diseases.

Most people would love to have a robot do work for them such as water the garden, vacuum the home or walk the dog. And if you have seen the RoboCup in Bremen, you know how much fun they are to watch playing football. Already, robots are involved in highly intricate activities like, putting a car together. Transforming science fiction into science reality is what Mentar Mahmudi (‘06) does for a profession, but with a twist. Mentar works with virtual robots. First, he gets an actor to perform human motions. Then the actor’s movements are segmented in a meaningful way so that they can be used for motion planning. He then builds a Finited State Machine or FCM which is used to synthesize motions so that the virtual robot seems like it imitates humans! To find out more details give Mentar a call at the Computer Science Department at University of California in Merced, California, where he completing his PhD studies. From Macedonia to Merced, via Bremen, Mentar continues his quest for robots that may one day be vital for any search and rescue mission or even conducting surgery.

Anna and p53s Originating in Poland, Anna Bobrowska (‘06) studied BCCB as an undergraduate at IUB. Today she is pursuing an MSc in Molecular Biology at the University of Goettingen, Germany. Since the start of this year Anna has been investigating different proteins in the Molecular Oncology research lab. Her research has huge implications for cancer treatment as she studies p53, which is the most common protein mutated in cancers. Around 50% cancers have p53 mutations. Specifically her task is to examine the effects of different proteins on the relationship of p53 and mdm2, which is an oncogene and p53’s most important regulator. New cancer fighting drugs can be developed if other partners can be identified which might shed some light onto how p53 is controlled.

By Sarina Hinte, OCSEP.

Network your life!

The Advice Page Networking occurs any time two or more persons connect to share resources. Contacting your roommate’s sister, getting in touch with your one-time classmate, or dropping your long forgotten professor a line are just a few ways of using your networks. Revealing that you are looking for a new job, announcing that you are hiring, and socializing to find the right business partners are networking opportunities open to all of us. The way of the world is meeting people through other people. Consider that 80% of all positions are staffed through personal networks. Informal conversation is probably the oldest mechanism by which opinions are developed, expressed and shared. You might be surprised to learn that the most important skill for effective networking is listening. Focusing on how you can help the other person rather than on how he or she can help you is the first step to establishing a mutually beneficial relationship! You are most successful at networking when using referrals and connecting with the people around you. A famous proverb says: “It’s not what you know, but who you know that matters.” Networking is the turbo that drives your career, the boost you need to enlarge your team and the hunting ground for innovative commercial engagements. Renewing contacts to your old professors, keeping in touch with former colleagues and employers as well as with your host family, the Alumni Office, or the Office of Career Services might all provide you with more career options than you think!

Moving On 20

Real People, Virtual Places

Online networks make it possible to keep in touch with close friends or former bosses alike. By Tino Kreutzer (‘06).

Facebook (18,000,000 members): very useful for keeping up with far away friends but for those searching for jobs after graduation, be wary of posting your whole life on it. 86% of our alumni have it – and according to Facebook, around half of them use it daily. Millions of pictures, pokes, wall scribbling and instant messages are exchanged every day. Facebook addicts detail every bit of their personal life, including joining random to highly controversial groups based on different topics. Although possible in the privacy options, most choose not to limit the view of their complete profile to ‘friends only’, though this may be advisable for some of us. Employers and university admission staff are sometimes reported to have used Facebook as a background check. Since profiles are only visible for members of the same network, employers use existing employees to gain access. Among the first, the University of Kansas now advises students to “not look like an idiot on your profile.”

LinkedIn (9,000,000 members): a businessoriented networking site used mostly by profession-als in the US and increasingly in Western Europe (about 25% of all members). CNN calls it “a MySpace for grown-ups” as it attracts frenetic usage by its members. Rather than ‘egocasting’ about favorite music and TV shows, LinkedIn users show off their professional experience and connect with business partners whom they know and trust. Through ‘two degree’ and ‘three degree connections (friends of friends and their friends), you can easily track down the closest link to your future dream employer and work together with existing friends towards becoming a ‘close recommendation’. Luckily for young professionals, all the fun things like messaging and updating profiles are also available.

XING (formerly OpenBC; 2,000,000 members): very similar to LinkedIn. Founded in Hamburg in 2003, it keeps a reputation of being predominantly geared towards the German market. Through steep expansion (and availability in 16 languages), it is now LinkedIn’s biggest global rival in Asia and Europe.

The downside is, many times you might not find the one you seek in this network.

Although similar to gigantic networks like Orkut (45 million), My Space (155M), Hi5 (50M), Friendster (30M) – Facebook is considered to be at least somewhat a rival to LinkedIn and Xing because of its network and name verifying standards.

www.linkedin.com

www.xing.com

www.facebook.com

XING has a clever tool that illustrates to us how “small” the world is. It shows how members’ are connected globally and usually brings up a chain of six contacts or less, no matter how distant the other person might be. The idea is essentially the same as with LinkedIn, allowing anyone to find the right contact to get to whom they want.

: m s i l a t n e e m l i n h o r i W Env g a Buck n t i e k n a a l M P e h t g n i v a S

Not since the extinction of the dinosaurs has there been such destruction of the planet’s biodiversity as there is today. According to the United Nations Environment Program, global warming is an imminent threat, as we have recently experienced the 20 warmest years in the past 150. In the meantime, the demand for energy, living space, and personal transportation is continuously growing – and so is the need for reverting and correcting many of the environmentally damaging errors made in the past. As part of this process, professionals with environment experience are sought zealously by headhunters to keep up with this immense demand. 22

In this article, Camilo Ordoñez and Judith Ahues from the class of 2005 provide their insight perspectives on the environment-related job market as they both ended up in varying ends of the same <industry>. We have asked them to explain how environmentalism in its short life has become as much a factor in mainstream politics as a topic for chit-chat and mobilizing public opinion; transforming its image from tree-hugging activism into a reality of progress.

The options So what does an environmentalist do in this world of corporate pressures and ‘serious business’? Growing environmental awareness in the corporate and industrial world is translating into a sea of opportunities. Though traditional jobs at international organizations and environmental research institutions abound, recent openings also include consultancy companies serving various industries through environmental impact assessments, regulatory compliance or innovating new products with an ecological footprint in mind. Global warming is opening new markets: from carbon market trading and expertise on the Kyoto protocol regulations, to alternative energy innovations and managing clean

development mechanism projects. Other opportunities include working for non-governmental organizations to save forests, manage environmental crises and conduct research to further environmental knowledge. Not confined to typical geographical options, the shift to environmentalism is being grasped globally, including developing nations. International agencies are sponsoring capacity building or technology transfer to help poor countries face environmental challenges.

Who and where? At the German Federal Environment Ministry, Judith’s work entails co-operation with organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Union, and the OECD’s Nuclear Energy Agency – all of which are committed to monitor and aid the development of safe and environmentally friendly atomic energy. Camilo on the other hand teaches Environmental Sciences to a group of international students at the Red Cross Nordic United World College in Norway. Asked constantly about his image of the future, Camilo ponders upon his answer through statistical facts and hopeful romanticism. “Because of their unconquerable spirits and stubbornness to bring about the right changes,

environmentalists are bound to make a difference.” But, referring to hesitant political leaders, he adds that it can be hard to share this optimism “because of the arduous road we have ahead to shake up a listless few.” But looking out the window from his Nordic home, Camilo is drawing hope. Norway’s soils, lakes and rivers once suffered from acid rain that was caused by coal furnaces that produced sulphur-dioxide. A political gearshift in the 1970s brought an end to this – thanks to pressure from a fast growing environmental movement. For the Colombian scientistturned-teacher, this proved that it was possible “to generate landmark achievements, surpassing not only criticism, but also the movement’s own unpractical extremism.” Looking at today’s debate over the reasons and consequences of global warming, Camilo draws parallels and expresses a sense of hope. “I see a great many people taking environmentalism beyond its idyllic hippie nature and promoting it as serious business.” Judith cites a down-to-earth example of how seriously environmental concerns were taken at the FIFA World

Cup in Germany. “The ministry set targets with respect to waste, water, energy, mobility, and climate. These strict goals were achieved by simple measures such as reusable cups, harvesting rainwater for toilets or the setup of energy saving lamps in stadiums. With more public transportation available, only 23% of soccer fans used their cars to get to the games.” Steps like these are often a compromise between commercial interests and considerations for the environment. Judith adds that “more drastic measures will have to be taken.”

Amsterdam and obtained an M.Sc. in Environmental and Resource Management. He found his job from the United World College network.

How they got there…

The world awaits

Some still catalogue the environmental career as a rarity in today’s corporate world, or, simply put, as too idealistic. But most professionals would beg to differ – serious contributions for large-scale progress require profound knowledge and experience.

Environmentalists have covered a lot of ground over the past years, and yet, still have a whole planet to save in the future. Camilo stresses that scientists and activists alike are aware of how collective action can once again lead to solutions to today’s global climate problems. But asked for his personal contribution, he adds: “Personally, and in my short experience as a teacher, I have come to understand that planting a green seed in young minds is another way to assure an image of an environmentally-secure future.“

Both Judith and Camilo studied Geosciences and Astrophysics at IUB (specializing in Geochemistry). After this, Judith went to study Environmental Analysis and Assessment at Royal Holloway, University of London and found her current job on the German Government’s listings www.bund.de. Camilo went on to the Vrije Universiteit

Academic qualifications in the environmental field include degrees in sciences, engineering and law, among many others. Judith notes that for anyone in the field it is “comforting to know that there are many interesting advertised positions out there.”

Compiled by Amruta Mehta (‘05) from detailed input by Judith Ahues (‘05) and Camilo Ordoñez (‘05).

How to Become a Jacobs Entrepreneur

Andreas Kolling is one of the few successful alumni entrepreneurs. He joined Jacobs University’s first student start-up »events4« in 2004 and has (co-)founded several other companies since. In this article, he tells us that “You can do it, too!” and suggests how you can go about becoming your own boss. Read his opinions gained from his own personal experience on how to get out there and start a business. By Andreas Kolling (‘04). Most of us would-be entrepreneurs are still waiting for the day when we wake up and suddenly conceive the one great idea that will become our life’s work. An idea that will load us with energy and determination to fully realize our potential and overcome obstacles after obstacle until success is guaranteed. We’ve heard stories about great founders and entrepreneurs that turned dust into billions of dollar, practically overnight. However, like most things you hear you can keep waiting a lifetime and these events will still not happen to you. Here are a few ideas to get you on your way to becoming a successful entrepreneur:

1. Instead of waiting for the right idea, get out there and try your luck. All those seemingly small ideas and opportunities that you come across every now and then may just be it.

2. Having the right mindset will enable you to become your own boss. Starting your own business may sound difficult and risky, but it well worth the risk, especially for the experience. The biggest obstacle to overcome is yourself. If you are the kind of person that struggles and is overwhelmed when confronted with risks and the unknown this can be rather difficult. Once you know

that you can deal with living on a minimal budget and putting off job opportunities, starting becomes easy.

3. Plan for keeping your business alive for as long as possible with as little as possible. All you need is a bit of cash to pay for the registration and other bare necessities.

4. Also plan for failure. For every successful startup there are dozens that failed. Think about what you would do if your first start-up failed? Those who succeed are usually in the spotlight and glorify the whole landscape, but failed start-ups are common. So it is no surprise that many founder workshops emphasize failure as a learning experience and turn failure into gain and indicator to change your strategy. If you hate the idea of failing you might as well save the time for trying.

5. Network. As you go along with your business you will meet more and more people. Stay in touch and new opportunities will arise all over the place. Even if your initial idea did not wipe anyone off their feet, you are out there and recognized as someone who is bold enough to try. This exposure can get you to new exciting collaborations with interesting people you would not have met otherwise. None of the start-ups and businesses from alumni have hit the jackpot yet. But all those that have participated in the foundation of even the smallest business have learned valuable lessons that are rare when you start a regular job. And even a small or mid-sized company can create more revenue than a lot of jobs, in which one usually creates multiple times the value of the salary as income for the company. On the other hand, the experience that one can gain in challenging jobs should not be underestimated. It starts to get really interesting when you take the best of both worlds. As time moves on our alumni association will have a mixture of young founders and of those who have gained valuable work experience, but are eager to get out of the routine and try something new. This will become a potent combination for innovation and the birth of success stories that will tell how some of us turned dust into billions of dollars, practically overnight.

They did it... Some of our alumni entrepreneurs with active companies: Sebastian Karban, Sebastian Köllner and Max Pfingsthorn (all ‘04) founded ‘events4’ in 2003 to organize events and logistics jobs at IUB. The company is now lead by Andreas Kolling (‘04 & ‘06), Kathrin Bösecke (‘07), and Uros Urosevic (‘04), who will re-launch the company as ‘Inviso Academia’ in May 2007 (Inviso-Academia.com). Tino Kreutzer (‘06), Ana Pascual (‘05), Maeve Trudeau (‘07), Algirdas Grybas (‘07) founded Pulse Copy Services in 2005, a printing press and copy shop, which now includes a design outlet, a kiosk, and an import/distribution branch (Pulse-Copy.com). Nikolay Simov (‘06) co-founded ‘Juliani Communication Center’, a consulting & language training company, located at Research V on campus (Juliani.eu). Ana Pascual (’05) founded ‘Why Philippines’, an online magazine that provides positive articles and information about her country (why.ph). Petar Dimitrov (‘06) co-founded online hotel and accommodation catalogue platforms bgstay.com & pochivka.bg. Robert Eckhoff (‘04) and Malgorzata Skorek (‘06) founded naming agency NameProof in Bremen 2006 (NameProof.eu).

…and they are still in the planning stage Catalin Ciocov (‘04 & ‘07) is building web products and planning on turning them into a company. Victor Marinov (‘07) and Snezha Kazakova (‘06) are in the planning stage to found an “integrated studio for product/ industrial design and marketing strategies”. Kathrin Bösecke and Andreas Kolling already co-founded StandLand with two other business partners, the design platform is due to launch in mid-2007. Aibek Esengulov (‘05), after an unsuccessful start-up in Bangalore, is now planning the next hit with better preparation – a Masters degree in Entrepreneurship from Aarlborg University.

Survival

Gear Mark Twain once said, “If clothes make the man, then naked people have no influence…” Famous Lady Godiva (a 10th century noblewomen riding the streets of Coventry naked to successfully protest against her husband’s perilous policies) would beg to differ! Many of our alumnae have ventured into the global taskforce, decidedly taking on jobs traditionally held by men. For example, assistant-to-the-manager Raluca Puie (‘04) was one of only two alumna on our Alumni Board. While a lesser mortal may get lost in a room chuck-full of testosterone, she knows how to hold her own by jazzing up her attire and giving it the pizzazz and flair that every modern business woman in the know does.

Life & Style 26

Com

hoo (‘05)

ian Rag piled by S

Aurora Simionescu, (‘05) boldly going were man usually went before, studies at the Max Planck Institute and on not-so-casual Fridays must wear a space suit. Space suit: 27,000 EUR at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Ms. Simionescu’s special business suit was complimentary).

Many jobs have very strict rules and dress codes. For example: Lauren Raghoo (‘06) who worked offshore for International Logging was

required to dress in a communist-red coverall at all times on the rig. Due to specific safety regulations, she could only wear a plastic watch, no earrings and steeltipped boots. The boots were fugly -brown. Fire-retardant deluxe overall: 100 EUR at Dickies. Steel-tipped boots: 79 EUR at 911 Gears.

The narrow winding highway follows the old silk route through the mountain ranges of Karakoram, Hindukush and Himalaya. It was scraped through the hard rock, connecting Pakistan and China at the Khunjerab Pass. Occasionally a rock dislocates and causes a small avalanche, but apart from this: Silence. Suddenly, a jingling of bells. The gentle hum becomes a roar. She comes around the bend. She is a magnificent painting on moving wheels, a splash of color on the Karakorams stony walls. She is a Pakistani truck: a symbol of lasting tradition and dynamic adaptation to the modern world. Metallic blue paint. Rosettes of luminous pink, green and yellow frame the dashboard. Heavy-lidded purple eyes are painted on either side of the number plate. Tiny diamondlike cuttings form intricate patterns on strips of vibrant, reflective material which cover the doors. Bedizened

The roots of today’s “truck art” tradition date back to more than nine millennia ago. Neolithic traders used to move goods along similar routes from inland Pakistan to central Asia in heavily decorated camel caravans. The act of decorating vehicles has its traditions in Bangladesh, Thailand, Japan, the Philippines and Haiti but nowhere has it expanded so broadly and as intensely as in Pakistan. Each truck on Pakistan’s roads is an individual piece of art. A driver is hired to drive and transport goods and although he does not own the truck, he lives in the vehicle. The truck owner and rarely the driver decides on the appearance of the truck. Often more than 10,000 US$ are spent to visually beautify a remodeled truck. Bedford trucks are the most common because they are like goats, suitable for small hilly roads and strong enough to carry more than their official load limit of seven tons.

wood and metal framework. They indulge in their works and find themselves in constant competition with other painters. The better one paints, the more one is paid. The truck is in a way an empty canvas. In the midst of the rubbish and exhaust fumes, children, teenagers and men sit in small rooms and spend the day cutting 3M reflective plastic sheeting, used normally for traffic signs, into tiny shapes. These are stuck onto prewelded metal sheets. These complex mosaic like patterns, create large multicolored objects like colorful fish or peacocks. Large areas of the truck are covered with this material which is imported from Germany and Japan. The reflective material has the effect that by day, the truck is a splendor of vivid colors and by night, the truck becomes alive like a glistening “glow in the dark” creature. The Mughals loved the play of light in their palaces and today

Beyond the Louvre, Tate, and MoMA, art is found everywhere. By Gianna Schellenberg (‘05).

Moving Masterpieces with colorful landscapes, the side panels of the trucks are divided into framed sections containing paintings of birds, tigers, of Hercules subduing a lion and fighter planes .The seats are dressed with silk and satin fabrics and flashing lights hang from the ceiling. Faceted mirrors beam in the windshields and the wheels are smartened up with orange rims. Pakistan is a country of rich cultural heritage. Having been invaded and occupied by Dravidians, Aryans, Greeks, White Huns, Persians, Arabs, Turks, Mongols and various Eurasian groups, this region of southern Asia it is a treasure chest of many different cultural practices and monuments. However, there is one art form which is an obvious and flamboyant piece of evidence for Pakistan’s unique culture.

In the slum of Rawalpindi, the twin-city of Islamabad, woodworkers, painters, electricians, welders, tailors and truck drivers are together in a creative beehive, in a kind of „craftsmen community“. These apprentices and artisans, each with a well defined specialty share in a cumulative effort of creating the finished product. The many trucks that are being worked on can be seen in Rawalpindi at different stages of their beautification process. Woodworkers build the large crown-like structure that is placed on top of the driver’s cabin, such that the truck becomes larger, more impressive. Welders reshape the hub caps, the front cabin, attach metal bells and chains to the truck such that they make “music” while it is moving. Painters spray the metal areas of the truck in various luminous colors. They hand paint large areas of the

the Pakistani truck drivers play with this medium on the roads. Some say, because of the lack of lights on the road reflective material has a function, others say the fantastical compositions are an excuse to go mad. Even the truck interior is decorated. Since the driver has to live in his truck, he must feel like a King in his palace. The seats are covered with colorful silk material, the cabin is filled with big fake flowers, bells, and necklaces. However, although the transformation of plain trucks into masterpieces is a commercial activity, it is the opposite of mass production. Every hand painted truck flaunts its uniqueness, even if certain symbols or signs are shared. The value of „truck art“ is not only aesthetic but also semantic. Although the artists paint in their own style,

certain features of the trucks’ visual character have become categorized and meaningful trends. For instance, the large colorful eyes that can be seen on almost every truck are symbolic. The “black eye” is known in Islamic cultures as that which protects an object or person from “evil looks”. The large colorful eyes on the truck are meant to catch the observers attention at first sight, such that the jealous, evil, curious or lusting viewing is drawn to the “black eye”, before he views the rest of the truck. The black pieces of cloth that are bound on all corners of the truck have the same function. Sky rockets painted on the truck symbolize modernity and power. Film stars, figures from Greek mythology, Pakistani cricket legends and even European icons like Princess Diana transform the truck into patriotic and global billboards. The bold colors and idyllic scenes painted on the truck, symbolize the love of Allah and the paradise his people work towards in life. The Prophet’s winged horse is often depicted on the trucks symbolizing trustworthy devotion and speed. Allah moreover, should be respected and praised such that he can protect the truckers and the transport business. Poems, texts and sayings are written on the trucks – as well as love stories, jokes, wise words, as means of communication and preaching among the truckers and travelers on the road. The labor intensive operation of decorating a single truck takes up to ten weeks. Most of the truckers give their truck a total makeover every three to four years. The fancier the truck, the more it costs, but the fancier the truck, the more its owner will be hired to do jobs. Art is not defined to museums only. This form of folk art is found all across Pakistan, whose roads, villages and highways have become a national gallery without walls. Truck art is a free-form, kaleidoscopic exhibition which is in perpetual motion. Some Pakistanis explain the tendency to go crazy in the decoration of their trucks as their need to dream and to escape, the need to intensify experiences such that they can forget their sometimes dreary lives.

Living High in the Middle of the World Alumni Cities: Quito

Set free from three long years in Bremen, almost all birds have ﬂown out to far-away lands. While significant numbers of them follow their call to cluster in natural hotspots (i.e. London, Berlin, NYC, Sofia) – others are drawn to far off places where few birds have ﬂown before. It is time we start sharing our experiences and views of lesser known places, as well as rediscovering unknown districts of famous habitats many people claim to know well. This article is the beginning of a series featuring exciting cities around the world. Some readers might become inspired to travel, others just filled with envy, and others again will start looking for job openings at the places depicted here. It is neither a travel report, nor is it intended to be a full (and fair) portrayal of a certain metropolis. Rather, it is an alumnus’ subjective snapshot intended to show their fellow restless birds yet another option for future migrating paths.

Even before being able to set foot on Quito, the landing already left me speechless. After flying over snowcapped mountains, an unexpected descent through the clouds found my plane right above the city center, with cars and sky scrapers passing underneath, way closer than you’d wish, at 800 kilometers per hour. Because of vast expansion over the last decades, the airport is now amidst the busy northern business center and often leaves those on the ground feeling as if they are walking on a runway instead of crossing the street. Even though I stopped looking up to every scarily close jumbo jet flying over my head, Quito’s setting still strikes me every day. Spectacularly flanked by volcanic peaks and spread out on a long Andean valley, 90% of the houses here can proudly showcase an amazing view of the valley, a volcanic ridge, or possibly, even both. El Centro, the historical center, is flush with beautiful colonial magnificence and was rightfully named UNESCO’s first ever World Heritage Site 30 years ago.

But it’s not just its location and urban beauty that leave you breathless here – living at the height of 2,800 meters can make trying to climb a single set of steps a real challenge. Even more so as sparse oxygen is mixed with the smells of cooked peanuts, bus exhaust gases, baking bread and who knows what else. Sensory overload is likely to strike along with some good altitude headaches. Once my senses came back to life, exploring Quito’s Old City threw me into yet another world. Luckily, despite all the recent restoration, it is still defined by the lively indigenous and working class roaming the streets. The old woman carrying stunning loads on her back walking side by side with a stray dog, past old men in sailor uniforms selling newspapers and past roasted guinea pigs – while at the same time chants from behind high monastery walls mix with yelling vendors selling everything imaginable. But few Quiteños choose to live in the dodgy-turnedbeautiful hotspot Centro and maintain a rather strict division: the city’s working class members live in the

south while the SUV-driving upper class has their apartment blocks and mansions up north. I am fortunate enough to work and live in trendy northern uptown Mariscal, which – thanks to stylish cafés, international restaurants and a plethora of hotels – is awash with The White Man, for whom my neighborhood is mockingly dubbed Gringolandia. For better or worse, most young Ecuadorians dig this quarter for their weekly fix of farra (party). Some say, this keeps this zone’s Ecuadorian flair. But for most locals, ironically, going out in this pricey and truly cosmopolitan world makes them seem like space cowboys conquering a new planet. As a consequence, bars around my house are notorious for rigorous ‘Gringo hunting,’ meaning locals flirting to the max (you have to decide whether that’s a good thing). Maybe this is one of the main reasons of why I’ve chosen to move out of here. Far, far away. Away from Ecuador? Back to Europe? No, of course not away from Quito, I am just going to move into a nice little house. Further up north – joining the wanna-be rich SUV-driving crowd.

Basic Quito facts History The site of the capital city dates back to pre-hispanic times. By the time the Spanish arrived in Ecuador in 1526, Quito was a major Inca city. It was razed by the last Inca war General Rumiñahui as his last deed before losing against the conquerors. Today’s churches were built atop the rubble of old temples and many impressive buildings have survived since the 16th century.

Nightlife The difference between bar and club is blurry at best. If you can hear loud music on the street, a cover (including drinks) is a sure thing. After exhausting the sheer endless farra opportunities in Gringolandia, calmer spots towards Guápolo (a bit further north) or independent hot spots like Café Libre are more peaceful options.

Travel Ecuador is a small country that lets you breakfast with macaws in the jungle, have lunch gazing at a

snow-capped peak, and enjoy your dinner while being watched by an iguana with which you’re enjoying the perfect sunset on a Pacific beach. Everything is within a day’s reach, yet the differences from stunning Galápagos to remote indigenous communities makes this country look gigantic.

Costs Since 2000, the official currency has been the US Dollar, which has led to a dramatic price increase (ironically, it also ended the enormous inflation). Despite dollarization, living costs are modest (albeit significantly higher than in Peru or Colombia). Using beer, the great urban indicator, first-class Pilsener is served at $ 1 in local bars. Tino Kreutzer (‘06) is Content Director of this publication and currently works at a travel agency in Quito, Ecuador.

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Jacobs University Bremen Alumni Office Campus Ring 1 28759 Bremen Germany

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