Today, let us introduce you to our two amazing guests Christoph Sonnenschein and Patrick Pliszka from Studo, a german startup that offers digital solutions for students and universities. In this 2nd episode of our second season of the podcast, our hosts Mareen and Q expand on the topic of digitalization and its challenges. 

Christoph, as the Cooperation Manager, offers valuable insights into how digitalization can be brought to universities, based on his vast experience of over a decade in reputable organizations. Patrick on the other hand strives to assist students in the age of digitalization as the Community Manager of Studo. Our hosts Mareen and Q had a great time talking to them about current digital challenges...and you can find out why stinky feet were a topic to discuss. Enjoy!

Today, let us introduce you to our two amazing guests Christoph Sonnenschein and Patrick Pliszka from Studo, a german startup that offers digital solutions for students and universities. In this 2nd episode of our second season of the podcast, our hosts Mareen and Q expand on the topic of digitalization and its challenges. 

Christoph, as the Cooperation Manager, offers valuable insights into how digitalization can be brought to universities, based on his vast experience of over a decade in reputable organizations. Patrick on the other hand strives to assist students in the age of digitalization as the Community Manager of Studo. Our hosts Mareen and Q had a great time talking to them about current digital challenges...and you can find out why stinky feet were a topic to discuss. Enjoy!

Additionally, they introduce the new structure for this season of "The Dialogue'' as well as the new overarching topic "Working in a digital World" . Furthermore, they speak about what animal they would like to be and other personal stories.

In this episode it’s all about tourism and its present as well as future development in regards to the pandemic. We are virtually visiting South America and meet two experts in this field: Natalia and Marcella. Natalia is from Colombia and the leader of the innovation and digital transformation strategy department at the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). Marcella is our WBD-Ambassador from Brazil and an international relations specialist. Together we talk about an activity that we all miss a lot - Travelling! 

The talk opens with a discussion about the challenges and changes the tourism sector is facing since the pandemic started. Following, we are considering some facts and figures about the impact of COVID-19 on several regions and subsequently highlight the importance and relevance of tourism from a social as well as an economic point of view. In the ensuing part, we then focus on the future of the travel and tourism industry and some potential benefits the pandemic might have brought with it. Lastly, we receive a few insider tips for entrepreneurs interested in entering this sector and additionally reminisce a little over some of our favorite travel destinations.

Come and join us on this episode’s journey! - Because currently, all we can do is to travel in our thoughts and memories.

Welcome, 2021! We are starting the new year with some “food for thought” and are virtually traveling to the African continent to meet our two special guests Shaneil and Jonathan, founder of the media platform “Young Professionals Africa” (YPA). Shaneil is working as a management consultant and is chairman of Deloitte’s Africa Millennial Board. Jonathan is an accountant, working in the finance team of a global company. Both are also providing their platform “to have a voice in times of uncertainty”, which is the topic of this week’s episode. 

We are starting with the core idea behind Young Professionals Africa and the importance of virtual platforms, especially during these times. In this context, we talk about benefits and solutions, along with issues that have been elevated by the increased intensity of virtual meetings. Additionally, we continue by considering the question of how to create change and what characteristics are needed to enable change. Then followed by a very encouraging discussion about the relevance of networking and its associated opportunities. We further get some helpful advice on how to navigate and filter through the plethora of daily information. Lastly, we address the vision and goals of YPA for 2021, as well as the new year’s resolutions of our guest speakers, whose focuses are not only on achievements but also on mental health and time for family and friends. 

If you want to learn more about the great YPA and its aim and mission to offer talented young people access to information- and exchange platforms, please enjoy today’s inspirational episode.

For this week's episode, Mareen and Q invited two guests of our partner initiative SABF (South American Business Forum). Homero is the head of the media and communications department, Lucía is leading the speakers department of SABF. The SABF team organizes a physical conference, which takes place yearly in Buenos Aires and brings together top speakers and students from over 62 different countries.

First, our guests give us a little insight working at SABF, while clarifying the differences in student life at a South American university compared to student life elsewhere in the world.

They put special emphasis on how joining and working within a volunteer organization in Argentina might be different from joining one anywhere else in the world.

Shortly after we get to the core of our talk in discussing the implications the ongoing pandemic has for student organizations in general and the SABF in particular. We focus on talking about how SABF adapted to the new situation and what changes they had to undergo in their organization in order to do so. We also debate which role physical conferences will still play in the future and if online versions can cope with the lack of physical contact. However, within these times of uncertainty, we come to the conclusion that the target of the WBD and SAB, to connect people around the world and give them a chance to interact, ist not depending on the format. If a platform, where communication happens and people have the opportunity to inspire each other, is provided, change will happen.

Or to put it in other words: “If you want to connect with people, you will connect with people”.

We are very excited to present to you this week's episode of our podcast “The Dialogue” 
which is brought to you by our Hosts Q and Mareen and their two great guests.
Robert C. Wolcott is a leadership strategist and Co-Founder of TWIN-Global. In addition, he teaches at Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Next to him, we had Luis Velasqzuez who is an Investment Banking Consultant and a political science major.

Today‘s topic deals with the importance of sustainability and proximity in our society, as well as the connection that can be drawn between sustainability and leadership. We also talk about globalization in general and take a special look at the surge in online education. Due to the fact that all four have different backgrounds, they exchange their experiences regarding the different accessibility of online education and the issues connected to that. 

We also speak about our favourite words and learn a lot about each other. And if you want to learn more about us and today’s topic please enjoy our new episode.

Today is the day many people have been waiting for months to arrive. 
It is the day of the presidential election in the US! 

Q and Mareen had a very interesting conversation regarding this topic, which might also make you think about the election in a different way, so don’t miss it!

Again, we were joined by two great guests: Julius van de Laar, a political strategist and communications expert, who worked for Barack Obama’s winning campaigns in 2008 and 2012. Next to him we had the lovely Sarah Kashef also sharing her perspective. After her childhood in the DC area, she graduated from Columbia University with a degree in Urban Studies, Sociology and Public health.

We had a highly qualified conversation centred around the potential Presidential election outcome, which inevitably led to the burning question: What defines a responsible president in the light of Covid? And will this election really have an impact?

Furthermore, we talked about the differences in the election systems worldwide and discussed if every vote has the same impact in the US.
This discussion raised the question: Isn’t the US already a “broken” country?  And who is able to make the US great again?

You can’t wait to hear the answers to all these questions? Then don’t wait and listen to our election observation.