Laura Knobloch: Extremely focused

Although Laura Knobloch had an inclination towards political issues from an early age, this did not initially lead to a concrete decision about her future path. This is also reflected in her choice of secondary school, the Max-Planck-Gymnasium, which is one of the few grammar schools in Baden-Württemberg to offer art as a focus. "My interest in art and culture probably began when I often visited art and architecture exhibitions with my best friend and we were regularly inspired by the works," explains Knobloch. From Year 8, I continued with a profile subject and from the upper school with an advanced course in art. She could have studied architecture until she was in the sixth form, but at the same time she developed a growing interest in international political contexts, which increasingly drew her focus to the field of politics.

However, Laura Knobloch did not want to limit herself to a purely political science course, but was specifically looking for an interdisciplinary course. She gained her first insights at the University of Konstanz, where she attended a study day to find out more about studying politics and administration. In the meantime, she also applied for the PAIR Bachelor's program at ZU, which she came across purely through internet research. "To get to know the university and its people in person, I went to Friedrichshafen with my mother," reports Knobloch. She quickly realized that she wanted to study at ZU, "especially because of the focus on international relations and the wide range of courses, but also because of the diverse student initiatives and the family atmosphere".

After an initial orientation during her studies, it didn't take long for her to get involved in university life and become active beyond her studies. She was already a member of the German Red Cross (DRK) at school and supported the Freundeskreis Asyl Karlsruhe e.V. during her pre-study internship. During her studies, she significantly expanded this commitment and has since invested a lot of time in various initiatives. When a new head was needed for the student-organized blood donation campaigns in cooperation with the DRK, she took on responsibility for the initiative together with a fellow student. She was also involved in university politics for a period of two semesters as PAIR program spokesperson.

She was also jointly responsible for numerous events as a board member and deputy chairwoman of the Club of International Politics e.V. She was responsible for both the content and strategic planning of political events, preferably with guests from politics and diplomacy.

What she also discovered during her time at CIP was her passion for moderating. In addition to the one or other CIP talk, she co-moderated a panel discussion at the Bodensee Business Forum on "Democracy in danger - Does protest help or harm?" and a Citizens' University with Roderich Kiesewetter on the future of European defense, among others. In addition, she has been active in the student initiative FirstGen since this semester. As a first-time academic, she is particularly keen to further expand the network and support for this group of students at the university.

"To this day, I try to make the most of all the resources at ZU that are not available elsewhere: whether it's practical coaching, the Zeppelin and Humboldt projects, involvement at various levels or applying for internships or scholarships that you would never have applied for otherwise - either because you wouldn't have thought of it or didn't have the confidence to do so," says Knobloch, who first received a Deutschlandstipendium scholarship and then a scholarship from the Stiftung der Deutschen Wirtschaft (German Business Foundation) due to her academic achievements and non-university involvement. "I am convinced that the wide range of opportunities at ZU will prepare me perfectly for the time after my PAIR studies."

She first completed an internship at the Munich Security Conference, where she also worked as a volunteer in the following two years. She then went on to New York to work at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations. "I hadn't expected to be accepted here at all. It was all the more impressive: on the one hand, I was able to attend some of the UN Security Council meetings and, on the other, I fell in love with the city," reveals Knobloch. She expects further prospects from her upcoming internship at the Federal Ministry of Defense in Berlin. "Compared to my previous stations, this internship will open up completely new insights," says Knobloch, who can also imagine gaining practical experience at Interpol or NATO in the future.