Alumnus Highlight—Gereon Mewes

What has your journey been like since graduating from Minerva?

I am currently a postgraduate student at the College of Europe, studying European Political and Governance Studies. After Minerva, I worked for the European Commission and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Frankly, I did not expect to be accepted in these places, where almost everyone holds a master’s degree. However, it was clear from my profile that I have an interesting educational background, which always sparks interest. So far, I have been focusing on environmental policy and have also worked on digital and trade policy. 

What has been your favorite aspect of your major, and how did it shape your perspective on your future career?

I was a Social Sciences major and minored in Natural Sciences and Sustainability. I appreciated Minerva because I learned the unique Habits of Mind and Foundational Concepts (HCs), gained crucial professional skills, and was able to enjoy the flexibility of a liberal arts program. I had a very interdisciplinary education at Minerva, which worked well for me because I have many interests. Learning about politics, geology, philosophy, development, and constitutional law within one degree was perfect for me. Almost all my courses turned out to be relevant to my career. For example, Minerva’s global development course proved incredibly beneficial for my work at the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

What advice would you give to incoming students considering your major?

Take full advantage of Foundation Year. To me, the HCs are the most valuable part of Minerva’s academic experiences. Make sure to learn them well in your first year to be able to apply them in your subject area throughout the following years.

Regarding majors, I would always prioritize interest and curiosity over strict career planning. Definitely pick a major that roughly corresponds to your career interests. But within that major and for electives, there is a lot of space to explore different interests. I went to Minerva because I wanted to learn things that would help me throughout my life. By choosing the courses I was interested in after Foundation Year, I prioritized feeding my curiosity – and I encourage you to do the same. If you want to work in a job that interests you, why not study your interests?

What is a big question academically that you're thinking a lot about in your studies?

I think a lot about different definitions of sustainability, especially the contemporary ones that drive policy. For my Minerva Capstone, I focused on the concept of digital sustainability. Digital life was obviously very present throughout my Minerva journey, and I wanted to get to the bottom of how digital devices and the infrastructure that makes them run can be sustainable. I found that we mainly use carbon emissions to evaluate digital sustainability and ignore other relevant sustainability factors such as biodiversity. I thought that my thoughts were quite novel and could contribute to the academic discussion on digital sustainability, so I published the key analysis of my Capstone as a preprint paper on EarthArXiv. My master's thesis will also be about an important sustainability concept, specifically the circular economy transition in the European Union. 

Which Minerva semester or summer stands out for you in terms of your professional development?

My first year was definitely the most formative one – not necessarily in terms of professional development, but because I learned the HCs that I continue to use in my professional life. For instance, I recently drafted a strategic briefing for an ongoing EU policy proposal in the context of my postgraduate studies. While I was writing, I went back to the HC handbook and looked up #strategize and #negotiation to ensure I applied these concepts correctly.

How does your Minerva education make you uniquely prepared for your postgraduate life?

Something truly unique about Minerva is its strong focus on skills development. After leaving Minerva, I have never been in an environment again that focuses as much on teaching real skills, not knowledge. Since I left Minerva, generative AI has taken off even more – it has never been easier and faster to look up knowledge. But knowing how to complete a task well and navigate processes and complex situations is insanely valuable, and Minerva does teach those skills.

Starting my traineeship at the European Commission, I knew very little about the European Union. Still, I could be very valuable to my team because I had the skills that mattered in the workplace, such as quality drafting using the appropriate tone, style, and audience and knowing how to properly conduct a problem-solving process. Unfortunately, most other college graduates enter the workplace with a lot of knowledge but very few relevant skills. I hope Minerva’s educational model can inspire other universities to move towards a skill-based and active learning model.

‍If you were inspired by Gereon’s story and are seeking a college experience that will teach you valuable pragmatic skills that will enable you to change the world, apply to join Minerva today.