Philipp Kenel

I came to Goldsmiths for the unique MA in Social Entrepreneurship, for the university’s reputation in critical thinking and creativity and because I wanted to be (back) in London.

I very much enjoyed my time at ICCE. My personal highlights were the open-mindedness in contents and non-dogmatic approaches from both staff and fellow students as well as the diversity of my cohort (as individuals and in education or professional background).

Being confronted and working with different types of material (e.g. policy documents, business plans, as well as traditional academic essays/papers) prepared me well for later challenges in professional life. It has also allowed to improve my confidence in taking up new tasks and successfully completing them.

After graduation, I have moved to Berlin, where I have been working in different sectors (most importantly, in Start-up business and in the International Film Festival Berlinale). In 2015, I have moved to academia, where I am now working as a Lecturer and Researcher, Berlin School of Economics and Law.

It is nice to have annual Goldsmiths Alumni meetups in Berlin. Perhaps these too have contributed to my decision of coming back to Goldsmiths for my PhD!

My new/old Goldsmiths experience starts now, and I am looking forward to be commuting between Berlin and London. I think – especially in times of Brexit – it is important to uphold and engage in international exchange.