Jasmin seifert
MAHRS Graduate
The moment I completed my Master’s degree in Human Rights Studies in July 2025 felt both like
an ending and a fresh start. My thesis was submitted, and suddenly the question came up: what’s next? Up until then, my path had been quite structured: after high school I started my Bachelor’s, went abroad, then continued with my Master’s and went abroad again. This time, however, things felt different. The only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted to keep working internationally, and, if possible, return to Mexico.
Although I had originally planned to stay in one place for a while, find a more “traditional” job, and build some stability, I was offered an internship at the Goethe-Institut Mexiko in Mexico City. I had only recently completed my Master’s thesis during my semester abroad at the Tecnológico de Monterrey in Querétaro and had completely fallen in love with the country. Going back—this time
for several months—felt like the right decision.
One month after my kolloquium, I moved to Mexico City and started my internship in August 2025. Going from a town of 70,000 people to a city of over 20 million was intense, but in the best possible way. CDMX, as it is called, is vibrant and full of life: street tacos, micheladas, and an energy that is hard to describe unless you have experienced it yourself.
At the Goethe-Institut, I worked in the cultural department, while also being involved in communications due to my background in journalism. What I appreciated most about the role was the variety. I had never seen myself in a classic 9-to-5 office job, and this experience confirmed that. Many days did not end at 5 p.m., especially when events were taking place that we had been
planning in advance.
These ranged from smaller formats to larger cultural events: salsa workshops for women aimed at empowering them to take on the “follower” role differently, concerts and DJ workshops featuring artists who had performed at Berghain, and larger projects such as the two-week “Festival de Cine Alemán,” where German films and Mexican short films were screened across cinemas in Mexico City.
At this point, it is worth briefly explaining what the Goethe-Institut actually does. While the Goethe-Institut is best known for offering German language courses and official exams, its broader mission is to promote cultural exchange. In the case of Mexico, this meant not simply presenting German culture, but actively creating spaces where German and Mexican perspectives could meet and interact. This approach shaped much of the work we did.
The cultural department itself is divided into different areas, including arts, film, theatre and dance, music, and civil society. As an intern, I had the opportunity to support projects across all of these fields, depending on where help was needed. Since the Goethe-Institut in Mexico City is one of the largest worldwide, especially the summer and fall months were filled with events and projects. From the beginning, I was integrated into the team and given responsibility, which
allowed me to contribute my existing skills while also gaining experience in new areas—particularly project planning and cultural work.
One of the experiences that stayed with me the most was also both my favorite project and my biggest challenge: a radio interview. Together with the press officer, I was invited to speak on Altavoz Radio with Mexican journalist Rita Abreu. We talked about the work of the Goethe-Institut, our current projects, and my experience living in Mexico. The interview was conducted in Spanish, which was definitely intimidating at first. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit worried about saying something wrong on air. In the end, however, it turned out to be a great experience and is now something I look back on whenever I doubt my own abilities.
The five months passed incredibly quickly. One moment I was trying my first vegan taco, the next I was serving mulled wine at a Christmas market we had organized, and shortly after that I was saying goodbye to my Mexican and German colleagues just before the holidays. It was one of the hardest goodbyes I have had to make in Mexico, but who knows, maybe I will be back sooner or later.