Where are they now.... ?

We are currently developing a set of pages where we hope to bring you up to date with what those students who have been through our department are currently doing. If you would like to be included on this page, please contact James Hodkinson and we will do our best to include you.

 

Liam Keelan (German Studies, 1985-1989)

After leaving Warwick I worked in Munich teaching English with another ex-German Studies student, Paul Kelly, ending up in London in 1991. My first job was in IT Research, working for a company that needed a German speaker. I've been at the BBC ten years now and I'm currently the Head of Planning and Scheduling for BBC 1, deciding when programmes should be transmitted and advising on commissioning new programming. Though I don't use German at work, my brother teaches in Karlsruhe so I still get to go out there and speak the language. I'm married to Emma Drew, a fellow German student I met on the course at Warwick. We have two children.

June Barnett (German Studies, 1992-1996)

IT'S NEVER TOO LATE! With the encouragement and excellent teaching by a dedicated team, I fulfilled a lifetime dream when, at the age of 62, I graduated in German Studies in 1996. Too old to learn? Never. Too old to use that learning? Indeed not. Until retirement at the age of 67, I was European Links Co-ordinator for the West Midland Province of the United Reformed Church. I travelled extensively, giving talks, planning and setting up partnerships between our Churches and Churches in Anhalt, formerly part of East Germany. Understandably there was scant opportunity to learn English during the Communist era, and so I was interpreting for both sides during the many exchange visits. My work, like much work in the Churches, was unpaid, but the personal enrichment was beyond measure. I have many many friends and welcoming homes in Germany. I have loved every minute of my work and continue to use my German language knowledge on a regular basis. Thank you, Warwick, for giving me the opportunity of this life-changing experience.

Mohsin Ghafoor (German and Business Studies, 1997-2001)

The four years I spent at Warwick were amazing and I especially loved the campus life and atmosphere - but the highlight was definitely the year abroad. Quite simply, it was the best year of my life. I did five months at the University of Cologne and then spent five months working directly for the Sales and Marketing Manager of Deutsche Telekom in Hamburg, with responsibility for ecommerce Marketing Initiatives. Without the experiences at Warwick and in Germany, I do not believe I would have been so well prepared for the world of work. I'm currently working as a Management Consultant for an international Professional Services firm.

Hannah Curtis (German and Business Studies, 1999-2003)

Having started work as a Team Assistant, I have since been promoted to Analyst with Oxford Research International, a company which undertakes market
research in developing countries for multinational clients and NGOs. I run my own market research projects for multi-national clients and get to travel a bit too. The work is incredibly interesting and varied, and of course I get to use my German.

Jeremy Gaines (PhD German, 1985)

After completing his doctorate on the "Political Aesthetics of the Frankfurt School" in 1985, Jeremy Gaines held two academic positions at Frankfurt University and started freelancing as a translator. He was a staff translator with the German Bundesbank for a year before setting up his own five-person translation company in 1992, focusing mainly on art, philosophy and finance. Jeremy is also a writer, reviewer and editor, a freelance curator for Kunsthalle Mannheim, and a jury member and rotating chair of the Liberaturpreis, the alternative "peace prize" awarded annually at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Since 2004, he has been Bob Geldof's coordinator for the Commission for Africa's German section.

Paul Keast (MA German Studies, 1984)

After gaining an MA in 1984 for his research into German working class literature, Paul Keast worked as a professional juggler. Also in 1984, he and his wife founded "Kaskade", a trilingual magazine for jugglers; they later translated "The Complete Juggler" into German, still the definitive manual for German-speaking jugglers. Paul hung up his clubs in 1991 to become a freelance translator, collaborating with Jeremy on numerous commercial and literary projects. Since 1995 he has been a staff translator for IPC GmbH, a Frankfurt firm of management consultants. In 19 Eastern European, Latin American and African countries, IPC has set up banks that promote small business, and Paul translates and edits their publications and internal documents.

Inspired by meeting present students at Schloss Dhaun, where they have given a presentation on "Life after Warwick" for the past two years, Jeremy and Paul created the "Frankfurt Prize for Translation Excellence", which will go each year from 2005 on to the best translation by a final-year student.

Mike Mühlberger (BA German Studies, 1994 - 1998

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Warwick University. The German department offered a fascinating range of courses covering many different periods of literature and history. My Film Studies options allowed me to make the most of Warwick's extensive film library, studying early Hollywood movies as well as Third Reich and post-war German cinema. The quality of teaching at Warwick was excellent and the close contact to tutors made the German department a special place to study - all the more appreciated after having spent a year at a rather anonymous German university. After graduating in 1998, I found work in the German media. It's because of my studies at Warwick that I'm able to work as a journalist in both languages. I'm currently based in Berlin, working as a freelance radio and tv reporter, covering news and current affairs for German and international broadcasters.

Reet Järvik (BA English and German Literature, 1975 - 1979)

It is 30 years since I started at Warwick as an undergraduate but I still have many happy memories of my time there. As a joint honours student, I spent half of my time in the English Department and the other half in the German Department. It took me until I was in my early thirties to realise that I should actually be using my German in a more constructive way. There was a shortage of language teachers at that time and I decided to enrol on a PGCE course in 1988. I completed this course successfully despite having a three year old daughter to look after! I have always been interested in language learning as I am actually of Estonian descent. My parents came to England after World War 2 and I was born here but I also speak fluent Estonian and regularly visit Estonia. I regard myself very firmly as a European.

I have worked in three schools (2 of them in Leeds) and am currently Head of German at Chellaston School in Derby. I teach across the age and ability range (11 to 18) and derive the most satisfaction from teaching A Level students. Several of my pupils have gone on to study German at university. I organise an annual trip to the German Christmas markets in the Rhineland at the beginning of December for younger pupils (13-16) and this enables them not only to use their German but also provides a cultural dimension and insight into Germany and its customs.

As you can see, I really do use my German on a daily basis and I am, therefore, very grateful to Warwick for the education I received.”

 Dr. Aled Wyn Griffiths (M.A. in Philosophy and Literature 1990; PhD in German completed 1997)

After my M.A. I ended up lecturing in the University of Cologne, but then came back to do my Ph.D. with Tony Phelan. Never in my time at Warwick would I have thought that a doctorate in literary theory and GDR avant-garde theatre could have been a preparation for running a publishing company in Cologne (I'm currently the Chefredakteur at the JUVE Verlag für juristische Information) but seven years later Juve employs some 40 people. My post-graduate work gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in German culture which turned out to be invaluable in doing business in Germany. Just learning the language would not have been enough!