Studium Individuale: Vincent Gewert - The bridge builder

Vincent Gewert's semesters are red dots. Lines lead from them to green circles. They contain keywords such as Green New Deal or Philosophy of Nature. They represent the content of seminars. Lines lead from the green dots to yellow dots. They contain terms such as Presenting, French or Teaching. ‘These are skills that I have acquired in the respective semesters and modules,’ explains Vincent Gewert. The 23-year-old is studying Studium Individuale at Leuphana College. The programme encourages students to design a significant part of their curriculum freely and independently. They choose a question that they would like to answer with the help of their seminars and lectures. Vincent Gewert's studies focus on the ethical and political prerequisites for fair globalisation.He documents his course of study with the help of a virtual thinking board. ‘The documentation allows me to mentally go back to past semesters, make connections and recall content that particularly interested me,’ explains the student. Vincent Gewert puts a lot of time into the preparation: ‘In Studium Individuale, we don't study according to a predetermined curriculum. For me, the documentation is a great added value.’

Studium Individuale follows the tradition of liberal education that has long been found in the USA and more recently in Europe. The aim of such a liberal education is the intellectual and personal development of each and every student. Students at Leuphana receive close support in the form of reflection discussions, retreats and core modules, which are compulsory for all participants in the programme. Vincent Gewert moved from Franconia to Lüneburg because of the Studium Individuale programme: ‘Only at Leuphana did I have the opportunity to combine philosophy, sociology, political science and sustainability science,’ explains the student. In addition to his passion for philosophical reflection, he is also interested in larger political connections, such as between global justice and the climate crisis

This is why he is involved in the ‘Oceania Dialogue’. The NGO aims to multiply the voices of Pacific civil society in the global North. Vincent Gewert represented the Oceania Dialogue at the climate conference in Dubai. ‘We can only solve the climate crisis politically and not by all of us hiding at home. The climate crisis is far too deeply rooted in our everyday social structures for that,’ says the student. In Dubai, he met cooperation partners from Pacific countries and lobbied the German delegation on their behalf. ‘At the climate conference, an internationally coordinated, globally just solution to the climate crisis can be negotiated. That's why it's important to be there to make a real difference,’ says Vincent Gewert. He recommends the Individuale degree programme to people who are capable of organising, interested in a wide range of topics and curious about different methodological approaches: ‘I benefit greatly from Studium Individuale because I actively build bridges, connect content and have the opportunity to only attend seminars that really interest me.’