"Courage pays off - you're surprised more often than you think": Lara Werdehausen on her journey from Witten to Oxford
Lara talks to us about her time at the UW/H, how she experienced political counselling in Berlin and why it's worth taking a courageous stand for opportunities abroad.
Lara Werdehausen is fascinated by how politics and business intertwine. In her Bachelor's degree programme PPÖ - Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the UW/H, she was not only able to deepen her interests - it also opened up a wide range of career opportunities in academia and practice. An internship at the German Council of Economic Experts in Berlin was a formative experience for Lara. In autumn, the recent Bachelor's graduate will begin her Master's degree at the renowned University of Oxford. She talks to us about her enthusiasm for political consulting, commitment - and the courage to take on something.
Many people have their say when it comes to politics - and want to know better than the government. Instead of simply being surprised or annoyed by political decisions, UW/H graduate Lara Werdehausen went to where they are prepared at the beginning of 2025: to the German Council of Economic Experts - an independent advisory body to the German government. During her three months in Berlin, the 23-year-old immersed herself in various topics, researched economic backgrounds, worked with statistics programmes and thus helped to create lines of argumentation and fact-based bases for decision-making. She was particularly impressed by the work on the CDU/CSU and SPD financial package from the exploratory talks in the spring. "Being so close to the day-to-day politics was incredibly exciting. The aim here was to categorise the parties' planned expenditure, compare it with investment needs that had already been identified and develop evidence-based options for action," explains Lara. The focus was on central political fields such as defence - and the question: how can future investments be designed in such a way that they have a long-term effect?
"For me, the internship was a valuable experience to get to know policy advice from an economic perspective," says Lara and continues, "I felt like I was really part of the team and could add real value."
Lara laid the foundation for her career in Witten
Her studies at the UW/H ideally prepared Lara for the tasks in the internship. The PPÖ - Philosophy, Politics and Economics degree programme helped her to understand the complex interrelationships between political, economic and ethical issues. She also appreciated the intensive discussions in small groups and the close dialogue with lecturers. "Close people who are always willing to go the extra mile with you and take the time to support you and ask questions - I'm very grateful for that," says Lara.
Next stop: Oxford
Lara has now successfully completed her Bachelor's degree and is starting a Master's degree at the University of Oxford in the autumn. "It was clear to me early on that I not only wanted to specialise further after my Bachelor's degree, but also spend some time abroad," she says. To realise her plan, Lara applied to several renowned universities abroad at the beginning of the year - Oxford, Sciences Po, Johns Hopkins. She received acceptances from all the universities in the spring. "During the waiting period, I sometimes wondered whether I was being megalomaniacal and overestimating myself," she recalls. "But then came the great relief - and the anticipation grew." For Lara, this is confirmation: I can do this, I deserve it.
The decisive factor for Oxford was the research-oriented Master's programme, which Lara wants to use to continue her academic career - also because she is toying with the idea of doing a doctorate. If she decides against this, she sees herself working in policy consulting, e.g. in a think tank or on a similar advisory body such as the German Council of Economic Experts. She knows one thing for sure: "I want to focus on global connections and geo-economic topics, such as China's influence on the EU - a field that I already scrutinised in my Bachelor's thesis."
Lara's journey has shown her that self-confidence and courage pay off: "If you're thinking about applying for a scholarship or a Master's degree abroad, it's always better to try than to discard your plans without trying. I think you get surprised more often than you think."
Committed to the end
Until she moves to Oxford in September, Lara will remain connected to Witten/Herdecke University, including on the board of the UW/H Foundation. She is responsible for administrative tasks, funding applications and projects such as the first-year student bags - a welcome gift and information pack for new students. For the 23-year-old, her position on the foundation is a great opportunity to help shape the development of her university - an experience that she also recommends to other students. "I enjoy the fact that, although I'm no longer a student, I can still work on university issues. At the UW/H, there are many options for getting involved. And working with fellow students and other university members outside of the seminar rooms enriches my time at university immensely." Even though it is difficult to say goodbye so soon, the anticipation prevails. "Of course I will miss my team. But I'm really looking forward to the next step."
