"The Witten mission statement shapes my life and actions"
UW/H graduate Friederike Hedley on her path to success in Cambridge.
A dream has come true for Friederike Hedley: The UW/H graduate has made it and received one of the coveted Gates Cambridge Scholarships from the University of Cambridge in the UK. In autumn 2024, she will start her doctoral thesis there and embark on a new adventure! But up to this point, it has been an exciting journey with many stages that have taken Friederike around the world and had a lasting impact on her life.
Friederike grew up in a small town in northern Germany. In addition to a lively childhood with three siblings, she enjoys sailing on the Weser or the North and Baltic Seas. She knew early on: "I want to discover the world!" After her higher education entrance qualification, she travelled through North and South America. Her interest in business management eventually led Friederike to study in Witten. "Even during the application process, I realised that UW/H is different from other universities or business schools. In addition to academic training, the focus here is primarily on developing personalities - and the teaching is interdisciplinary. That convinced me," recalls Friederike. In 2015, she started the Bachelor's degree programme in Management. The accompanying Studium fundamentale courses brought her into contact with psychology for the first time. Her enthusiasm for the combination of business management and psychology issues would not let her go, so she decided to take up a second degree in psychology. "For me, it was a great stroke of luck and a fulfilment to be able to study both subjects in Witten. The pronounced freedom of development is a unique feature of UW/H for me. My lecturers always encouraged me to try things out - to take steps forwards and backwards - to choose new specialisations during my studies or to spend my first semester abroad in Cambridge. I am still very grateful for their support today," says the psychologist.
A new start between social crises and academic opportunities
Friederike met her husband in England and the two of them planned a special trip: Emigrating to Hong Kong. "I had the opportunity to complete an internship in organisational psychology at the European Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong," says Friederike and continues, "during this time, I was incredibly enthusiastic about this big city and Asia in general. The decision to finally move here for a longer period of time was a step into the unknown - but absolutely the right one!" During the arrival phase in the Asian mega-metropolis, events came thick and fast: Major human rights and civil movements threw the city into turmoil - and then came Covid!
Friederike experiences the first few years in Hong Kong with its unrest and restrictions as challenging on the one hand, but also as strengthening, because the time of crisis welds her together with the local people. The surrounding nature also appeals to her. "Hong Kong is an island city with many nature parks and is surrounded by the South China Sea - which is great for hiking and sailing."
In 2020, the UW/H graduate accepted a position as a research analyst at a start-up in Hong Kong. This work strengthened her enthusiasm for research in psychology, which she was eventually able to continue at the University of Hong Kong. Here she investigates cognitive processes in people with anxiety disorders and depression.
"The university offered me a particularly exciting research setting as it brings together local and international students as well as 'Mainland Chinese'. At the same time, I led an interdenominational group of young women to support mental health and reflect on questions of faith. This exchange was very valuable, especially in these turbulent times," says Friederike.
Next stop: A scholarship for Cambridge
But for Friederike, Hong Kong is not the end of her journey. She is applying for the Gates Cambridge Scholarship in the UK and is reminded of her time in Witten: "In both the application essay and the admission interviews, what counted most was the will and conviction to want to make a lasting improvement to the lives of others with your academic work. You also have to demonstrate your leadership qualities. For me, this approach is very close to the Witten way of thinking. As a person and as a Christian, I have always been fascinated by the three pillars of the UW/H - encouraging freedom, striving for truth and assuming social responsibility. At the beginning of my studies, I was not yet able to fill the terms with meaning. Today, they have become a deep conviction that guides my life and actions."
Every year, numerous students apply for the coveted scholarship at the University of Cambridge. But only 75 to 80 candidates are selected. Being one of them is a special honour for Friederike and at the same time an appreciation of her work. "Especially as a researcher in psychology, such recognition and support is enormously important and ensures visibility," says the UW/H graduate. Friederike is taking the formative experiences from her time in Hong Kong with her to Cambridge and placing them at the centre of her doctoral thesis. "Our world and our everyday lives are characterised by a fast pace, crises and uncertainties. I want to investigate how we learn under these uncertainties. What influence do different types of uncertainty have on brain development? Today's generations are exposed to a constant flood of information. The ability to deal with this is extremely important to prevent mental disorders and promote mental health." With regard to her research question, Friederike is all the more grateful that - despite our performance-orientated and fast-paced society - she had the opportunity to find her personal path and develop herself in a supportive environment during her studies in Witten. "This experience is a true gift and I would advise anyone and everyone to accept it with open arms."