After packing many good thoughts, Janin Fischer left the Caucasus and headed south in November. This trip required neither an airplane nor a passport as it took place in PTB’s realm. Janin, who up until now had been working as a project coordinator in the Europe and the CIS Section, is now the Head of the Middle East and North Africa Section.
International cooperation topics such as economic equality and inequality as well as the effects of climate change on society already interested Janin during her studies in peace and conflict research. During an internship at PTB’s International Cooperation Department, Janin had the chance to experience practical international cooperation outside of the university classroom. A postgraduate programme followed at the Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik (German Development Institute). ‘And soon afterwards, I had my first job at PTB. That was wonderful!’ she remembers with a grin.
After three exciting years as a project coordinator, this tea drinker is now on a new path and looking forward to her tasks as the Head of Section. ‘I’m quite curious about the region and projects and am looking forward to learning more about them. I am also very much looking forward to working with my colleagues’, explains Janin. She is very happy to be joining a strong team. ‘Our team is diverse – we have colleagues with many years of experience at PTB but also colleagues who contribute knowledge from other fields’, she says. These different backgrounds are a great mix and, just as much as a very warm and supportive way it handles tasks, are what this team is about.
Starting a new position during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus in a time of video conferences is naturally a bit challenging. ‘I think we all miss being able to travel’, says Janin. Face-to-face contact is extremely important for cooperation with partner countries. However, she remains optimistic: ‘We’re making the best of it!’
When asked what she would wish for the future of her section, Janin doesn’t need to think about it very long. She would like continued fruitful cooperation with partner countries and many further project successes.
We wish Janin all the best for her new position. Bienvenue et bonne chance!
Image © PTB, 2020
