by Ethan Johnson
I was born and raised around 30 miles away from New York City in Somerset and Princeton in New Jersey and I am currently finishing up my last semester at NYU. For the last four years at NYU Gallatin, I have worked across several departments to design my own major that blended international relations, 20th century political history, and social ontology.
In focusing on 20th century liberalism, fascism, and communism, I sought to understand how certain philosophical constructs influenced societal outcomes and especially foreign policymaking. Although it was a herculean undertaking, it was a definitive highlight in my academic history.
My enduring passions for history, international politics, and philosophy – and perhaps for learning about the world in general – have defined me as a person. Curiosity is the driving force in my life – a force that will accompany me to graduate school this fall.
Because of globalization and advancements in digital processing, the 21st century is an amazing time to be curious. We live in an era where the world is literally at our fingertips. If you want to know about everything from Kant’s categorical imperative, the Rhodesian Bush War or the latest celebrity intrigue, then you can access the information with the click of a button.
If you are a student who is unsure about studying abroad, I strongly urge you to do it. Really being present in a new city and deeply immersing yourself in a new culture will become harder once you’re employed, so definitely take this opportunity now.
Academic pursuits
In thinking about my own ethnic and cultural background, I do wonder if growing up African American in a predominantly white and Asian environment made me less afraid to experience the world. Perhaps being an outsider – a domestic foreigner so to speak – meant that being a genuine foreigner of sorts was not all that foreign to me. At the same time, being exposed to all the diversity in the broader New Jersey and New York area – one that happens to be one of the most diverse regions in the United States – naturally ignited my curiosity to learn more about the world beyond my country. As an outsider ensconced in diversity, I could see kernels of my own experiences in everyone’s life, thereby encouraging me to learn more about different cultures and perspectives.
You may run into misunderstandings with locals, feel a longing for your own culture and identity, or just feel a general sense of angst.
The confluence of scholarship and professionalism, the unity between theory and practice, is the balance I seek for my future career. While I created an extensive decision tree for my career path, I see myself working for the State Department and eventually as a professor of international relations and history in academia. Alternatively, I would enjoy working for a think tank like Brookings or doing geopolitical risk analysis at companies like Eurasia Group. Perhaps I could do adjunct work on the side that way and have enough to support my family.
My motivation for attending graduate school and becoming a professor later down the line is a manifestation of a deeper second-order goal I have had since the beginning of my undergraduate study: to fundamentally change how we think about international relations. Thinking critically about our frameworks and building new ones, informed by a proper understanding of history, is incredibly important for better policymaking. As we see with Russia’s recent invasion of Ukraine, policies predicated on faulty foundations and built with reified constructs are bound to collapse against the hurricane-force winds of reality.
It’s one thing to read about a foreign country and it’s another thing to experience it. Being in Berlin cemented my deep interest in twentieth century political history and allowed me to personally witness and experience my studies in the midst of everyday life.
Learning about the world from the confines of a computer or the classroom wasn’t enough for me. As I grew older, I could not keep my passions confined to the classroom. From China to Brazil, I’ve now traveled to 18 countries across 5 different continents. I think of myself as a global citizen . Every time I step off the airplane, every time I invest in the confluence of scholarship and service, I feel alive – like pursuing something greater than myself. I always feel more excitement than fear while abroad. Whether I was in the heart of the West Bank learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or studying structural realism at a summer program at Oxford, I felt right at home because I was following my life’s calling.
Like others in my generation, the beginning of my undergraduate study coincided with the emergence of a lethal submicroscopic entity that brought society’s social, economic, and educational systems to a standstill. Nevertheless, we managed to pull through it. Unwilling to give up my desire to study abroad, I made it to NYU Berlin for an action-packed spring semester in 2022.
As an outsider ensconced in diversity, I could see kernels of my own experiences in everyone’s life, thereby encouraging me to learn more about different cultures and perspectives.
Studying at NYU Berlin
My experience in NYU Berlin for the spring semester was unforgettable. As scores of Russian Battalion Tactical Groups crossed into Ukraine, February 24th, 2022, marked one of the most important events in international politics since 1989. It also marked my twentieth day in Berlin. In the days after the invasion, I watched history unfold before my very eyes. I saw thousands of protesters gather in Unter den Linden on my way to a museum. Some spoke Ukrainian. Others spoke Polish, German, French, or my mother tongue. No matter their background, they all marched lockstep in the pursuit of a common goal. As a student of history and politics, this was awe inspiring to watch.
In terms of academics, initially choosing classes was quite stressful for me because all of them seemed amazing. Some classes that made a difference for my larger worldview were Transnational Migration,The German Intellectual Tradition, and Comparative Modern Societies.
Being in smaller seminar based classes and having amazing professors that led them allowed me to connect with people on a deeper level amid a time where my generation was recovering from the complete lack of personal connection altogether.
Whether in learning elementary German or studying the city’s history, I loved how all four of my classes sponsored experiential learning opportunities outside of the classroom. We got an inside look into some of the lesser-known sections of the city. In terms of my own academic interests, talking to professors or locals about their firsthand experiences living in Berlin throughout the later stages of the Cold War was invaluable.
Altogether, my classwork at NYU Berlin allowed me to understand how political thought informs political realities. As all the syllabi complimented each other, I was able to make interdisciplinary connections that furthered key research projects in my undergraduate work.
Berlin: The city and its people
Before coming to NYU Berlin, my only experience of Germany was the ethnically homogenous city of Dresden. Berlin, on the other hand, is certainly a global city. As I walked down Friedrichstraße during my first week, I heard Russian, Ukrainian, and Turkish just as much as I heard German. One day I would run into a migrant from Angola. The next I would run into a refugee originally from Afghanistan who had fled Kyiv. All in all, Berlin is a community that encapsulates the characteristics – with all its nuanced complexities – of our rapidly globalizing world. In this respect, one can almost think of Berlin as a window into the future.
Observing the architecture of different parts of Berlin on my way to class everyday helped me clarify the extraordinary impact competing ideologies can have on society.
From a historical point of view, Berlin is also different from any European city I’ve been to. The destructive forces of the 20th century meant that the major parts of the city were destroyed. At first, I thought it must be harder to deal with the past – when the many reminders of the past are obfuscated or even erased by the present.
My understanding soon changed when my professors showed my classmates and me around the city. It was interesting to observe and subsequently study the city’s reconstruction, especially in terms of the many differences between West and East Berlin. Observing the architecture of different parts of the city on my way to class everyday helped me clarify the extraordinary impact competing ideologies can have on society.
The city’s major monuments still show the scars of the battle between Soviet armed forces and the Wehrmacht in 1945.
On the other hand, the western part of the city felt more like your traditional western European city with its skyscrapers and malls. Given my interest in the origins and consequences of twentieth century Liberal, Communist, and Fascist ideologies, there was no better place for me to be.
Advice for future students in Berlin
My most important piece of advice is to actively engage, to be inquisitive inside and outside of the classroom. Studying abroad in general, and studying in Berlin in particular, is a rare opportunity to learn about the world – and in so doing – learn about yourself. That’s not something you can purchase online or gain by endlessly scrolling through social media. It’s something that you gain from properly engaging with the environment around you; from being open to new experiences and points of view.
Even though tons of people speak amazing English, people really appreciate your effort to learn German
With that being said, I understand that being abroad can be a nerve racking experience. You may run into misunderstandings with locals, feel a longing for your own culture and identity, or just feel a general sense of angst. Regardless of what happens, do not let that stop you from capitalizing on your experiences abroad. While studying away for a semester or more may mean leaving behind your local environment, embracing the risks that goes with it allows you to gain so much more.
Before coming, you should definitely start reading up on the cultural differences between Germany and your home country. This will give you the proper context to better understand and relate with the city. Likewise, do not feel any hesitation to practice your German in everyday life once you arrive. Even though tons of people speak amazing English, people really appreciate your effort to learn.
You won’t be able to mimic such an immersive environment back at home, so definitely take advantage of this.
There’s also a plethora of research and internship opportunities (not to mention amazing spots to visit for fun) that will help you cultivate professional and academic experiences you can take home with you.
If you have any questions for me about studying abroad, please feel free to contact me at ejj291@nyu.edu!