Patrick Lunz

In hindsight, I’m not sure whether I have spent more time in the library or at the George IV. What I do know for sure is: there are probably few universities where you get the chance to socialise after class with some of the most renowned academics in the campus pub, continuing your discussions about the future of European Union.

On a more serious note, my year at the LSE was one of my most formative experiences, and a great stepping stone for my professional career. In the classroom, we discussed the shortcomings of the Euro area’s architecture; a couple of months after graduating, I was working in the German Foreign Office and later at the European Central Bank on making the Euro more resilient to crises.

Currently I serve as speechwriter to the President of the Federal Republic of Germany. All the skills I had honed at the LSE - clear thinking, clear writing, and rigorous research to present my argument - are coming very handy in my daily job. A couple of years ago, during a long night of negotiations on the Single Resolution Fund in Brussels, I met again Lukas, a classmate from the Czech Republic. So here we were, both representing our countries and working together for a stronger Europe!

That brings me to what I enjoyed most about studying at the European Institute. Meeting so many interesting and talented people was such a rewarding experience. Even if we are now scattered across Europe and the meetings become less frequent, these friendships are here to stay. It’s great to know that one could travel to most capitals in the EU and you have a fellow LSE graduate to meet up for a coffee!