The "Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange" funded by DAAD would give me the possibility to realize my dream of studying physics in Nairobi. The following essay explains why in Nairobi, why with the Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange and within that as later in general treats with my motivations.

Why Nairobi?

The life in Black Africa must be very interesting and also hard to grasp because of the differences in society, skin colour, climate, food, way of life and the history of colonization. Kenya is one of the safest countries of the region, with a good university system and an especially interesting history as the former gate of the Arabic world to Africa.Its different religions, tribes, ways of living and beautiful landscape make it especially intriguing. By talking with friends who have travelled in that region, from hearing the former exchange students' experiences, and based on my own attitude I have come to believe that only by studying there I can get the depth of experience I am looking for.

Living in Kenya is so important to me because I am looking forward to understanding the African way of life, to broadening my horizons through contact with people of a different culture,  to experience Kenya and the life of students there, and to appreciate the life and studies in a Third World country for a longer time.

The students' attitude at the University of Nairobi must be great, similar to stundents' attitude in the late 1960s in Germany, which is a time I admire. I am looking forward to holding one of these "magic" student cards in my hands, which former participants have reported about. It is a sign of being part of  the big community of united students. Living in one of those wooden student homes on the campus as almost all other students do would be nice and interesting. I like making contact to other students - it especially motivates me. Hopefully, I will have a good chance to see how it is to live in the student system in Nairobi, how it is to be integrated and to see how it is to study  in Nairobi -  a chance I will not have again.

The unstable political situation, the student system and the difficult day-to-day life does not worry me, it is something I want to experience. The life in the streets, markets, exploring the surroundings of the campus, Nairobi and the landscape - all this motivates me to go there. After the academic year is over or if there is enough free time around Christmas and between the semesters I would like to travel around the beautiful country of Kenya, maybe visit Tanzania and let me guide by hopefully future friends from the University of Nairobi, maybe I could even visit their families outside the cities.

If courses are offered I would like to learn some Kiswahili to obtain a better understanding of the Kenyan culture as it manifests itself in normal life and to be appreciated more by the local people. I want to come in real contact with the people living and studying in Kenya.

Why the Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange?

I could not affort paying the travel expenses, maintenance costs and tuition fees by myself and so I would appreciate the assistance that the exchange offers. The Physics Department of the University of Nairobi must be interesting and different to ours at the Free University Berlin. The courses sound interesting and are taught in the English language. As the international language of physics is English, this would only be beneficial to me.

More importantly is the fact that this exchange is unique and I hope to fulfil the demands given bystudying in a Third World country (getting along with an exotic culture, way of live, bureaucracy) and to leave a good impression through my knowledge, behaviour and appreciation so that it might lead to strengthening the co-operation with the University of Nairobi, for instance by developing a two-way exchange. 

At the recent information meeting Dr. Antony Owinoh told us that a major problem for a two-way exchange is learning the German language. Maybe we could help interested students by offering tutorials, searching for courses and informing  them about our university. It would be great if I could help persuade Kenyan students to participate in the exchange.

I feel that through this exchange we can aid Kenya in the development that we have already undergone - which in our political situation is important so that the gap between the western world and the Third World does not become bigger.

My Motivations

For further understanding why I am motivated to study in Nairobi you most understand by what my life is determined and how this fits together with the exchange program and the DAAD scholarship:

1) Physics- Studies

I have been interested in science since a little child probably due to my mother teaching mathematics and biology at school and my father teaching physics at university. While doing my "Abitur" I had the possibility of studying mathematics, a subject I really enjoy, within a special program of the Free University Berlin. However, I registered to study physics because of the subtle association to our real world we observe and the language "mathematics" which is used for its description. I took more mathematics classes than required and also succeeded well in physics.

In Nairobi, I would concentrate more on studying properly than in Berlin because of my appreciation of the DAAD scholarship, because I would be  representing the Free University Berlin and because Iwould want to gain the respect of the local students.

2) Mountaineering - Sports 

At the age of 12 I started mountaineering and since then  I have learned much about abstemiousness, confidence, responsibility and teamwork. I have worked as a guide, instructor, stuntman, made the third place on the North German Masters 2000, have been in the DAV-national team (DAV = German Mountaineering Club) and organize 'Himalayan Expeditions' in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

The DAAD scholarship would allow me to take a break form all the work I am doing outside university, especially I would defer my climbing activities. However, if time allows and I find local partners from the university, I would join some sports for training like climbing (maybe as instructor) or running (one of Kenya's most popular sports). An important motivation for my extreme sport activities is the search for adventure. By studying in Nairobi I would not need this adventure because life and studies will be so exotic and interesting that it will fulfil me.
3) Travelling - different cultures 

Since I grew up between Europe and the USA the world is not so big for me as for others. Through mountaineering I have travelled in South America (Peru, Chile, Argentina) and Nepal. Seeing much of the world and different cultures enlarges my consciousnessand I have got the confidence to understand other ways of living.

For example, in Nepal almost everything is different, the religion, the Hindu-Buddhism, is a part of daily life; in the mountains there are no streets and you see content sherpas working hard on the fields or carrying heavy loads upto 100 pounds. I have worked with them and they invited me to there homes. It is strange to get used to some of the peculiarities, for example the selflessness, a pilar of Buddhism. The more time I spent there the more normal their basic living appeared, the more I understood their religion and the more they appreciated me as a equal person and not from a different and higher caste. Being able to understand and teach attitudes was a great feeling. 

I want to get more than an impression of a country and that is a reason why I want to live and study in Nairobi and not just visit the country. At this moment only the exchange program would give me this chance.

Combination with Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange

The "Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange" with the DAAD scholarship would give me the possibility to combine all these points within studying physics in an exotic, interesting and so different culture as that of Kenya. 

I am motivated because I believe through the exchange I will gain more knowledge and consciousness and the studies in Nairobi will be an adventure of mostly spontaneous experiences I yet can not describe. Not being sure what can happen - this sense of adventure motivates me.

I can continue my studies in physics and get the experiences of living in Kenya for one year, without loosing time in my studies. Afterwards I can judge if I could live and work in a Third World country, for a charity organisation or maybe at a university which I would really like to do after studies.

The more I have become occupied with the idea ofstudying at the University of Nairobi the more my motivation has grown and has become a dream that can only be fulfilled by taking part in the  "Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange" of the Free University Berlin. I would leave my friends (well only for a year, and they could visit me), my business contacts, my competition career and my job behind. But all this does not matter because I really am so motivated for this exchange out of good and deep attitudes and hope that you give me the possibility to take part in the 2002/2003 "Berlin-Nairobi-Exchange"