(Interview from 2012)

Steffi Eckold

"Meet the regional ambassadors" is a new series profiling international alumni. More than 300 TUD graduates around the world act as regional ambassadors for TU Dresden (TUD). They help exchange students and lecturers from TUD find their feet abroad, and respond to potential visitors' queries about their home countries – simply e-mail them via the alumni website. One of those ambassadors is Nikolai Press.

"London can be addictive," says an enthusiastic Nikolai Press. He should know: the TU Dresden (TUD) graduate has been living and working in the British capital for twelve years now. He has nonetheless remained loyal to his alma mater and has been active as a regional ambassador for the past three years.

Nikolai Press comes from Bad Schwartau near Lübeck and grew up not far from Hamburg. His family roots, however, lie in Zittau, Saxony, so the 44-year-old had already visited Saxony during the GDR era. He initially trained in foreign trade after graduating from high school, but soon decided to study in Dresden. "I wanted to live in the former East Germany to experience firsthand the time and the changes after German reunification. When I came to Dresden in March 1993, it was actually a bit late for that, but the timing was also good," says Nikolai Press, looking back. He enrolled in modern and contemporary history and North American and British cultural studies. History and English had been his favorite subjects at school and he became fascinated with the USA and the UK.

Change was something that Nikolai Press did not just experience in the city of Dresden. When he began his studies in 1993, the Institute of English and American Studies and the Institute of History were just being established. There were hardly any books and the selection available at the library was extremely limited. Yet looking back today, he sees the situation as a positive. "There were fewer students at each of the institutes than there are today. As a result, we often had very close contact with faculty members."

He fondly remembers his friendship with Dr. Herbert Sirois, who worked at the Chair of Modern and Contemporary History and was instrumental in its establishment. At the Institute of English and American Studies in particular, an almost informal atmosphere reigned at first, due in part to the fact that they often had to improvise. "Despite the difficult conditions, we often had a lot of fun and the spirit of change and renewal at that time was a bonding experience. Because not everything had been set in stone yet, there was a lot of scope for personal initiative." In the winter semester of 1993, the Institute of English and American Studies launched North American studies and British cultural studies – making TUD the only university at the time offering cultural studies courses. Nikolai Press also attended classes with Professors Walter Grünzweig (North American studies) and Jürgen Kamm (British studies). "They are just two of the teachers who have had a lasting influence on me". A semester abroad at the University of Sussex at Brighton in the UK also had an impact on him. Things were organized differently than in Dresden. "There were far fewer seminars during the semester and fewer students in the classes and you therefore engaged more with the material. It was simply impossible to show up to a seminar unprepared," he recalls. "Interestingly, I took American studies there because my focus at the time was still on the US," he adds with a smile. In his eyes, the approach was more effective, but it was also more like school. "Students at German universities are often left to manage for themselves. But that can help them to become independent and proactive and to learn to motivate themselves," he says.

Press – who had worked as a student assistant at the Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies during his degree – needed that proactive approach when job-hunting. As a student, he would have said journalism if asked about his career aspirations. He also considered a career in academia, but decided to make the major move across the English Channel a year after graduating in 2000.

He moved to the United Kingdom and settled in London. The academic with very good English became a classic career switcher: he worked first in customer services at an investment firm and later joined Specialty Group. The company works on behalf of travel insurance companies to help people who need medical assistance abroad, whether that be handling treatment costs or repatriating the sick or injured. "I ended up in this industry by chance," laughs Nikolai Press. A stroke of luck. "I really enjoy the work. In the end, my German language skills also helped me get this job, although my work is by no means limited to cases in German-speaking countries."

Since 2009, Nikolai Press has been promoting TUD and publicizing opportunities for students in the Saxon capital as a regional ambassador in London. It is a role that is close to his heart. "I had a great time in Dresden and now I'm giving something back to my university," said the TUD alumnus who has made London his home. He distributes TUD flyers around the city and contacts German departments and faculties in the United Kingdom and Ireland, providing them with information about studying at TUD. It is not always easy to promote studying in Germany. "Germany and Germans are not very popular in the UK," he notes regretfully. "In the case of Dresden in particular, there is sometimes a certain hesitancy, which is related to the bombing of the city by the British Air Force during World War II." He tells us that London, on the other hand, is extremely popular with TUD students. They will often ask him about life in the British capital – questions can even include inquiries about cell phone rates and buying rail and bus tickets. In response to this demand, he has compiled a comprehensive guide entitled "Leben und Arbeiten in London" ("Living and working in London"). It answers all the most frequently asked questions about the country and its people – and, of course, the city.

Nikolai Press goes into raptures when he talks about where he lives. "I genuinely love living in London. The city has so much to offer and is incredibly dynamic and international – you come into contact with almost all regions of the world almost every day in your circle of friends, at your workplace, or simply when you're out shopping." Will he ever want to return to Germany and Dresden? A difficult question. "For the right job, I could see myself doing that," he believes, "– maybe".

Contact details:

Email: Nikolai Press

Web: Internationale Regionalbotschafter

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