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Lukas Redemann - Local Coordinator Transform4Europe
From A for AStA to T for T4EU
Lukas Redemann has been at Saarland University for pretty much exactly ten years. His journey began when he moved from North Rhine-Westphalia to Saarland to start his Bachelor’s in French Cultural Studies and Intercultural Communication. After graduating, Lukas began the trinational Master’s degree course Border Studies here in Saarbrücken, which led him to start working in the International Relations Division as a student employee. Since 2022, Lukas has been working as the local coordinator for the Transform4Europe Alliance (T4EU). During his studies, Lukas took on many roles, working as a student assistant in various departments, participating in the student parliament and even chairing the General Student Committee (AStA) and the Transform4Europe’s student council. Pretty impressive!
These experiences helped Lukas learn more about what would become his current role and led him to start working as an administrative assistant at Transform4Europe while writing his Master's thesis, where he stayed after graduating. ‘I wanted to finish writing my Master's thesis a soon as possible so that I could focus on my work here, which I am really passionate about,’ Lukas explains. The benefits of becoming so well acquainted with different parts of the university while studying speak for themselves: he got to know the inner workings of the university, gained new perspectives and, of course, made valuable connections. ‘I’ve known many of the people here at the uni for quite a time – that is so valuable,’ he continues.
‘My work at Saarland University is full of variety!’
What might sound like a cliché, is in fact reality for Lukas. As Saarland University's local coordinator for the Transform4Europe alliance, Lukas has a broad range of responsibilities and no two days are alike, whether he is researching and writing, brainstorming strategies, making video calls or meeting with project partners on campus or in the city centre. ‘Of course I’ve got a calendar with more or less fixed appointments, but when I get to campus in the morning, I know that I'll get at least one call that surprises me – nearly always in a good way.’ In simple terms, Lukas is the person to contact if anyone on campus - whether it be students, employees or professors - has questions about the Transform4Europe alliance or would like to get involved in some way. That could mean colleagues who want to establish joint study programmes or plan excursions with partner universities, or students who want to connect with students from other universities to discuss issues or share ideas, or Saarland University employees who want to participate in staff training and development at a partner university in the Transform4Europe alliance.
‘People often have ideas, but they don’t know how to put them into action – for example, how to organize a conference on a certain topic. What I really enjoy thinking about is how we help to move ideas forward, how we can involve our T4EU partner universities etc., especially when I get to connect in-person with the colleagues I am working with. The job is fun because I get to meet so many new people, we get to share ideas and work together to help drive internationalization forward at Saarland University.’
A typical workday
Lukas usually arrives to work by bus or by bike between 8.30 and 9 a.m. He starts off by saying hello to the team, either virtually or in-person, and getting settled in – something he always tries to do whether he's working on campus or away on a business trip. He then checks his emails and calendar. A day without a meeting is rare for Lukas. He likes to go to the Mensa for lunch or grab a bite on campus. According to Lukas, no day is complete without getting a little fresh air, perhaps while enjoying a cup of coffee on the main campus lawn. After finishing his last tasks and tying up loose ends for the day, Lukas heads home between 5 and 5.30 p.m. When the weather allows, Lukas plays beach volleyball once a week through the University Sports Center. He also enjoys going swimming. In his free time, Lukas also likes to go hiking or on holiday and enjoys spending time at the Staden recreational area on the banks of the Saar.
What surprised Lukas about working at Saarland University? The bureaucracy. And he doesn’t necessarily mean it in a bad way, but rather it's recognition of the fact that such a complex and ever-changing entity like the uni needs a strong backbone of rules and guidelines in order to function properly. When asked if there was one particular highlight that stands out from his time at the university to date, Lukas had the answer right away. It was his time at AStA, as it helped him grow as a person and contributed to his decision to stay in Saarland after graduating. Lukas’ work on the General Student Committee taught him about the challenges that the university faces, as well as how each and every one of us can contribute to overcoming them. ‘It was a very eventful and lovely time,’ muses Lukas.
