Minor matters?Interview with Stefan Messingschlager about his Involvement with Arbeiterkind.de and ApplicAid e.V.

3 May 2023

Photo: Messingschlager

In the doctoral phase, you dive deep into your own topic while in many cases already publishing diligently and gaining teaching experience. All of this is often so time-consuming that other activities become, at least at times, a minor matter for many doctoral candidates.

In our interview series “minor matters?”, we present doctoral students who are nevertheless involved in the university environment alongside their research work – but why, what does that do for them and how do they balance it all? Today we are speaking with Stefan Messingschlager, who is doing his doctorate at the Helmut Schmidt University on the history of expertise on China in the Federal Republic of Germany from the 1960s to the 1980s.

What exactly is this "minor matter" you are involved in besides your doctorate?

I am especially committed to supporting young people from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds—on their path towards university study, during their studies, and when starting their careers. I do this by heading 2 groups of volunteers in Hamburg— for the ArbeiterKind.de organization, I have online office hours to offer university and high school students in Hamburg a place for all their questions about studying. I also set up the ApplicAid e.V. Association, a group of volunteers who, among other things, provide information about scholarships and motivate people to apply.

Why do you invest your (certainly often scarce) time and energy here?

There are many reasons: The demand for these kinds of services is immense; even though there really aren't many out there. So it’s about taking responsibility. And it’s worth it: when those seeking advice have a plan or at least some clarity at the end of a conversation, we’ve achieved something. So we make a small but important contribution to greater educational justice—what a great feeling! And I am, of course, especially happy that I am now asked to talk about the topics of educational advancement and classicism.

What tips do you have on how to get started with such a commitment without having to go beyond your own limits?

As odd as it sounds, you also need to draw clear boundaries when it comes to this kind of commitment: 2 hours per week is definitely enough to make a difference. There are great organizations and associations like ArbeiterKind.de or ApplicAid e.V. where you can make a contribution in many areas even if you don't have much time to spare. Your motto should be "Start small but stick at it"—if everyone did that, the world would be a better place.