Andrew C. Dibble ’15, has been selected for an International Parliamentary Scholarship (IPS) by the German Bundestag (parliament), in collaboration with the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Freie Universität Berlin and Technische Universität Berlin.
Dibble was awarded a stipend of $450 euros per month, free room and board, insurance and travel expenses to study at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. He will be placed in a 15-week internship in the office of a member of the Bundestag.
Dibble is a 2015 graduate of Canisius with degrees in international business and German.
“I first learned about IPS four years ago when a member of the Bundestag spoke at Canisius,” says Dibble. “I was instantly fascinated by the idea of living in Berlin and becoming even a small cog in the political machine, and gaining experience working in the office of a member of the Bundestag. In addition, I hoped to get to know people of different nations and cultures in the multicultural setting of Berlin.”
Dibble will begin his five-month placement with the German Bundestag at the end of February 2016. During this time, Dibble will have the opportunity to get to know the German parliamentary system and the political decision-making process to gain practical experience of parliamentary work. Dibble will work closely with a member of the Bundestag and will be introduced to the wide variety of tasks carried out in his or her office.
“Andrew is uniquely qualified for the IPS because he is fluent in German and had theoretical training as a dual major in German and international business,” says Peter Boehm, PhD, professor of German at Canisius University. “He will get the opportunity to learn about the daily life of a member of Parliament, which in itself is a highly valuable experience, and will also be able to interact with participants from other cultures.”
During his time at Canisius, Dibble studied abroad for a year in Germany at the Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. He has also worked as a German language tour guide for Over the Falls Tours, Inc.
Each year the IPS places 120 young professionals from 41 countries around the world in Berlin to take courses at a German university. The purpose of the International Parliamentary Scholarship is to teach young people about the significance of friendly cooperation based on shared political and cultural values.
