Vincent Tadday, alumnus BSc Global Studies

What was your favourite course and why?
In retrospect, the courses were all puzzle pieces that ultimately formed a coherent picture. That is not always easy to grasp while you are taking them, because it is both intellectually and organisationally challenging to study courses that centre on skill sets and global issues rather than a single discipline.

This became particularly clear during the semester on Migration and Citizenship. We had lectures that were simultaneously taught by a legal scholar, a social psychologist, and a political economist. Navigating between different theories and analytical tools used by scholars to make sense of the world was challenging, but it forced many of us to truly position ourselves and critically reflect on our own assumptions. Looking back, I find this experience incredibly valuable.

Looking back, what are some of the things you learned during your studies that have truly helped you in your current career, personal life, or other experiences?
Global Studies provided me with a broad toolbox of skills and techniques that I still use today. It is a generalist education, but because of its interdisciplinarity and its deliberate breaking down of silos, you really learn how to make sense of very different kinds of information.

Equally important was the hands-on approach to learning. When I left the Global Studies programme to pursue a master’s degree in Paris and Berlin, I had already conducted several small research projects involving interviews with people from very different walks of life. As a result, when I later chose to interview high-ranking political figures for my master’s thesis, it felt natural to me, while many of my classmates struggled with this step.

Could you tell us more about your current career?
After graduating from Global Studies, I continued with a master’s degree in Public Policy at Sciences Po Paris and the Hertie School in Berlin. I chose this path because, after completing my bachelor's degree, I knew that I ultimately wanted to build a career as a political affairs expert. After spending three years in Maastricht, I felt ready to move to one of the major European capitals.

Studying between Paris and Berlin, in two very different academic systems and environments, came with its own challenges, but I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. During my master’s, I started working for different think tanks on issues ranging from international relations and technology policy to transatlantic trade relations. I also completed an internship at a consultancy specialising in corporate affairs and government relations.

Gradually, I gained a foothold in the political environment in Paris, Brussels, and Berlin, and towards the end of my studies I had the privilege of receiving an offer to work for a parliamentarian in the German Federal Parliament. My work focuses on research, technology and space policy, as well as European affairs.

As a policy advisor and parliamentary assistant, I advise the parliamentarian I work for on a daily basis. I prepare briefings, write speeches and press releases, coordinate positions across the parliamentary group, and move from one meeting to the next during parliamentary sessions. In parallel, I continuously track, filter, and assess relevant information and engage with stakeholders affected by our work. It is a highly versatile role, involving a wide range of topics as well as complex parliamentary rules and procedures. I genuinely enjoy this complexity, and after studying politics in so many different forms, it is deeply enriching to get a daily look behind the scenes.

The career path I have chosen does not follow a clear ladder. People go in many different directions after working in parliament. I know that I will need to reinvent myself several times over the course of my career. That said, I am confident that the experience I am gaining now will be useful in whatever I do next and provides a solid foundation to build on.

Which milestones in your career are you most proud of?
There is no single defining milestone. Instead, I am very happy with how my studies unfolded and how the different stages and degrees fit together to form, for me, a coherent skill set and collection of experiences. I am proud of the bachelor’s and master’s theses I wrote, the late-night study sessions with people I can now call my best friends, and the experiences I gained along the way, such as the field study in Cyprus, co-founding the Global Studies Community, living in different countries, and learning different languages.

All of this comes together in my current job, where I can actively contribute to democratic processes and participate in shaping German and European policy on a daily basis.

What is your fondest memory from your time in Maastricht as a FASoS student?
I met incredible people in Maastricht. I met my girlfriend, who also studied at Maastricht University, lived with wonderful flatmates, and had great classmates and professors. In retrospect, Maastricht, the university, and the Global Studies programme offered an exceptional support system.

At the time, this was not always fully apparent to me as a student, but looking back, it is remarkable how many people were invested in supporting us throughout our studies. That is something we should not take for granted.

What advice or tip would you give to current or prospective students?
Global Studies is truly what you make of it. The interdisciplinary set-up is not for everyone. Some students struggle with the overload of perspectives and explanations for some of the world’s most pressing issues, or with the idea of being trained as a generalist, and that is completely fine.

However, if you are curious by nature and want to learn how to make sense of complex information, Global Studies might be the right programme for you. Go for it and give it a try!

January 2026