ANNE LIEKENBROCK, POLITICAL ADVISOR
In 2008, Anne Liekenbrock graduated with a double degree in European Studies and Public Administration from the University of Twente and the University of Münster. Now she is working for the European Parliament as a political advisor. She has a highly varied job which involves giving political advice and support to the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. She also prepares briefings and press conferences. On top of all that, Anne deals with staff management in Brussels and Strasbourg and with budget planning.
STUDY CAREER
“I chose to study at the UT because the programme promised a great general overview of political science, economics and international law – three areas that provide an excellent foundation for a career in a political environment. I particularly liked the smaller groups. The approach to learning was much more interactive than in Germany.” Anne’s Bachelor’s thesis was entitled Above the Law – Legitimate Behaviour of International Organizations. She followed this up with a Master’s thesis on business development and socio-ecological responsibility.
GAINING WORKING EXPERIENCE
In addition to her mother tongue of German, Anne speaks fluent English, Spanish and Portuguese as well as basic French, which is a great advantage in the business world. She also gained a lot of working experience in various countries while working for the Fair Trade Advocacy Office in Brussels, and the Centre for Environmental Law and Sustainable Development in Portugal. As if this weren’t enough, she also did voluntary work for a development organization in Peru.
AN EARLY STARTER
Anne Liekenbrock reveals that she has been working as a freelancer since she was 17, as part of a team organizing seminars. When she was 23, she started to lead these seminars, which gave her a very beneficial grounding outside the world of politics. It also allowed her to combine and improve her organizational and supervision skills and taught her how to lead a team as well as groups.
