Shaping your career

UCL alumnus Sebastian Manhart (European Social and Political Studies, 2014) is a change-maker.  

He’s spent the last 10 years working in the global development sector, including six years as Chief Operating Officer at Simprints – a nonprofit tech company based in Cambridge that is dedicated to radically increasing transparency in global development.  

As an Italian who grew up in Munich, Sebastian is now taking on a new challenge back on familiar ground in Germany. He says: “The world around us has changed a lot recently. I am terrified about the continuous erosion of our democracies. I also believe that I can genuinely play a positive role with my tech expertise, moral compass, and entrepreneurial approach. 

“As such, I am following a gut feeling, leaving global development behind and making a bold move to enter German politics.” 

In his new role, Sebastian is splitting his time between advising the German chancellery, currently Angela Merkel’s office, and volunteering with Brand New Bundestag – a grassroots network whose mission is to bring more diverse, progressive individuals into German parliament.  

Looking back, Sebastian originally had plans to study physics in Germany, but became frustrated at the lack of multi-disciplinary course offerings. Instead, he decided to take a gap year working and travelling around the world.  

“He says: “That’s when I met some UCL students who told me with enthusiasm about their cosmopolitan university. I started looking into it and found European Social and Political Studies, an incredible course that allowed me to satisfy my passion for politics, philosophy, economics, and languages all in one.” 

While he has studied at various institutions, Sebastian believes that his passion to make change happen on an international level took root during his four years at UCL. He was “blown away” by his first Global Health and Justice lesson. It was taught by Jonathan Wolff, who would inspire Sebastian’s career path in global development. Sebastian says: “I also had fantastic courses on politics and international relations with Professor Philippe Maliere and Kristin Bakke, which have contributed to my decision to move into European politics.”  

Outside of his studies, Sebastian embraced every chance to try something new at UCL. He was part of several societies, notably the European Society and the SSEES Football team. “Looking back, it is the people I met and the experiences I had in that part of my life that have helped me most. UCL provides a unique and incredible platform for these activities, and that is what students should make the most of,” he says. “The advice I give to all students - whether international or not - is not to spend too much time studying and instead see university as a holistic experience of personal growth.” 

Looking to the future, UCL is committed to our relationship with Europe, and we will continue to be home to a diverse community of staff and students with the freedom and courage to challenge and to think differently. 

“Sebastian mirrors this feeling, and he firmly believes that European students will continue to thrive within the UCL family. He says: “I still consider UCL to be one of the most cosmopolitan and international universities in the UK and thus I believe European students will feel more at ease there than in many other places.”