Julia Duchrow Opens “Women Who Lead: The Empowerment Series” at Schiller Heidelberg

How can future leaders turn their values into meaningful action? That question was at the heart of the first session of Women Who Lead: The Empowerment Series at Schiller International University’s Heidelberg Campus, which welcomed approximately 70 students, faculty, and staff members for an afternoon dedicated to leadership, resilience, human rights, and social impact.

The series opened with Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International Germany, who joined the Schiller community for the session “Her Story: Know Your Worth.” Drawing on her professional journey in human rights advocacy and policy, as well as her personal connection to Heidelberg, Julia encouraged students to consider how purpose and personal values can shape both their careers and the impact they have on the world around them.

The event marked the beginning of a wider leadership and empowerment initiative designed to inspire confidence, foster inclusion, and equip students with the skills and mindset to become future leaders and changemakers.

Women Who Lead is one of the many initiatives that reflect Schiller International University’s commitment to SDG 5: Gender Equality, creating spaces that promote inclusion, empowerment, and equal opportunities for the next generation of leaders.

Key Takeaways

• Leading with Purpose: Julia Duchrow encouraged students to consider how their values can guide their professional journeys and contribute to meaningful social impact.
• Resilience Creates Change: The session highlighted perseverance and the importance of continuing to advocate for change even when progress is difficult.
• Finding and Using Your Voice: Students were encouraged to stand up for the causes they believe in and recognize their own ability to contribute to positive change.
• Learning Through Conversation: An interactive Q&A created space for discussions around leadership, human rights, career development, and social impact.
• Opening New Opportunities: The event also led to conversations about potential future collaborations between Schiller International University and Amnesty International.

Building a Career Around Purpose and Values

The session began with welcome remarks from Sanja Stevic, Campus Director, before Julia Duchrow introduced students to her personal and professional journey.

Drawing on her extensive experience in human rights advocacy and policy work, she reflected on what it means to build a career around purpose. Her presentation explored the realities of influencing policy, advocating for justice, and standing up for causes even when achieving change can be challenging.

A central message throughout the conversation was that creating meaningful change does not necessarily begin with one major action. Small steps, perseverance, and a continued commitment to personal principles can gradually contribute to a wider impact.

For students preparing for their own professional journeys, this provided an important perspective on leadership. A career can be measured not only through professional advancement, but also through the values that guide decisions and the contribution an individual chooses to make.

From Human Rights to the Future of Leadership

Human rights provided the professional context for Julia Duchrow’s experience, but the lessons of the session extended into wider questions of leadership and career development.

Students were encouraged to develop resilience, remain committed to their principles, and understand the importance of using their voices to contribute to positive change.

The session also demonstrated that leadership does not exist separately from the challenges facing society. Future professionals will increasingly need to understand how their decisions interact with questions of inclusion, justice, responsibility, and social impact.

This broader perspective is particularly relevant within Schiller’s international community, where students are preparing to work across different countries, cultures, sectors, and professional environments.

Turning the Session into a Conversation

Student participation became an important part of the afternoon.

Throughout the session, students contributed questions and perspectives before taking part in an interactive Q&A with Julia Duchrow. The exchange opened conversations around leadership, human rights, career development, and different pathways towards creating social impact.

Rather than approaching leadership only as an abstract concept, students were able to hear directly from an experienced professional, ask questions about the realities behind her work, and consider how those lessons could apply to their own ambitions.

The session also opened the door to conversations about possible future collaboration between Schiller International University and Amnesty International, including potential internships, research partnerships, student projects, and future guest speaker engagements. These conversations reflect Schiller’s wider commitment to developing global partnerships that connect students with organizations, professionals, and opportunities beyond the classroom.

Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders

The visit from Julia Duchrow was only the beginning of Women Who Lead: The Empowerment Series.

The initiative is designed to create opportunities for students to explore leadership from different perspectives while developing the confidence, skills, and mindset needed to become future leaders and changemakers. The program continues throughout November with interactive workshops, discussions, and leadership challenges focused on communication, leadership, innovation, and social impact.

By opening the series with a conversation about human rights, resilience, values, and meaningful change, Julia Duchrow offered students an important starting point: leadership is not simply about where a person’s career takes them, but also about what they choose to stand for along the way.