Heiko Joerg Schick

On striking a balance

The importance of realistic goals and compromise in achieving progress Most individuals possess a sense of what constitutes an unrealistic goal. When dealing with matters of the world, it is crucial to strike a balance between focusing on a goal and knowing when to let go of it. Buddha pointed

Geopolitics

On the contrasting immigrant experiences in Canada and Germany

Challanges and opportunities for integration and policy reform Recent studies have shown that immigrants to Canada exhibit exceptional levels of education. While 42% of native-born Canadians have a higher education degree, 53-62% of immigrants have obtained higher education degrees. Germany's situation is different. According to a recent international

Book Recommendation

A ray of hope instead of a blackout: Why we need to rethink the way we improve the world

Book Recommendation With a large portion of intelligence, scientific expertise and witty wordplay, Vince Ebert takes a balanced and unideological look at the topic of energy policy. Even though the author takes on a sombre topic here, which at first glance does not seem all that attractive, you can still

Book Recommendation

This is how sick the hospital is: A path to more humanity, quality and sustainability in medicine

Book Recommendation Based on his many years of experience as a doctor and hospital manager, Prof. Dr. Jochen A. Werner reports on nursing emergencies and toxic leaders, policy failures, financial deficits and missed opportunities of digitalisation that cost human lives. But the top physician from Essen is not outlining a

Education

On education, the requirement of lifelong learning and solutions

The following article explains why we need to rethink education. It provides solutions for younger and experienced talents—especially in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity.

Geopolitics

On the failure of appeasement

The lessons are here, spelt out in great detail, and we choose to ignore them at our peril—an article about pre-Second World War history and appeasement.

Geopolitics

On the myth that Russia was promised NATO would not enlarge

A minority of people share information that without Genscher's and Baker's pledge to Russia not to expand NATO to the East, there would have been no German reunification. Such baseless assertions disguised as fact are highly problematic, especially in the current situation.

Geopolitics

On the Ukrainian refugee crisis and Munich's help to soften the fall

Russian aggression in Ukraine has displaced over 2.5 million people who have sought refuge in European Union countries. The number of refugees could rise up to 5 million or higher with the intensification of the conflict.

Sports

On counting medals

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) ranks countries based on the number of gold medals won, followed by silver and bronze in case of a tie.

Business

On tree-like architectures, pressure and its distribution

Gaudi's Sagrada Familia's tree-inspired columns contribute significantly to the basilica's structure. This concept was prevalent in past architectural designs, including China's Forbidden City, where an interlocking timber system called "Dougong" was used.

Sports

On the winter olympics

In this blog post, I excitement about the upcoming Winter Olympics and critique how Western media displays a negative perspective of the event's location.

Society

On gender stars

I have to confess that I still find it challenging to read German texts with "gender stars". I know the reasoning, but I still don't have efficient reading fluency when reading a text with heavy gender stars. A gender star (German: Gendersternchen) is a nonstandard typographic

Technology

On keyboards with mechanical switches

The 1992 IBM Model M was a robust and satisfying programming and typing keyboard, but became outdated due to lack of modern functions and a bulky design. Contemporary keyboards like the KEYCHRON K14 have reintroduced mechanical keys.

Coronavirus

On the immune system and a fitting analogy

The immune system doesn't need constant challenges to stay active; the analogy to a muscle requiring regular training is incorrect. A more fitting comparison likens the immune system to a cookbook gradually filled with recipes on how to combat various infections.

Technology

On technology

Technology takes three distinct forms: An embodied tool, written instruction or process knowledge.

Geopolitics

On the great technology rivalry

China has developed further and faster on more dimensions than any nation in history. All this happened so quickly that many have not yet had time to be astonished.

Environment

On worldwide and historical CO2 emissions

These are essential charts. The first chart shows the worldwide CO2 emission per capita and per country. The second chart shows the shares of historical emissions.

Politics

On transition and stability

Today is a reminder of how young and stable Germany is.

Geopolitics

On NATO and Afghanistan — a hammer and a nail

German Minister Heiko Maas suspends Afghan deportations due to worsening security. The move follows NATO's controversial withdrawal from Afghanistan, risking the investments and efforts of Western countries over two decades.

Coronavirus

On vaccine patent waivers, why they won't help and a few proposed solutions

The U.S. proposal for a COVID-19 vaccine patent waiver has been criticised as political and inefficient. It overlooks high drug prices rooted in the U.S. healthcare system and could disrupt global supply chains.

Coronavirus

On European solidarity and Anglo-Saxon protectionism

Vaccination disparities due to US/UK protectionism worry Europeans. EU, despite slow vaccine rollout, exports millions of doses globally. Cooperation, not greed, is crucial to ending the pandemic.

China

On survival

Charles Darwin said, "It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent one—it is the one that is most adaptable to change".