Student and Academic Services

Sabine Gerlach is an experienced higher education professional and Chartered Marketer who brings about change by building trusting relationships with partners, stakeholders and students to deliver the best student experience.

Her expertise is in International Student Mobility, Strategic Development and Pedagogy, underpinned by academic qualifications in management, marketing and education. Before joining Lancaster University Leipzig, she was Assistant Professor in Marketing at Lincoln University, where she currently commences her doctoral studies.

Marie-Christine Borowiak joined Lancaster University Leipzig as Academic Office Manager in July 2022. She has previously worked and studied in France, Germany and Scotland. She is particularly interested in the continuous improvement and promotion of international studies, research and teaching.

Josefine Fitchett joined Lancaster University Leipzig in April 2022 as a Career and Engagement Manager. Her role is to prepare students for their entry into the labour market by training them in CV and cover letter writing and supporting them in defining their career goals and what it takes to reach them. To support students in their pursuit of having a successful career, Josefine also works to establish a network of regional partners from Leipzig’s varied company landscape. Her goal is to match students and graduates with regional companies in need for well-educated, motivated people that contribute to companies’ success and ultimately add to the success of Leipzig and Saxony.

Being originally from Leipzig and holding a Master’s degree from the University of Bristol in Gender and International Relations, Josefine has a deep first-hand understanding of both, German and British work and study cultures. Josefine is an expert building strong professional and interpersonal relationships to attain business goals.  She previously worked as operations manager for BaseCamp Student where she established strong partnerships with local universities and corporations like Porsche, Helios Clinic, Deutsche Bahn and Amazon. Before that she was manager student affairs for MSc students at HHL. Beyond that she is trained as a life coach and a freelance writer for local and regional magazines.

Anamika Bhaduri holds a Master’s degree in public policy from Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, Germany. This course has given her exposure in leadership and management skills. She has worked at Hasso Plattner Institute, Potsdam as a student assistant where her work entailed co-ordinating online education programmes and curating courses for students.

Prior to moving to Germany, she worked as a lawyer in India. Her specialisation during the Bachelor’s degree was in Intellectual Property Rights and she also holds a Master’s degree in law with specialisation in International Trade and Investment Law.

While pursuing her studies at Willy Brandt School, she was part of the Examination and Admission Committee which allowed her to work on the recruitment and admission of students into the university. Studying in an international environment, she puts to use her interpersonal and communication skills to deal with student matters. At Lancaster University Leipzig, she holds the position of Student Services Officer, where she hopes to address student issues with understanding and empathy.

Elena Rotaru works as the Academic & Student Services Officer with a focus on retention and compliance at Lancaster University Leipzig, where she plays a key role in supporting students through the visa application process, settlement in Germany, and administrative dealings with German authorities. With a background in Business Economics and Marketing from the University of Strathclyde, UK, she brings valuable expertise in customer service, marketing, and compliance to her role. Fluent in English, Romanian, Russian, and German, Elena is determined to make the transition of students into German life as smooth as possible.

Alejandro Estrella’s deep fascination with human behaviour led him to study psychology and German at the University of Binghamton in upstate New York, three hours north of his hometown of Queens. His undergraduate thesis was on the neurobiology of resilience in rodent models with particular interest in recovery after trauma. He is presently completing his MBA at the University of Leipzig where his thesis focuses on the decision-making process within that startup context. He comes with his own entrepreneurial experience in both leadership and support positions within the private sector. When not engaged in a deep conversation he loves to write, cook, hike, and rock climb. He’s very excited to bring his skills and experience to help make the student experience at Lancaster one they will remember for a lifetime.

Iryna Kalmykova is delighted to serve as your Academic and Student Services Officer. With her diverse language skills – English, German, Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish – she is well-equipped to support international students with a wealth of knowledge and understanding to assist them in navigating their university journey. In addition to her role, she is also pursuing her own studies at the university Leipzig, giving herself invaluable insight into the student experience.