Mariana Burghiu is a native of Romania. She studied German language and literature and American studies (certified philologist) and in Munich European ethnology, political science and intercultural communication (MA). Her master’s thesis deals with the acculturation process of Romanians in Munich. During and after her studies, she gained professional experience in industry at Romanian and German companies in Romania and Germany. In addition, she participated in the Student Initiative for Intercultural Competence and conducted training courses for German as well as foreign students. Currently, she is living in Brussels and working as a training manager assistant for one of the European institutions.