Alfred Watzl

1999 | Civil and Construction Engineering

Career Development

In the 2nd practical semester, I was employed by STRABAG International GmbH in Poland as a construction phase manager (March-July 1998 in Bytom near Katowice, construction of a shopping centre for the German Metro Group) and already during the practical semester, I received a job offer as a construction manager from the then STRABAG boss in Poland, under the condition that I would be able to present a completed civil engineering degree by October 1999 at the latest. This was my motivation and pressure at the same time to complete my studies at DIT in eight semesters, including my diploma thesis (among other things, this is one of the reasons why I was probably the very first civil engineering graduate).

My first job was as a construction manager at STRABAG for the Real construction project (Metro Group) in Lublin. Then I became the project manager of the Metro Shopping Centre in Krakow, a prestigious project with a contract value of €26 million. Very independent work was necessary here. Building up a team, cooperating with the customer (including the Metro management) and, last but not least, intercultural cooperation (German, Austrian, Polish) provided me with important management skills in the technical, but also in the commercial and personnel areas at an early stage. During the team management, e.g. of an ECE shopping centre project with a contract value of €50 million, the STRABAG Management Board in Vienna "took notice" of me and I became divisional manager for large and special projects throughout Poland.

In January 2004 he was appointed to the national board. As technical director, I was responsible for STRABAG's structural and civil engineering in Poland, the development of a sustainable and nationwide organisation from project business to area business, the establishment of branch offices, etc. From January 2013 I was responsible as technical division manager for all operative business areas in Poland (traffic route construction, structural and civil engineering, bridge construction, railway construction, etc.) with an annual output volume of approx. € 900 million and approx. 5,000 employees.

Since January 2019, I have been a member of the Executive Board of the Group holding company STRABAG SE, responsible for the North + West segment (Germany, Poland, Scandinavia, Benelux) with an annual output volume of approx. € 8.0 billion and approx. 25,000 employees. 75,000 employees of the STRABAG SE Group generate an output of approximately €16.3 billion, making STRABAG the fifth largest construction company in Europe and the fourteenth largest construction company in the world.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

As the first year of the civil engineering course, we had to work hard on lots of things ourselves together with the professors - there was no "blueprint" for either the professors or the students. This certainly entailed a lot of extra work, but the big advantage was that we had to get very involved and take responsibility. As a result, many students have also built up a close relationship with each other and with the professors - there was a kind of pioneering atmosphere overall. During this time, I also founded the "Verein der Deggendorfer Bauingenieure e.V.- VD-Bau" with fellow students (with formal support from Prof. Scherer) and was the first founding chairman.

In the middle/end of the 1990s Deggendorf was a very popular meeting place for young people within a radius of 100 km, i.e. the range of pubs, parties etc. could easily fill a 7-day week - which sometimes posed great challenges with regard to the compulsory attendance of some courses - but the development of soft skills during the studies was also important. So this time was not wasted.

Especially at that time, we also met with professors after the lectures, e.g. at the Christmas market - as I said, we had to "work" a lot together.

What advice would you give to today's students?

... do not to rely solely and exclusively on pure expertise!

In the age of digitalisation and increasing anonymity, social skills are becoming even more important. A technically sound education was and remains a basic requirement, but: As our processes on construction sites and processes close to construction sites become more and more complicated, the ability to work in a team is essential. The personal communication skills of all those involved play a major role here. Unfortunately, in the age of digitalisation, these skills are withering away because electronic communication dominates. Personal contact and discourse is avoided because it is perhaps more "strenuous"?!

Despite progressive digitalisation, people are still at the centre of the building industry, i.e. we deal with people every day: colleagues, superiors, customers, subcontractors, etc. Commitment, assumption of responsibility, respect, innovativeness, empathy, etc. are necessary values to enable a company and our society to operate successfully in the long term. But these values must be lived by all people in an organisation.

By the way, values cannot be replaced by machines or artificial intelligence!

For this reason, I can only encourage students to become more involved and take on responsibility during their studies, such as in student associations. The famous "thinking outside the box" is more topical than ever before. Please find out more about the challenges that digital transformation poses for employees and managers. The carousel of change is spinning faster and faster.

But this allows you to look to the future with great optimism: Civil engineers with a sound education, a "decent" portion of the above-mentioned values and social competence are and will continue to be in above-average demand on the job market.

But first of all: Enjoy your studies - especially the socialising!

Good luck with it!

Yours,

Alfred Watzl

Thomas Hofbauer

Business Administration (dual)

Thomas Hofbauer still loves to visit the town, which functions as the door to the Bavarian Forest and thinks back to his exciting days as a student with a smile on his face.

Career Development

After graduating from high school, I decided to do a dual course of studies at DIT. In the course of my business administration studies (dual training as Bachelor & Banker) I acquired extensive knowledge of service-specific relationship processes in a regional bank. This also prompted me to develop further in the psychosocial field in addition to my business administration studies, and so I enrolled for a master's degree in business psychology at the FHAM Erding.

At the same time, as head of the e-commerce department at VR-Bank Rottal-Inn eG, I was responsible for the topic of digital sales and innovation and gained a great deal of knowledge in the areas of online marketing, online strategy and social media advertising through my certification as head of online business at the Academy of Bavarian Cooperatives. Since the main focus of my master studies, marketing and coaching, gave me a lot of pleasure, I decided to turn my back on the world of finance and orientate myself elsewhere. Through an assessment centre I acquired the position of deputy press spokesman in the district office of Rottal-Inn and was also responsible for the digital media presence. Since the middle of 2018 I am now office manager of the district administrator of Rottal-Inn. As office manager, I am in charge of the District Administrator's office (e.g. assignment of tasks and personnel management of the employees in the District Administrator's office). As personal assistant to the District Administrator, I am responsible for the coordination of the District Administrator's business and the preparation of appointments for the office management as well as the management function of the management level of the District Administrator's Office. In addition, I coordinate the preparation of the content of the meetings of the District Council and its committees and take part in almost all meetings.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

The time of my studies in Deggendorf was legendary, and I still think back often to that time with a smile on my face. The town of Deggendorf is just the right size, it offers the nightlife of a big city, but you feel safe like in a village, everything is within walking distance. The cultural diversity that the campus offers has broadened my horizon immensely and has enabled me to make many intercultural friendships, some of which still last until today. I still enjoy visiting the city, which is the gateway to the Bavarian Forest, and think back to a unique time of study. Does the phenomenal currywurt still exist at Otto's?

What advice would you give to today's students?

The most important thing during the study time is, besides the lectures, self-organisation and a sensible time management to divide the learning material and to use synergy effects by learning together with fellow students. And above all: do not push exams! That will certainly catch up with you. If you do reach your limit, I can only advise you to seek direct contact with the professors. Especially the professors at DIT are not sitting in an ivory tower, but are there for the students when they need them - I have always appreciated that. And last but not least: even if you miss a mark - don't let yourself down, much more important are the contacts and networks, the experiences as well as internships and projects and these can be built up and maintained very well at DIT.

Turgay Mus

2003 | Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

Career development

After finishing my GCSEs, I decided to study electrical engineering at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. The degree was inspiring because it was not only theory, but also had a focus on practical application through internships. Furthermore, I was a member of the then „High-Tech-Offensive Bayern“ team led by Prof. Dr. Ing. Grzemba. After successfully completing my electrical engineering studies at DIT in 2003, I continued to work as a laboratory/project engineer for industrial projects at the university until 2004. My first job in the free economy was from March 2004 until the end of September 2006 in the company Trimble Terrasat GmbH as GPS/GNSS/Galileo as software developer and project manager in development projects. Here I developed software and protocols for real time gps/gnss correction data distribution (e.g. protocol NTRIP or software GPSNet, NTRIPCaster). In October 2006 I changed to the automotive industry, to the company ASK Industries GmbH in Niederwinkling as developer and technical project manager for automotive audio amplifiers (including Porsche Burmester MOST audio amplifiers) from the development phase to SOP (and beyond) as a SW developer and also as a technical project manager. From 2011 to 2018, I worked at the automotive supplier HARMAN (Samsung subsidiary). My work was in the MOST/CAN/CAN-FD/Ethernet audio amplifier development department. My development work was very international, for example by travelling directly to the development site in Suzhou/Shanghai in China or the cooperation with Indian SW colleagues defined my everyday working life, among other things. At the same time, my exciting tasks included visits to conferences and the preparation of publications in specialist magazines. Customer projects at MBW (Booster, RAM), Volkswagen and Mercedes were my main focus. Since July 2018, I have been working as an engineer at BMW AG. The current highlight here was the application for a patent for the method of assessing welds using an artificial neural network.

Reminiscing allowed: Remember your student days

If someone were to ask me today whether I would study again? I would definitely say YES, but at the same add, “but only at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology”. Since I am one of the first graduates from the Deggendorf Institute of Technology, we didn’t have as many offers as there are today, but the DNA of the university hasn’t changed. We still have top professors at the university and a range of courses that is unique in the region. I was proud of that back then and even more so today.

What advice would you give to today’s students?

I graduated at the age of 23, speak a variety of foreign languages (including Chinese) and have been working at BMW AG for three years. I won a prize at the internal international innovation week Think.Make.Start, where I developed a patent in just one week. I definitely owe the basis for this innovative ability to my education at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. Therefore, my advice to my future academic colleagues of tomorrow is that they should value their time on campus, because it is really something "special" to be able to study at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology.

Michael Bauer

2005 | Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

Career Development

In the summer of 2005 I completed my studies in the field of electrical engineering and information technology with the focus on automation technology as the last graduating class as Dipl.-Ing.(FH) at the University of Applied Sciences in Deggendorf. Before starting my professional life, I travelled through New Zealand and Australia from October to February 2006, before I started working as a test field engineer for small and large engines at the Loher motor factory in Ruhstorf.

During my two years of work I was able to build up my specialist knowledge of motors with/without explosion protection (Ex d, Ex i, Ex e) and generators, which was very helpful when I joined Finergy AG, based in Voerde/NRW, as "Sales and Service Engineer" for wind power generators and converters. In September 2011 I changed to Siemens AG and was responsible as "Quality Manager in Project" for preventive and operative quality planning and assurance in transnational projects for generators for the entire product life cycle. Due to the job requirements at both, Flender AG and Siemens AG, I had to make many business trips in Europe and China to get to know the country and its people directly on site.

In May 2017 I changed to the engineering office IB Graf for electrotechnical building equipment in Pfarrkirchen, which I took over one year later as owner with the current company name IB Bauer+Graf. The field of activity covers a wide range of tasks in the most diverse sub-trade from industrial buildings to the planning of villas for high voltage/low voltage applications and lighting design, taking into account the installation depth and safety-relevant equipment required by the client.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I have fond memories of my studies: learning and living in Deggendorf corresponded to my ideas and was very structured during my eight semesters, based on the lecture plan. I had a certain classmateship with my fellow students, and the professors were always interested in communicating knowledge in a comprehensible way and responding directly to questions during the lecture. The lecture style and the experiments in the laboratories also reminded me to a large extent of my school days and the documents provided for the lecture were very well prepared.
To this day I still meet former fellow students in my professional environment.

What advice would you give to today's students?

My time at Siemens and my planning office has always shown me and continues to show me new development opportunities to advance professionally and personally. I always accepted these opportunities and thus followed a certain road map that life and the professional world offered me. During my studies, the professors also taught me that constant learning in a professional environment, including language skills in English, awaits graduates and is indispensable. I can underline this statement as fully correct. The studies in Deggendorf enabled me to pursue my career so far and were a very good decision on my path in life.

Kishore Kanade

2007 | Electrical Engineering and Information Technology

Career development

Currently I am working as a Senior Technical Project Test Lead for a project from a famous European OEM. I am responsible for a team here in Germany as well as Offshore Location. Regular planning, task assignment, monitoring and controlling  are a part of my day to day activities. I am also responsible for setting up resources, hardware as well as software tools at Offshore Locations and Customer Locations for the execution of the project. I along with my team actively take part in the project developement starting from the scratch till the product is launched into the market and also for after market support.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

Our study time in Deggendorf was very special. It opened up a totally different platform for us. We got in touch with many international aspects. It was very interesting to learn about the culture through various social events organised by AKI. The university provided us very interesting latest technology projects directly from the companies. We learnt a lot with the help of very friendly and supportive faculty members, professors and teaching staff of various departments at Deggendorf Institute of Technology. 

What advice would you give to today's students?

Deggendorf Institute of Technology is a great platform to start your career with. It prepares you very well with all the latest technology that is in high demand in the current industry. The various technical subjects, projects and master thesis topics are tailor made for individual technical topics keeping in mind the industry standards. The professors, teaching staff and faculty members are always there for you. You get a clear direction in the university about your future. If you are ready to receive the knowledge, the university has a lot of potential to help you in shaping up your future.

Dr. Malte Busch

2012 | International Management

Career Development

After graduating from high school I did an internship as an event manager and then studied international management at DIT. Afterwards I had the chance to gain insights into supply chain management at Siemens Wind Power (now Siemens Gamesa). However, I soon realised that I wanted to do a master's degree and decided to study International Management at Strathcylde Business School in Glasgow. I was then faced with the decision of either going into industry or following the call of the supervisor of my Master's thesis and doing my PhD. I decided to do a PhD and did so for 3 ½ years at the University of Coventry, focusing on stakeholder management in the automotive industry and the relationships between business, politics and civil society organisations. Afterwards I started as a lecturer at Coventry Business School with the aim of entering the business world in the medium term.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I remember my time in Deggendorf very well. I especially remember the many exciting encounters with students from all over the world and the opportunity to learn about different cultures. I am still in touch with many people from back then and I am very grateful that I had the opportunity to study in South America and to do an internship in Asia. I believe that these stays abroad had a significant influence on my personal development and professional orientation.

What advice would you give to today's students?

• To be curious and, despite all the complexity and uncertainties, to acquire a positive attitude that enables one to meet inspiring people and to be perceived as exciting at the same time
• To think big and not to let your own fear or the limits of your comfort zone slow you down
• Regularly acknowledge what has already been achieved and document goals and development steps
• Make connections with interesting people early on and don't be afraid to ask (unknown) people for advice. Normally curiosity is appreciated.

Adrian Kapsalis

2014 | International Management

Career Development

I studied International Management at DIT between 2009 and 2013 and already did my first internships in the start-up and venture capital sector, as it was already clear to me back then that I wanted to become an entrepreneur. After graduating, however, I couldn’t resist my childhood dream and first worked as a trainee and then as a marketing and sales coordinator at Ferrari Central Europe before moving to the headquarters in Maranello, Italy, as a business development manager.

After three years at Ferrari, I took the leap into entrepreneurship and founded LOEWI together with Philipp Merk and Calvin Devereux to make personalised health available to everyone. We helped thousands of customers improve their health and well-being with LOEWI, had one of the largest venture capital funds in Europe on board as an investor and successfully sold the company after exactly three years. 

At the same time, I try to share my experiences with students, including teaching the course “Entrepreneurship & Innovation” as a lecturer at DIT.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I met some of my best friends during my studies. The “small” but familiar environment was brilliant for building long-term relationships and friendships. All too often we think back to our adventures in Carpe or the many WG parties.

What advice would you give to today's students?

Use your studies to try things out and understand what you really want! Studying is the perfect environment to have fun, get involved and learn and grow at the same time. For example, I highly recommend every student to get involved in student clubs, such as Fast Forest.

Kim Plinke

2013 | International Management

Career Development

During the Abitur I noticed that I enjoy organising things, but after the Abitur I decided to go to Australia for some time to learn English and enjoy my freedom. After my return, the thought of event management had solidified, I saw my strengths in this business area. Accordingly, I was looking for a course of studies that was a bit more diversified and with which I could later go into different areas if I should notice that the event industry is not really my thing after all. I decided to do an internship in the event industry before I started my studies to get first impressions of what it is like to work in this field and I really liked it right away. By chance I came across the International Management course in Deggendorf and simply submitted my application, with success.

If I had to describe my career after graduation in one word, it would be the word "bumpy".

After my studies I moved to London and thought with a bachelor degree, 3 languages and two completed internships it would be no problem to find a job or at least another internship. However, this turned out to be more difficult than expected. At some point I started working as a waiter because I had cabin fever and money was running out. During a break while waiting tables I got into a conversation with the owner of the restaurant chain, who offered me a job as an event manager starting the next day. Event management for three restaurants was not what I wanted to do but it was a start and I thought: "better than nothing". After about a year I started sending out applications for other jobs from time to time, which was very frustrating. The job market in London is very crowded and everybody seems to have a lot of qualifications. It got to the point where I was even happy about rejection, because that was better than no feedback. After two and a half years in the restaurant business I found a new job and I was overjoyed... until I started there. After only one week I realised that this job would not fulfill me at all. As chance would have it, I got into conversation with an event agency through an acquaintance at the same time, which actually didn't have any vacancies. After five interviews they offered me a job, which was a great relief, because I wouldn't have been able to continue with the other "new" job for much longer. The negative point about the job in the event agency was that I had to start at the bottom again, i.e. from event manager to event assistant. But I really wanted to work in an event agency, so it was worth it.

It took a while until I had gained the necessary trust of my bosses. After a year I was frustrated to still be in the assistant position, but I promised myself I would grit my teeth and keep on doing it. Today I can say that it was worth it. After almost two years, everything changed and my career took off. I got two promotions within half a year and now I am where I wanted to be. It all came a bit later than planned, but sometimes you have to take a detour to get what you want. It is important not to give up, even if it is sometimes difficult. I am very happy in my job now and I know that the way for me will go further up, which motivates me to give everything every day.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

The thought of moving to Deggendorf (a place I had never heard of before) did not appeal to me at all at the beginning. I had received a rejection for my desired course of studies at another university and was frustrated. However, my mood changed right in the first week of my studies and I can now say that it was the best decision of my life to study in Deggendorf. I had an amazing time and made friends for life. The IM course was just the right thing for me and my plans to work in the event business. To cut a long story short: you learn a little bit from everything (even if some professors might not want to hear that :-), which helps me a lot in my current job. The mixture of hard and soft skills in this course of studies is perfect and I have learned and experienced an incredible amount. The IM program enabled me to do an internship in Berlin in an event agency and to spend two semesters abroad in Mexico. Two things that have helped me a lot, both professionally and personally. The contact between professors and students is very relaxed, which made it much easier to attend lectures :-)

What advice would you give to today's students?

What do I want to give the students today without sounding like a mother? - Enjoy your study time, take as much as possible with you without missing the fun times of studying. If you have the opportunity to do an internship and/or a semester abroad - go for it. Nothing prepares you better for working life than this. And very important: don't bury your head in the sand after the first semester, everything is not as bad as it sometimes seems at the beginning. The same applies when you start working. Sometimes you have to take detours to get where you want to go.

Thomas Spiegel

2009 | International Management

Career development

It took a very long time before I knew what I wanted or what I was good at. So I tried to get experience in as many things as possible at a very early stage in order to work my way towards my dream job. First I did an apprenticeship, then my desire to study in English and in as small a programme as possible brought me to Deggendorf. After my studies and the stays abroad, I worked, did an MBA in Brussels and then ended up at Google. Marketing and media was the area that really inspired me in terms of content and people.

From Google I moved to Dentsu Aegis Network, a global agency network. There I found the greatest possible creative freedom for myself, first as agency managing director in Austria and since 2015 as Group CEO Switzerland in Zurich. We have now grown to over 700 employees in Switzerland and cover not only media and marketing but also IT consulting and business transformation.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I often and gladly remember the time in Deggendorf, especially because of the people it was really something special. The university was very familiar, International Management was a small, colourful programme with great subjects and Deggendorf itself was friendly, affordable and open to us students. From my studies, I took lifelong friendships with me that mean a lot to me.

I like to think back to the lectures and projects, the focus on soft skills was ahead of its time and prepared us well for many key moments in our careers. All in all, I simply had a lot of funny and remarkable scenes in my head that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

What advice would you give to today's students?

You should enjoy the time and not put yourself under pressure by setting too specific goals. If you set yourself a job, an employer or even a certain salary too early, you will miss many exciting opportunities and may not spontaneously accept a challenge. There are so many opportunities to try yourself out during your studies that you should make use of them. Founding a company, failing with it or making it successful is secondary. Impressions and experiences from success and failure are always helpful and are also highly appreciated by employers.

Fayez Abdul Razeq

2019 | International Tourism Development

Career Development

After my master’s degree at DIT I worked as a front office agent at the IBB Hotel for three months. Afterwards I got a job as assistant to the reception manager in a different hotel. Due to Corona I am currently looking for a job again. I am looking for a job as reception manager or an assistant reception manager, both in the hotel industry.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

My studies at the European Campus Rottal-Inn were interesting, challenging and a lot of fun. I gained a lot of experience, got to know international students and met many different people from different cultures.

What advice would you give to today’s students?

I would advise students to take advantage of the opportunity to gain experience during their studies through internships and participating in student activities.

Why should international students choose ECRI?

All courses at ECRI are in English. This allows students to further improve their English language skills. ECRI also offers a wide range of bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes.

Carmen Schnupp

2008 | Mechanical Engineering 2010 | MBA General Management

Career Development

After the Abitur I studied twice, both times at DIT. First I studied mechanical engineering (at that time I still had a degree in engineering) and then I did an MBA while still working. That was easy to arrange, because it was block seminars and you didn't have to be on site every weekend.

I did my first (at that time there were still two) internship semester at Linde in the USA, the second one at BMW in Munich. I then wrote my diploma thesis there and returned to Munich for another three years after a three-year detour to MAN Truck & Bus. After that I was able to take over my parents' business in Bogen, Schnupp Hydraulik. We come from the hydraulics sector, but we are now also allowed to build entire production lines and industrial presses for our customers. Today, 160 employees generate annual sales of around € 27 million.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I have fond memories of my time in Deggendorf. My father and my brother both studied in Munich. The state capital may be more exciting at first glance, but it is also much more anonymous. In Deggendorf there was something to do almost every day or evening in my time, you knew most of the people there and could always meet many friends without having to make a big date. I still have many friends from my time in Deggendorf.

What advice would you give to today's students?

From my own experience of my time as an employee: if possible, try out as many jobs as possible during your studies, which is not so easy later on, and also make contact with possible employers. That worked out very well for me. So I was recommended from the internship semester to the diploma thesis and the subsequent employment.

Besides, a semester abroad is a very good idea. Most companies are now international and it is more a must than a bonus to speak English fluently and have proven that you can get by on your own abroad. I would always prefer to do a practical semester abroad rather than going to university. It's more strenuous, but you get much better in the language and gain deep insights into the working world of the country than in the study environment with lots of other internationals who perhaps don't speak better English than you do.

Karlheinz Stern

2005 | Mechanical Engineering

Career Development

After a successful apprenticeship as a mechanical engineering mechanic at Streicher Maschinenbau in Deggendorf, a 10 month military service in the fighter squadron 74 "Mölders" in Neuburg on the Danube followed. At the Aloys-Fischer-School in Deggendorf I acquired the technical college entrance qualification in 2001. In the winter semester 2001 I started my studies at DIT in the department of mechanical engineering, which I finished in spring 2005. During my studies, I accompanied a work placement as a student trainee at the GFH-GmbH under Prof. Dr. Helml, which was mainly concerned with the development of test machines for diesel injection nozzles. Through these contacts and the help of Prof. Dr. Helml, I was able to complete an internship semester in the USA at Delphi Automotive in 2004.

After my studies, my main focus was production engineering, but I desperately had to change this. The Maschinenelemente II (Seminar) third attempt in the 8th semester left its mark on me. So I ended up as a sales engineer at Bartec GmbH in Gotteszell, which was then under the direction of Prof. Dr. Fröhlich. After a nice 2 years and the realisation that electronics is not my world, I changed to Kurt Willig GmbH & Co. KG in Straubing. Tank trucks made of aluminium, to touch, grind and weld. That was more my world.

In 2009 I took over the sales management at Willig Group and in 2016 I was additionally appointed as an authorised signatory.

In summer 2010 I met a crazy Australian who told me that he can make tanks from carbon fibre. He didn't have to convince my colleagues and me for long, so we started thinking about how to get the job done. In 2014, the companies decided to join forces. In 2016 a JV of the two companies was founded, the Omni Willig Carbon GmbH, whose management I took over as an additional task.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

It is almost impossible to explain this in a nutshell, it would fill volumes. The time of my studies was certainly one, if not the best time I had.

Of course there were challenges one has to take. Descriptive geometry, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, (are these all Nietzsche subjects?), etc. Business studies can also become a problem if you don't go to the lecture. But all in all, the study was always exciting and above all fair. There were 11 of us in the main focus and we had a good team spirit. These contacts are partly still going on. I also see this as the strength of the DIT. The familiar atmosphere, as well as the personal connection to the professors. That is what makes the DIT's good education, the cooperation.

What advice would you give to today's students?

Use the time now to ask questions. Now tasks can still be corrected. A lower grade does not necessarily spoil the access to the better job. Take the opportunity to ask what was wrong. In professional life only one person corrects, the customer! But from then on it costs money. You are the one who has to take responsibility for it! Employers of today, at least not the ones I know, do not choose their employees according to the grade sheet. You have to fit into the team. Only those who feelcomfortable in a position can perform well!

The most important thing of all is: stay as you are and don't pretend. A B.Eng. on your business card does not make an engineer!

Magdalena Boyen

2013 | Mechanical Engineering

Career Development

• School: St. Michaels Gymnasium Metten, Study "Mechanical Engineering at DIT
• During studies as a working student / intern at Streicher and VTA, internship at Daimler (Sindelfingen) in the development department, semester abroad in Sweden, fast and uncomplicated, which definitely promotes the career for MBler! "Thinking outside the box".
• Final thesis at Airbus in Hamburg. Prof. Bongmba (as a former employee) endorsed the "feeling" of being a part in the company, not only as an employee but also with excellent support from DIT.
• Big dream to work in aviation was fulfilled. First job with the Airbus Group. (in the field of Product Lifecycle Management = internal consulting of the complete Airbus Group).
• Decision: technical competence or more into the direction of management ... then an offer from EY. That was at the end of 2014.
• Worked up from consultant to manager within four years.
• Focus on PLM in a closed loop approach = all customers from different industries, consulting from the idea to service/recycling (which data must be provided so that it can be disposed of properly). A great advantage is that the technical background is there to present the entire process flow and keep an overview.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

What I remember most of all is the time I spent at Fast Forest: the perfect addition to my professional life: Project had to be finished. Working with friends, who are still friends today by the way. Working at Fast Forest is a lifelong bond. I even found my husband at Fast Forest.

What advice would you give to today's students?

Enjoy that time! Form networks and stay in touch. This is important for the rest of your lives. Set goals, but be patient and try reaching them one at a time.

I'd love to help and give advice. You can get my details at the Alumni office.

Cinderella Dietl

2013 | Mechatronics (Dual)

Career Development

Up to my current position as project manager it was not the shortest way.

After graduating from secondary school (technical field) I first learned the profession as an administrative assistant. Since I did not see myself in this field for the rest of my life, I decided to catch up on my general school certificate at the vocational high school in Deggendorf. Through my brother Markus I got some insights into the dual study of electrical engineering and decided to study mechatronics at Strama-MPS Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG, combined with a vocational training as a mechatronics engineer.

Strama-MPS develops special machines for the production, assembly and testing of complex technical components and products. Altogether, more than 1,300 specialists work at Strama-MPS worldwide - about 750 of them at the Straubing location.

My current position in the company requires me to be able to react quickly to acutely arising issues. Therefore I need a good overview of the whole project and am responsible for cost planning, customer meetings and site planning. In the end, a complete production line with various assemblies is created. The line is completed down to the last detail and put through its paces so that it can be reassembled and put into operation at the customer's site.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I would always decide again for a dual study at the TH Deggendorf, because you can deepen the acquired knowledge besides the theoretical training at the same time in practice. Apart from the good leisure activities in Deggendorf, I also like to think back to DIT's Christmas party. With good food and atmospheric music one could enjoy a nice evening with friends. I would also like to emphasize the good cooperation among the students. This was also encouraged and challenged by the professors themselves through various topics that were worked on in teamwork. This includes the two compulsory projects during the studies - and the related excursions to the Czech Republic.

What advice would you give to today's students?

I would advise students to stick together. This will pay off well at the latest when working out the learning material before the exams. First of all by saving a certain amount of time and secondly by having one or more partners who may also have an answer to one or the other question. For the remaining open topics I can only say from my experience that the professors of DIT have an open ear and are happy to help.

Chiemezie Albert Udoh

2020 | Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems (in Cham)

Beruflicher Werdegang

Ich arbeite derzeit in der Elektronik- und Mechatronik-Herstellungsindustrie als Testingenieur, nachdem ich aus der Öl- und Gasindustrie als Bauingenieur gewechselt habe.

Mein Ziel ist es, ein Profi im Bereich Embedded System (Soft- und Hardware) zu werden. Ich glaube, dass ich mit dem Studium Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems an der TH Deggendorf das Fundament für diesen Bereich gelegt habe.

Schwelgen erlaubt: Erinnern Sie sich an Ihre Studentenzeit

Die Erinnerung an die erste Weihnachtsfeier auf dem Campus wird mir immer im Gedächtnis bleiben. Sie war so freundlich und einladend, wenn man bedenkt, dass ich gerade erst in Deutschland angekommen war. Ich war extrem aufgeregt mit Menschen aus verschiedenen Kulturen zu interagieren und neue Freunde zu finden.

Ich denke auch, dass die Lernatmosphäre ziemlich einzigartig war, weil ich keine Spannungen zwischen den Studierenden/Professor:innen Beziehungen bemerkt habe. Ich hatte das Gefühl, dass ich jedes Mal, wenn ich die Vorlesungen besucht habe, von einem Freund gelernt habe. Die Aufgeschlossenheit der Professor:innen machten die Kunst des Lernens noch erstrebenswerter.

Ich hatte meine erste spannende Hackathon Erfahrung im März 2019 (Moving Station Pilsen) mit meinen Kolleg:innen, die mir aktuelle Trends in den Mechatronik-bezogenen Technologien näher gebracht haben, und ich möchte mich bei der Hochschule für diese Möglichkeit bedanken, da ich auf dem Gebiet der Mechatronik neu war.

Was möchten Sie den aktuellen Studierenden mit auf den Weg geben?

Ich habe gelernt, dass man sich als Student:in sehr anstrengen muss, um Kompetenz in jedem Wissensgebiet zu erlangen. Die Professor:innen werden zwar immer Anleitung und Hilfe geben, aber man muss erkennen, dass wir die Haupttreibenden sind, um Lösungen für die Konzepte zu finden, die uns interessieren.

Fühlen Sie sich frei auf Ihre Kommiliton:innen zuzugehen und seien Sie bereit Ihr Wissen mit anderen zu teilen, die danach suchen.

Ich habe sehr von den Tutorien profitiert, die mein Kommilitone organisiert hat und zwar auf verschiedene Arten, die ein tieferes Verständnis, mehr Zeit für Fragen und Nachfragen ermöglicht haben. Daher empfehle ich nachdrücklich, dass Tutorien Lernhilfen sind und nicht als Ersatz für den Besuch von Vorlesungen angesehen werden sollten.

Abschließend rate ich Ihnen offen zu sein und alles so einfach wie mögich zu halten. Nehmen Sie Kritik an, denn das wird den Raum für Entwicklung öffnen und die Bereitschaft stärken, Dinge unabhängig vom erwarteten Ergebnis auszuprobieren.

Ahmad Alsheikh

2021 | Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems (in Cham)

Why did you choose this degree programme?

After my bachelor studies in Mechatronics, I wanted to pursue further studies to deepen my knowledge and specialize in the field of mechatronic systems that integrate AI solutions. This programme at the DIT was the perfect choice since it provides many newly advanced technologies in mechatronic systems.
 

Remember your time at the DIT: how was it studying at Cham?

This programme has many diverse paths and a wide variety of topics as well as the case studies that are part of some courses, which let me practically apply what I learned in theory.

Why should an international student study at DIT?

At DIT, you will get to know many students with different backgrounds and cultures. You will also be given the opportunity to learn a new language provided each semester by the language center at DIT.

Harish Kumar Nimmala

2021 | Mechatronics and Cyber-Physical Systems (in Cham)

Describe your professional career after your Graduation:

I come from India; I currently live and work in Germany. Basically, I am passionate about smart products. Collecting data from different sensors and playing with AI algorithms is my hobby. To develop such futuristic products, one should definitely master technologies from different domains. My degree programme “Mechatronic and Cyber-Physical Systems” was a perfect choice for me, as it is focused on teaching a stack of trending technologies.

Remember your time at the DIT: how was it studying at Cham?

I enjoyed learning from industrial expert professors, gaining multidisciplinary skills and knowledge from this degree programme. It gave me a strong base to solve complex engineering problems. This foundation helped me, for instance, to develop an "Intelligent Smart Mover" during my Master’s programme. 

Why should an international student study at DIT?

Studying at DIT not only gives you an opportunity to meet amazing people, but there is a striking alumni network. The positive atmosphere and friendly faculty at DIT allow its students to engage in activities beyond academics. In short, DIT challenges its students not only to pursue their academic goals but also their personal interests.

Victoria Paster

2018 | Master Media Technology

Career Development

I completed my Master's degree in Media Technology at THD in autumn 2018. I wrote my thesis on search engine optimisation (SEO) for JavaScript-based websites at the online agency Diva-e. After travelling to Asia, I continued to work there as an SEO consultant. Which I still love doing, but preferably for a slightly different target group.

That's why I started my own business, SEO4Good, in 2021. I now work with companies that sell sustainable products in their online shop and have too few orders. I help these e-commerce companies to become visible on the internet and get enough orders.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I have fond memories of the THD. Above all, I liked the fact that I was able to try out a lot of things there. Whether in the courses, the electives or in my part-time job in the STEM team. Thanks to the small course sizes and the strong support from fellow students, professors and university staff, I was able to settle in quickly and learn a lot of new things. The fact that I had previously completed my Bachelor's degree at another university - the University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria - was not a problem. Although my degree there did not fulfil the required number of ECTS credits for the Master's degree, I was able to make up the missing credits easily with an internship and the required PLVs.

What advice would you give to today's students?

Use your studies to try out different things and stay curious.

Josef Süß

2009 | Strategic and International Management

Career Development

I am an entrepreneur with all my heart. I've never had a job except for the mandatory internships. During my Business Administration studies in Deggendorf I founded my first company. But before that, I had already started working as a freelance advertising photographer. That's how I mainly financed my studies. After my studies, I specialised in e-commerce for a few years and learned a lot. Among other things I designed, built and operated the first online shop for the umbrella manufacturer Knirps based on my own idea. After about five years I sold the shop. Whether alone, with partners or for clients, I have managed to bring some e-commerce concepts to the market - with varying degrees of success, but this is clearly part of the learning process.
My network has grown considerably, which has also led to a role as a consultant for medium-sized companies in the areas of business development, marketing and innovation management. For one of my customers I found my current Indian colleagues at BlinkIn and commissioned them to program an app. We stayed in touch beyond the project and in 2018 they approached me to ask if we would like to develop a "digital pocket assistant" together.
A few weeks later, we started BlinkIn during my visit to India. Today, we are active with the Video Collaboration Platform in more than 40 countries, with customers from all over the world and lots more plans for BlinkIn! Recently, we helped a Bavarian company to install their ventilation systems in Wuhan from a distance. In Italy BlinkIn was also used to maintain the critical infrastructure. Currently, all signs at BlinkIn are pointing to growth. We are also looking for reinforcements for the areas AI and Computer Vision.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

I have fond memories of my student days. Especially during my Master's, the lectures were very discussion-heavy and therefore very entertaining. With 10 people in a seminar it is also difficult to duck away. I was able to take the necessary tools from my studies for my ventures.
At the same time, I like to think back to the time outside the lecture rooms! Although I did not live in Deggendorf, I hardly missed any events. I stayed in touch with many of my fellow students - among them are really clever people who get things going and with whom I regularly exchange ideas. In any case, my network has profited a lot from my studies in Deggendorf.

What advice would you give to today's students?

Setting goals, having fun, seizing opportunities! Make mistakes and learn from them. Do not take yourself too seriously and concentrate on the matter at hand. Observe all your life, listen and then do better. Build a strong network and generate value from this.
It doesn't matter what you have studied or in which field you are working - every day offers countless opportunities for people who are willing to consistently build up their own skills and use their energy for a goal at any time.
I can really only recommend to take the path to independence. The start-up community in Germany is growing, the general conditions are constantly improving, cooperation with larger companies is working very well  now- the world is open to a well-positioned start-up if we think and act in a customer-oriented manner.

Josef Seidl

2014 | Business Informatics

Career Development

After I completed my Bachelor's degree in Business Informatics in Deggendorf, I was drawn to nearby Munich. I had a very specific goal in mind: to start my own company. I wanted to find out whether the vision of my own future really suited me - a kind of prototyping for my own career profile.

As usual with prototyping, I tried to find out as quickly as possible and at the same time with as little risk as possible. Parallel to the foundation of the company, I enrolled in the consecutive Business Informatics Master at the TU Munich. In the end, I even completed it with very good results, including an interim stay for my master's thesis at the renowned Stanford University in Silicon Valley. However, we liquidated the company after almost two years.

The end of the story? Although the company didn't work out, it was clear that nothing suits me better than entrepreneurship. Setbacks are the rule rather than the exception - I had to learn. Dealing with them is a personal challenge that makes your own life journey so varied and exciting.

After completing my master's degree, I therefore fully committed myself to self-employment and founded INNOSPOT GmbH, a company that uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data Analytics to make the global start-up landscape transparent and accessible for companies. We scale innovation worldwide by bringing companies together with the best start-ups to jointly drive innovation and create positive value for our world. I have been doing this since 2017 as founder and CEO together with a team of 12 employees.

Reminiscing allowed: remember your student days

My studies in Deggendorf were an incredibly defining time for me, during which I learned a lot about myself. Originally, it was a great dream - and many years before that a very distant dream - for me to be able to study in Deggendorf. During my time at BOS, I often strolled along the dam of the university and imagined how I would study here one day. The dream came true and opened doors for me that I hadn't even dared to dream of as a teenager.

During my studies I tried to absorb everything possible. I remember the educational and fantastic time in the student convent of the university, in the faculty council, in the board of directors of WI-Project e.V. and great evenings with fellow students in the Deggendorf nightlife. I especially remember the time during the flood of the century, when I founded the student aid organisation "Deggendorf tidies up" together with a fellow student. The students of the university made an extremely valuable contribution to the city and the people of Deggendorf.

I have very intense and positive memories of my semester abroad at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). The time in liberal California changed my view on many things once again and, in addition to all the other activities during my studies, gave me the great confidence that I could make a difference in the world.

What advice would you give to today's students?

1: Do it! Far too many really intelligent people I have met along the way can imagine founding a company, but are still waiting for "the idea". My own experience with INNOSPOT: To realise your dreams as an entrepreneur you don't have to have "the idea". Much more important than the actual idea is the team with which you turn the idea into reality. That is why we have taken a completely new path in founding INNOSPOT: First the team, then the idea.

2: Reflect. Only when I have really done something and then reflect on it do I get a solid assessment of what I enjoy and whether I have (developed) a passion for it. Life is a large collection of experiments and just like in chemistry, many experiments go wrong, some succeed and some are groundbreaking. But I can only make these experiences if I try out as many things as possible - be it internships, student jobs, semesters abroad, starting my own business - and evaluate things honestly for me later. That is why I can only encourage everyone: Try out as much as possible during your studies. Use this unique playground to discover what really fulfills you without any risk for you. And always have fun doing so :)