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Get a head start on your KIA (sandwich-style) degree course!
First-year students in the KIA program gathered at the KIA Shuttle launch event on the Zittau campus to make new connections and kick off the new semester together.
Many new faces, plenty of activity, and above all, lots of interaction: At this year’s KIA Shuttle Start, numerous students in the Cooperative Study Program with Integrated Training (KIA) gathered at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences to kick off the new semester together. The consistently strong KIA enrollment figures demonstrate that the dual study program continues to attract significant interest.
The afternoon was opened by the Vice President for Research, Transfer, and International Affairs, Prof. Dr. Sophia Keil. In her address, she congratulated the students on their decision to attend Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences and also highlighted the opportunities the KIA (sandwich-style) degree course offers beyond the academic requirements.
The KIA (sandwich-style) degree course combines academic depth with practical experience—and that is precisely where its particular strength lies. From the very beginning, you’ll learn to take on responsibility, solve real-world challenges, and navigate a strong network of universities and companies. Take advantage of this opportunity and contribute your own ideas. After all, you are the specialists and leaders who will help shape the future of our companies and our region. A dual degree program is demanding and will challenge you—which makes it all the more important to support one another and, amid all the learning, not forget to enjoy this special time as a student.
”It was precisely this idea that shaped the rest of the afternoon. After taking a group photo and receiving brief organizational information, the students set off in mixed teams to visit various stations. The event was deliberately designed to bring together students from different degree programmes and KIA partner companies.
Whether through KIA pantomime, a photo challenge, athletic tasks, or small team games—the focus was less on competition and more on getting to know one another. The participants quickly struck up conversations, discovered common ground, and made initial connections beyond their own degree programmes and companies.
The KIA T-shirts were once again a staple of the Shuttle Start event. They were handed out on-site and personalized with the students’ names—a small detail that further highlighted the sense of community.
During the KIA Shuttle Start, the students discussed why they had chosen to pursue a KIA (sandwich-style) degree course at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Their different perspectives showed just how varied the reasons for choosing a dual or cooperative degree program can be. One of the participants explained what personally convinced her to choose this study model:
I decided to pursue a degree program that integrates vocational training, mainly because of its strong practical focus. The fact that you can integrate the apprenticeship right from the start and complete it alongside your studies, earn a dual degree, and thus learn from the very beginning what it really means to practice this profession—and that later in your professional life, you can continue to apply your knowledge from the ground up and have a good understanding of all the processes involved.
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After the station visits, the afternoon moved into a more relaxed phase. Over burgers and fries, there was sufficient time to continue conversations, strengthen new connections, and wrap up the day together.
The KIA Shuttle Start event thus demonstrated once again what sets the dual degree program at HSZG apart: the close connection between the university and the professional world, as well as the strong network among students. Those who make connections early on, share experiences, and engage in conversations that transcend disciplinary and corporate boundaries lay a good foundation for the semesters ahead.
Special thanks go to Pauline Rechenberg from the KIA Student Council, Oliwia Sikorska from KIA International, Tom Täubner, a KIA student, as well as Udo Johne, Director of Training at HSZG, and his KIA students. Through their organization, guidance, and support, they all helped make the Shuttle Start possible in this form.
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