University information day again well received

“We are very pleased that the College Information Day was once again so good,” says Dr. Stefan Kühne, Head of Division of Academic Affairs and International Relations. “Mainly because of the general weather conditions, we were very concerned that visitors simply wouldn’t be able to reach our university campuses in Zittau and Görlitz and would cancel their plans to attend.”

This year , approximately 500 prospective students, mainly from the region, were welcomed at both university campuses. They received detailed information about the academic programs and conditions of study.

At the Görlitz campus, Rector Friedrich Albrecht welcomed the guests.

“Choosing the right field of study is one of the most important decisions you’ll make in your life,” he said. He encouraged the young people to talk with students from a wide variety of degree programmes and to explore the university. “You’ll get first-hand information from our students,” he said.

He also encouraged the young visitors to take advantage of the introductory programs offered by the degree programmes. At the Görlitz campus, there was keen interest in the degree programmes offered by the Faculties of Social Sciences, Managerial and Cultural Studies, and Computer Science. But even at the Zittau campus, there was high demand for the Görlitz degree programmes.

At the Zittau campus, the Head of Division for Academic Affairs and International Relations, Dr.-Ing. Stefan Kühne, opened the university information day. The mayor of Zittau, Thomas Zenker, made a point of attending the opening, thereby expressing the close ties between the city and the university. The university and the city of Zittau have long worked closely together on a wide range of projects.

In his opening remarks, Kühne noted that the university, with its diverse and forward-looking range of degree programs, aims to offer career prospects especially to young people in the region. In this context, he encouraged the guests to take full advantage of the extensive offerings in the event program and to learn about the conditions for studying.

“Our goal is to help you make confident decisions and assist you in answering the question: Which degree programme is the best fit for me?” Kühne emphasized.

The university’s relatively new degree programs generated considerable interest. These include the seven-semester bachelor’s program in “Applied Natural Sciences” and the three-semester Master's degree programme in “Pharmaceutical Biotechnology.” The application deadline for the latter is February 28, 2019. Classes begin on March 11, 2019.

There was also a lot of activity at the KIA (Cooperative Study with Integrated Training) booth in Zittau. Numerous high school students were particularly interested in this form of study. The KIA staff and KIA students from the university’s training workshop were happy to answer questions about this now very popular form of education.

The so-called “MINT Mobility Trail” organized by the faculties of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Natural and Environmental Sciences, and Business Administration and Engineering Management—located in a central spot in the foyer of the Peter-Dierich-Building—was good and helped visitors gain a concise overview of numerous fields of study and try out activities at all the booths.

Many visitors expressed their admiration for the university’s modern facilities, as well as for the welcoming atmosphere they encountered. The short lectures, hands-on activities, and lab tours were very well received. Prospective students also took full advantage of the opportunity to talk directly with current students and discuss daily life on campus. But the university wasn’t the only focus of interest. There was also a bustling atmosphere in the student canteens, where guests took the opportunity to sample the food on offer.

Overall, it’s clear that the newly developed concept for presenting the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences at the College Information Day proved successful and provides a good foundation for further development.