An Exceptional Opportunity for Companies and Students

From August 26 to September 2, representatives of UNITECH International met for General Assembly Week at RWTH Aachen University. RWTH is the only German university in this network of eight European universities, ten industry partners, and approximately 1,400 alums. The UNITECH International Network enables engineering, computer science, physics, and biotechnology students to spend a semester and complete an internship abroad during their UNITECH year. These stays abroad are complemented by intensive coaching sessions that foster soft skills such as empathy, communication skills, project management, and successful teamwork in an international context. Beyond the exchange program, the UNITECH Alumni Association (UAA), as an active alumni network, regularly holds events to help boost the alum’s personal and professional development.

General Assembly Week is a central meeting point for all stakeholders, i.e. students, universities, industry partners, and alums, to deepen collaboration and develop relationships. This year, after two years of only online events, the focus was on valuable face-to-face meetings in Aachen. “It was great to meet with everyone in the UNITECH network in person again here in Aachen and spend time with students, UNITECH alumni, industry partners, and academic partners. It was a week of many positive discussions and hearing great ideas. We thank RWTH Aachen University for their hospitality and look forward to continuing our important partnership with UNITECH,” reports Jay O’Nien, a UNITECH alumnus who now works for the industry partner Bühler Group and volunteers on the Alumni Network Council.

Throughout the week, the UNITECH Alumni Association had the opportunity to reconnect with students on a personal level and gradually ease them into the alumni network. Even after students have completed the program, the network helps them build valuable relationships and grow as a person. They also facilitate and encourage contact among alumni by hosting local and international events. UNITECH alumni also held their own events during General Assembly Week.

Career Pathways Session and Screw Up Night

Some of the alums reported on their particular career journeys in the Career Pathways Session, specifically highlighting difficult decisions they had to make and sharing their experiences with the audience. This meeting was an excellent chance for students and younger alumni to learn about the many options for starting a career and talk to people directly. During Screw Up Night, Dr. Axel Kobus, Evonik, Professor Torbjörn Lundh, TU Chalmers, University of Gothenburg, and Dr. Johannes Richenhagen, FEV, openly and wittily described some of their specific experiences of failure and put the associated shame and guilt into perspective. Yvonne Beck, an RWTH alumna and participant in the 2020 UNITECH program, reported: “Recognizing that these experiences are universal and felt just as strongly by successful people normalizes mistakes as part of learning, easing some of the paralyzing fear of failure and the debilitating pressure of perfection.” The opportunity to learn from others and compare notes and the diversity of the alumni network are what make the UNITECH program experience so exciting and valuable. In summary, General Assembly Week at RWTH was a special experience for all involved – new contacts were made, friendships were forged, and existing relationships were strengthened.

– Annalena Kill