Approach your studies with a spirit of discovery TU Braunschweig welcomed its new students at the Eintracht Stadium
The central welcome event for first-year students has become a tradition at Technical University of Braunschweig. For the 13th time, TU Braunschweig invited students to kick off their studies with a vibrant programme featuring acrobatic performances, musical contributions and scientific insights.
An acrobatic vertical cloth show at lofty heights thrilled the new students at the welcome event for first-year students at Eintracht Stadium. Photo credit: Annette Dölger/TU Braunschweig
For TU President Prof. Angela Ittel, the welcome event for first-year students is one of her favourite dates in the academic year. “Because I get to welcome you to the academic community, to Braunschweig and to one of the best technical universities in Germany,” she explained to the new students. She encouraged them to embrace and nurture the spirit of discovery at the heart of university life: “This spirit of discovery – the explorer spirit – this curiosity enriches our lives far beyond science.”
Prof. Knut Baumann, Vice-President for Teaching and Studies, offered some advice at the start of the academic year: “Seize every opportunity. Get involved. Take responsibility. Speak your mind. And give something back. You have the potential – and we are here to help you develop it. I wish you a wonderful time here at our TU Braunschweig.”
The numerous international students were also included in the welcome, with the speakers repeatedly switching between German and English.
Community and courage
Board members Anna Biastoch Callado and Jakob Stahlhofen presented the AStA and its tasks. They reminded the audience that university life is about more than just sitting in lectures and revising for exams: “Everyday life at university thrives on community, exchange and mutual support. Successes are easier to celebrate in a community, and the challenges and difficulties of studying seem only half as daunting when you are not facing them alone.”
In her welcome address, TU President Prof. Angela Ittel also offered some advice to the new students: “I would like to encourage you. You shape your life every day. Make your studies a time in your life that you will look back on with pleasure and pride for a variety of reasons!”
A colourful programme and a wide range of activities
Alongside words of encouragement and welcome, the supporting programme offered a variety of things to marvel at, learn about, and guess along with. Those who answered Eintracht Braunschweig President Nicole Kumpis’s Braunschweig and university quiz questions the fastest were rewarded with two free tickets to an Eintracht Braunschweig match. There was an impressive acrobatic vertical cloth show at lofty heights, and musical performances ranging from the Chinese bamboo flute to the academic wind ensemble AKA Blas provided a melodious accompaniment. Finally, Science Slam winner Jenniffer Pierick gave an entertaining lecture on alpaca nanobodies against cancer and COIVD-19, titled “Lama Drama in the Lab”.
After the welcome event for first-year students, they returned to the central campus. There, service facilities, institutes, advisory services and student associations associated with TU Braunschweig presented themselves and offered activities, exchanges and advice. This year, for the first time, companies from the region were also present to showcase internship, working student position and career opportunities to the freshers and anyone else interested.