Campus life at THI fascinated hundreds of visitors

What do I actually want to study one day? What does it look like at a university and what do they do there? And what about student life? Hundreds of visitors learned this and much more at the University Information Days at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences (THI) last Friday and Saturday. For the first time since 2019, this took place regularly without restrictions. A varied programme was offered on the Neuburg and Ingolstadt campuses over two days. The organisers were satisfied all round. Even two hours before the start of the event on Saturday, the first interested people were already lined up in the auditorium.

From Virtual Reality to Life Sciences

In the Virtual Reality Cave, visitors were allowed to move around in an artificially created world and were amazed at how realistic this programmed environment is. In the Life Sciences laboratory, scientists demonstrated how medicine and technology interact. This became particularly vivid later during a live transmission from an operating theatre at the Ingolstadt Hospital. There, a surgeon was sewing up a wound with the help of a so-called Da Vinci robot. In such a case, the doctor could theoretically sit at a desk in the USA and perform an operation in a crisis area. The visitors on site in the lecture hall were even allowed to take special medical equipment in their hands.

The campus tours were particularly popular, with students giving pupils, parents and interested parties an insight into their university and answering numerous questions. The lectures by the various faculties and also on topics such as "How does a university application work?" were equally well attended. At the information stands in the auditorium, students, professors and interested people got to talk. There was a lot to marvel at: layer by layer, small owls were created in the 3D printer, a robot dog interacted with the visitors and a smoke cannon shot smoke curls into the air. Furthermore, visitors could take a seat in the prototype of a flying taxi and talk to the doctoral student or find out what the autonomously driving car "ANTON" actually sees.

Pupils could exchange ideas with students

For many young visitors, the focus was naturally on the topic of choosing a course of study. Some of them had already chosen their future degree course or faculty. "I came here today just to find out more. I have actually already decided," said visitor Jeanine. She wants to study Data Science in Technology and Business because the combination as a Master of Technical and Electrical Engineering and Technical Business Administrator particularly appeals to her. At the Studi-Talks, the young people were able to exchange ideas with their future fellow students. The dual study programme was particularly popular. Several THI partners presented themselves in a panel discussion, with busy networking before and after. At the stand of the International Office, those interested learned how a stay abroad can be sensibly planned in the Bachelor's programme. The Institute for Academic Continuing Education (IAW) gave advice on the extra-occupational study programmes.  Workshops such as "How to Business", in which sales channels and the advantages and disadvantages of a production country were discussed together, were well attended.

n his welcome address, THI Vice President Prof. Hans-Joachim Hof emphasised the numerous advantages of studying at the university. In addition to research strength, sustainability and transfer to society, unique networking is possible at THI. "Computer scientists, chemists and mechanical engineers work together here to prevent cyber attacks on electric cars, for example," Hof said. The students benefit from numerous cooperations with companies, have the opportunity to do their doctorate here and are later sought-after specialists. "Research comes directly into the lecture here," said the THI Vice President. He later gave another lecture on the topic of "Studying with AI", during which he presented the "THI Success AI" project. With this tool, THI students can connect digitally and achieve their learning goals in an individual way with the help of artificial intelligence.

The Sustainability Campus in Neuburg is growing

Interested parties were already able to take a look at the THI's sustainability campus in Neuburg on Friday: Student ambassadors as well as the student advisory service and professors were on hand to answer questions - an experiment by Prof. Dr. Blask on climate-neutral building materials and construction chemistry in concrete mixtures concluded the campus tours. With four Bachelor's degree programmes at the Faculty of Sustainable Infrastructure from the winter semester 2023/24 and the opening of a spacious extension building in the summer, the range of courses and the number of students in Neuburg continue to grow steadily - in addition to sustainability and environmental management, there are now three degree programmes from the construction environment on offer, and with Sustainable Civil Engineering, for the first time, an English-language Bachelor's degree, which is intended to attract internationally interested students to the city on the Danube.

Personal study counselling and virtual info talks

If you want to find out more about the THI's study programmes, you can find all the information you need on the student advisory service's website. Personal counselling is available at the Ingolstadt Campus at the ServicePoint from Monday to Thursday between 11 am and 1 pm. At the Neuburg Campus, the counselling centre in Building Z is open on Tuesdays from 11 am to 1 pm. If you have any questions, the student advisory service can also help you by phone at 0841/9348-1210 (Mon, Wed and Thurs, 2 - 3 p.m.).

The virtual Info-Talks, in which degree programmes, a field of study or specific topics are presented online, will take place until 31 March.