A good omen for the start: Bright sunshine welcomed the students at the start of the summer semester on Wednesday, 15 March 2023, at Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt (THI). Among the approximately 6,900 students on this day were also 500 first-year students. Naturally, this was significantly fewer than in the winter semester of 2022/23, when 2000 first-year students enrolled at the THI - more than ever before. The reason for this is that only a few degree programmes start in the summer semester.
THI Vice President Prof. Dr. Hans-Joachim Hof welcomed the newcomers, or rather he left this task to the ChatGPT programme, which can solve numerous tricky tasks with the help of artificial intelligence (AI). Hof thus showed how highly topical the subjects taught at THI are. However, he did not let AI get in the way and still found his own words to give the young people: "We live in a time where there is AI, it will affect them all. Meet the things we offer here with an open mind. Meet the change."
Meet change with an open mind
The vice-president pointed out that the university is also pushing the issue of entrepreneurship, and predicted that one or two future founders are already sitting in the lecture hall. With the quote "When the wind of renewal blows, some people build walls and others windmills" by the Chinese philosopher Confucius, Hof handed over the floor to the student representatives.
Fabian Groß and his fellow students gave the first-year students some basic information on orientation at the THI. Afterwards, the students learned about the study IN mentoring programme and were then welcomed by their respective programme directors.
Meanwhile, numerous student clubs, sports clubs from the region and the Studierendenwerk had set up information stands in the auditorium. From paper airplane competitions and first-year photos at the stand of the Center of Entrepreneurship to duck fishing at the start-up initiative NewExist and a driving simulator from the Schanzer Racing Electric club, there was plenty on offer.
Student associations presented themselves
The newly graduated students were able to find out about the activities of the Student Stock Exchange Club, the association Neuland, the sustainability association Our Future, the association Hochschulgaming, the student consultancy Consult.IN, the social entrepreneurship initiative Enactus or the organisation N.I.C.E. for International Students, among others.
Of course, student life should not be neglected either, which is why the Students' Life organisation was vigorously promoting the Semester Kick-off Party on 24 March at the Ingolstadt City Theatre. Those who spun the wheel of fortune at the Ingolstadt City Theatre could win some nice prizes. And the Ingolstadt fire brigade was also represented with a stand.
