50 Years 50 Faces
Polina Gumenscheimer
Student, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology Bachelor’s programme
At FHWS since October 2018
For me, FHWS is ...
a place with great opportunities to grow and develop, where people help each other, where you make friends and where you feel understood.
What do you appreciate about FHWS?
The strong practical and internship component. This is really important to me and an essential aspect of engineering studies. What is more, close proximity to successful major companies means there is a great range of internship options locally.
What was the best decision in your professional career and why? What has changed since then?
Choosing academic study with intensive in-company training was definitely my best decision. Absolutely worth the effort! The letters of application, interviews and assessment centres give you a lot of valuable experience. The practical phases on the programme offer a real-life insight into the various fields and everyday working life in those professions. The programme model also puts you on a firm financial footing, giving you a degree of financial freedom while you are still a student. For both academic study with intensive in-company training and academic study combined with vocational training, FHWS offers a wide range of partnerships with a number of different companies (both within the region and beyond). I am studying in a partnership with ZF Friedrichshafen AG in Schweinfurt and am also planning to combine my Master’s with work if possible.
What do you think has shaped FHWS the most over the last 50 years?
In recent years, FHWS has expanded its international side. There are many new partner institutions from a range of different countries. This means students have great opportunities for semesters or internships abroad.
What is your vision of the future for FHWS? What might FHWS look like in 50 years’ time?
For the future, I hope that FHWS is known as an international institution, and that it is proactive in shaping the technology transition and adapts smoothly and rapidly to new demands in industry, science and research. I also hope that FHWS will continue to drive digitisation so that students can put together their timetable digitally, for example, or certain administrative processes become faster and simpler.
What is your insider tip for the cities of Würzburg or Schweinfurt and why?
Schweinfurt has a little park called Wehranlagen. It has lovely fountains and is very close to the town centre and “Stadtstrand” open-air venue.