Two students from OTH Regensburg are among the five best graduates of a dual study programme in Bavaria: Florian Braumandl and Thomas Riss were honoured with the Dualissimo Award at the Literaturhaus München on 16 July.
Every two years, this year for the ninth time, hochschule dual – Bavaria's network for dual study programmes – together with the Bavarian metal and electrical employers' associations bayme vbm and vbw – Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft e. V. (Bavarian Industry Association) – recognise outstanding achievements in dual study programmes. bayme vbm vbw CEO Bertram Brossardt, together with Stephanie Jacobs, Head of the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts, and Prof. Dr. Peter Riegler, Managing Director and Scientific Director of BayZiel, presented the award, which is endowed with 3,000 euros, at a ceremony at the Literaturhaus in Munich.
Florian Braumandl, a student of electrical engineering and information technology, impressed in the combined study category. In addition to his bachelor's degree at OTH Regensburg, he completed training as an electronics technician for industrial engineering at BMW AG.
In the category of studies with in-depth practical experience – Bachelor's degree, Thomas Riss, a business administration student, was honoured. He works at Continental Automotive Technologies GmbH Regensburg and is continuing his dual education with a dual Master's degree at OTH Regensburg.
‘The dual study programme is an opportunity to be financially independent.’
Both award winners are convinced of the merits of the dual study model: ‘Being tied to a company is not a restriction for anyone, but opens up countless opportunities,’ says Florian Braumandl. Thomas Riss adds: ‘The dual study programme is an opportunity to be financially independent so that I can concentrate fully on my studies.’
Particularly noteworthy in this year's cohort is the award winners' strong social and community involvement, an aspect that greatly impressed the jury.
Thomas Riss, for example, started kickboxing at the age of twelve and is now a trainer at a kickboxing club as well as a volunteer youth leader and deputy press officer. Riss is part of the Germany Scholarship Network and completed an internship abroad at Continental in Singapore as part of his dual studies. ‘I am using part of the prize money from the Dualissimo award to finance my next internship abroad in the USA, which I have planned as part of my dual master's degree,’ says Riss.
For Florian Braumandl, spending time abroad during his dual studies was a hugely enriching experience. In Oxford, he made crucial contacts for his future career. The extent to which his environment has influenced him is also evident in his application for Dualissimo. He was inspired to do so by his long-time friend Omid, whom Florian Braumandl met in 9th grade during a student council project with refugee youth from Afghanistan.
Prof. Dr. Carina Braun, Vice President for Appointments and Student Lifecycle Management at OTH Regensburg, praised the achievements of the two award winners: ‘The Dualissimo Award for Thomas Riss and Florian Braumandl is a great recognition of their excellent achievements and commitment – not only in their studies, but also in society. They impressively demonstrate how successful and enriching dual studies can be. We are very proud of them both and wish them continued success on their journey.’
Vice President Prof. Carina Braun also took part in a panel discussion on the topic of ‘Enabling growth – unleashing potential’ during the award ceremony. Prof. Dr. Ralph Schneider, President of OTH Regensburg, also travelled to Munich to honour the two award-winning OTH graduates.
Lisa Graf has also made it into the top 20 nominees for the Dualissimo Award. She completed her bachelor's degree in business administration as a practice-oriented programme at OTH Regensburg. The Deutsche Bundesbank is the practice partner for her training.
Background: The Dualissimo Award
More than 130 graduates of dual study programmes in Bavaria responded to the call for applications from hochschule dual. A jury of experts from business, science and politics with many years of experience in dual study programmes selected the winners. In addition to excellent academic performance and assessments by industry partners, volunteer work and stays abroad were also taken into account in the evaluation. With so many outstanding applications, it was challenging to select the five best from a total of 20 nominated graduates.
Without the active promotion and support of young talent by companies, social institutions and authorities, dual study programmes would not be so successful. Establishing dual study programmes requires effort and investment. To recognise this commitment, the practice partners were also honoured with the Talent Partner Award during the award ceremony.
Further information on the competition and the complete laudatory speeches can be found here.
