What is your background?

I’m from Germany, where I did my bachelor’s degree in renewable energy. During my studies in Germany, it was mandatory to do a practical semester, and it was during this internship that my interest of working within power systems grew. I also did an exchange semester in Århus in 2019, where I got to know the Danish culture and lifestyle and heard about AAU for the first time.

 

What led you to AAU and what do you do here?

I met my Danish girlfriend on my exchange semester, which of course played a role in wanting to come back to Denmark. But the primary purpose was to study and work within the field of power systems, which I am very interested in. AAU Energy is one of the top universities within engineering in general, and it was a great opportunity for me to go to a place full of experts in power systems. The focus on project work here at AAU was also appealing to me, because it offers the opportunity of specializing according to my interests, while working in project groups also allows us to take advantage of each other’s interests and abilities.

 

What has the experience been like so far?

I have only been here for a little over eight weeks, but it has been great! At the beginning, it was pretty tough to take in all of the new people, culture, and information, but I quickly adapted. Every Dane I have met has been super helpful and welcoming, and the student guidance at the department has also been very helpful with everything. There have been a lot of social events to help us build a network outside of our studies as well. It has been a bit challenging to find the balance between studying and social life, but I find that it is also very important to remember life outside of university.

 

I enjoy living in Aalborg. I come from a small town, so Aalborg is big by comparison, but it is still possible to ride my bike from one end of the city to the other. Everything is accessible, and I especially enjoy living by the fjord and being able to swim in it, also during the winter.

 

What are your plans for the future?

I plan on staying in Aalborg for the duration of my master’s degree, meaning at least the next two years. I am still undecided regarding my plans afterwards, but it has been made very clear that we are more than welcome to stay in Aalborg after the end of our studies, and I could definitely imagine doing that. I want to work in the industry, but on the other hand I can really feel that our supervisors here at AAU are also researchers, which makes that world seem very interesting as well.

 

What is your advice for other international students wanting to come to AAU?

My advice is to do it! The application process was quite uncomplicated and transparent, and even though there is a lot of practical stuff to take care of it is definitely possible. Another advice is to look for a study apartment through AKU, and to ask for help; both the other students and the student guidance are happy to help!