Felix Doepke, M.Sc.

My Bachelor's degree in Engineering Management has enriched me in many ways and prepared me for the years ahead. As one of the first-year students, I was a little sceptical at first as to whether the degree programme was mature enough. However, this scepticism was completely unfounded. On the contrary: the professors were aware of our situation and supported the students all the more intensively. I believe that one of the biggest advantages of the degree programme are the comparatively small courses. Lectures were often very interactive, which increased motivation immensely. The first few semesters were particularly tough because there were so many basics to learn. Later on, however, the course became more and more practical and the Maths I written examination was celebrated as a hurdle that had been overcome.

What I liked about industrial engineering was the interface function between mechanical engineering and business studies, which extended across all semesters. When you go from a lecture in maths to one in marketing, it's not just a different subject, but also a different faculty with different fellow students and a slightly different world. Personally, however, I was drawn further afield and so I spent two semesters in Shanghai. The culture shock when I arrived at Tongji University was huge and I often thought about dropping out in the first few weeks. Over time, however, I overcame the hurdles such as language and cultural differences more and more. The ongoing support from Prof Reichert and Schulte-Zurhausen also made my stay a success. In the end, it was above all the great international circle of friends with whom I experienced so much and would never want to miss. Having the same problems welds you together and so does a hike in the foothills of the Himalayas. Especially when you talk to the locals using broken Chinese and hand signals!

During my studies at the UAS, I gained a professional approach to work and knowledge from two completely different working worlds. That can be exhausting, but in my view it is very enriching. At Tongji and during my subsequent Bachelor's thesis at a German company in Shanghai, I learnt above all how to work in an international environment. Words like culture shock and globalisation take on a whole new meaning. I was also rewarded with a double degree from FH Aachen and Tongji University.

With this double bachelor's degree, I was then accepted at several universities and finally decided to do a Master's in Supply Chain Management at Brunel University London. From my point of view, this is a great field to bring in knowledge from Engineering Management: For example, how do you ensure the right quality of your products with an international supplier network? Can additive manufacturing give us an advantage?

I have now been working for two years in the Norwegian branch of one of the largest corporate consultancies in the world, specialising in operations strategy. As an industrial engineer, you're made for it, so to speak. Many clients ask themselves how technology will change their companies and strategy, and this is exactly where we are trained. For example, I have now helped to shape the supply chain of a telephone company and am currently travelling to oil rigs to optimise processes on the high seas. Time and again, I notice a decisive advantage that I bring with me from Aachen: there we learn to think economically and at the same time speak the language of engineers. If you can imagine putting on protective clothing after a few days in the office and improving production in the factory, I can only recommend Engineering Management!