I’m Marius Wagener, 23 years old, and I’m in my 8th semester of mechanical engineering. Since the first semester of my studies, I have been intensively involved in the student council and have, among other things, led the International Team, chaired the student grants committee at faculty and later school level, and currently sit on the School Council of the School of Engineering and Design.
During my time in higher education policy, I have been particularly involved in the goodness and funding of undergraduate teaching. Over my years as a member of the Student Grants Committees, I have been able to actively watch funding for undergraduate and graduate teaching dwindle and have advocated for students and their teaching, sometimes with and sometimes against the University and School leadership.
As a member of the School Council, I actively shape the appointment planning at our university and, in cooperation with our current senator and list runner-up Isabella Hennessen, have taken on the task of pointing out grievances at our university to the current State Ministry and working on solutions to them. Specifically, we are calling for a re-establishment of basic funding for tutorials and other lecture support for courses, as these are essential for successful study today.
In the coming years, the quality of undergraduate teaching will be the main focus of my attention. At a university that calls itself excellent, where students have to pay thousands of Euros to be able to live or as a person from outside the EU to be allowed to study at all, a very high standard of teaching must indeed be a standard.
If you trust me to represent the student body in the senate, I will fight with those who care about teaching and against those who want to leave it aside, so that you also get what the TUM and also the Free State of Bavaria are committed to.
To continue and strengthen the constructive cooperation with many bodies and at the same time to pursue and develop the critical points – my overriding goal for next year.
For the past year, I, Isabella (also known as Isa), together with David, have represented the students of TUM in the Senate and the University Council and, with your trust, would like to build on last year’s successes together with our first-place finisher, Marius. We have achieved a lot and yet there is still a lot of work ahead of us.
A few examples of what has happened recently: the area of sustainability has seen a lot of movement, I was able to help shape decidedly constructive discussions, but there are still many aspects of the strategy that have not been implemented. This is where I will support, discuss and set an example – because whether it’s buildings, teaching or research, sustainability must be implemented at all levels.
But looking at implementation, I am particularly struck by how often staff are missing to support it. Collaboration with TUM staff is important to us and we support each other in common interests. This is a central part of the networking that we are driving forward. Of course, however, networking is not just about this, but also about better connecting all students and all locations. Just a few days ago, we visited the distant locations of Heilbronn and Straubing and exchanged ideas in order to be able to tackle the tasks there as well.
There, as well as at the vast majority of TUM locations, an often serious problem is the lack of funds for teaching. It is not without reason that Marius and I have already contacted the State Ministry and demanded funds to finance undergraduate teaching. This is the only way to make creative teaching formats possible again and to make studying more attractive again!
That was already a lot, but there is so much more – mobility, housing, study grants, integration of internationals, tuition fees, statutes and appointments….
I am already working on many issues, the details are beyond any scope here, and some things are moving, but not enough yet. I am very much looking forward to building on the progress that has been made and moving forward on what urgently needs to happen!
P.S.: If you’re interested in more about me, I’m studying Management and Technology in my second master’s semester, I’m 25 years old, and I’ve been spending a lot of time volunteering at TUM since my first semester in my bachelor’s degree. In my private life you can meet me on my bike, exploring new places and walking with our dog Nemo.
My name is Sebastian Rein, I am 22 years old and I am currently studying mathematics in my first master’s semester. Since the beginning of my studies, I have been active in the mathematics student council and the MPI, and I have also been involved in the student council of TUM for quite some time now as the organizer of the GARNIX Open Air and as a speaker for university politics.
It is always important to me that the discussion partners meet at eye level, regardless of their actual position. Because only together and in dialogue can we overcome the challenges ahead.
The issue of student housing is particularly important to me. Since the beginning of the year, I have been campaigning for more student housing and a public platform for the issue. In this way, we have already been able to place the issue in the public eye and initiate talks with those responsible.
I’m Helen Sauer, 23 years old, and I’m currently in my fourth bachelor’s semester studying to become a teacher for vocational education with a major in health and nursing sciences and a minor in politics and society. Since my first semester, I have been active in the student council for teachers. For the past year, I have also been the chair of the student council and I am involved in various student council committees and in various committees of our school. I also try to help at events of the student council or other student councils where I can – be it at the cash desk, serving food or in the medical service of the AStA.
The area of teacher training is particularly important to me. Here I find it important to create offers for new students as well as lateral entrants. In addition, I would like to represent our teacher training programs as well as possible to the outside world and improve them further.
A lively student life is also very important to me. On the one hand, a wide range of different events is essential for me, so that students can get to know each other beyond their degree program. On the other hand, I think it’s important to create an increasingly diverse and broad range of offerings through the elective module catalog and the university groups, thus giving students the opportunity to network and develop personally.
I am Marius Priemer, 20 years old and I am studying Aerospace in my 4th bachelor semester (And thus belong to the first cohort of the program). Since my first semester I am active in the university politics of the student council Aerospace and Geodesy.
In the still young LRG, I have therefore already seen and exercised various aspects of student representation. For example, I have served on various committees and commissions, led the LRG’s university policy unit, and represented SoED students on the School Council.
My motivation is always to create the best possible conditions in studying and teaching for the students I have the privilege to represent (and those who will follow us).
For this reason, I look forward to assisting our representatives to the best of my ability in the upcoming election period.
I’m Paula Drobinski, 21 years old, and I’m currently in my second bachelor’s semester studying vocational education for health and nursing science and psychology with a focus on school psychology. I have been an active member of my student council since the beginning of my studies and am currently responsible for finances.
For me, one of the most important topics of university politics is to create good working and learning conditions at the university, both in terms of infrastructure and interpersonal relations. Be it adequate learning and working spaces, but also places of retreat for students, as well as creating a climate of mutual respect and acceptance, so that our university becomes a place where everyone feels comfortable.
