Viktoria Harzl, BA
Graduate year 2009
- Why did you decide to attend the bachelor degree program European Energy Business? What makes it such a special program in your eyes?
I actually did a good deal of research on the different study programs available to me, also at other universities, before deciding in favor of European Energy Business at the FH Kufstein. In the end what convinced me was the mix of economic, technical and interdisciplinary subjects as well as the large number of contracted lecturers who are practitioners and therefore work at the cutting edges of the various fields. I was also impressed by the prospect of going to study abroad at one of the FH Kufstein’s 170 partner universities around the world.
- Which courses have you attended so far and what have you learned in or through them?
What I immediately noticed is that the faculty members are very open to the questions and comments put forward by the students, which is something that makes the lessons very dynamic. This interaction makes learning interesting and fun. Because of the wide range of subjects in the program and their specific contents, I feel that I now have a decent overview of everything from energy resources, energy production and transportation, and energy consumption in the residential and industrial sectors. I’ve found that the technical courses help me to understand the energy business as a whole much better, whereby we’ve covered energy markets, energy marketing and the economic viability of the many processes involved. The program is rounded off with many complementary courses such as Business English and extracurricular activities like excursions and discussions with experts in the field. I also took advantage of the FH Kufstein’s continuing education program, Michelangelo, by attending a couple of additional language and skills courses.
- Have you already worked on any projects at the FH Kufstein? What did the projects deal with? How did you contribute to the projects?
We’re working on a project right now that aims to gather specific information on the energy consumption levels of the City of Kufstein. Ultimately this project should lead to a greener, more efficient use of energy by the city. It is very motivating to know that this student project will probably have some very positive effects on the entire municipality.
- What are your career aspirations?
This bachelor program is very comprehensive and I now see that there are many professions with great career prospects in the energy industry. My present career objective is to land a job – perhaps even an international job – as an energy consultant, as a project manager for energy projects, or as a citizens’ representative. I’m even considering the option of continuing my studies at the master’s level, probably in a part-time program so that I can also work at the same time.