They started here together in 1974 - now 32 engineers with an estimated 1,300 years of professional experience came together at their alma mater, the TU Braunschweig. At the end of October, the group used the time to catch up on contacts, reminisce about their student days and catch up on the latest developments in their department at the university.
The alumni have kept in touch since the beginning of their studies and have organised regular meetings, particularly via a "Hamburg group". The last time they were in Braunschweig was 10 years after they began their studies, and now, on the occasion of their 50th anniversary, we are delighted that they have met up with us again on campus.
The group was welcomed on the first day by Prof. Dr. Patrick Schwerdtner, who particularly values the connection to former students from his own subject. Under the heading "This is us: TU Braunschweig", Prof Patrick Schwerdtner gave an insight into the development and current situation of TU Braunschweig in a 90-minute presentation. In addition to impressive research projects and the enormous number of research organisations in the region, the "74ers" naturally paid particular attention to which institutes still exist and the extent to which structural changes are discernible. Using the example of the Institute of Construction Management and Construction Operations, some specific developments were also highlighted, such as the establishment of the "Digital Construction Site". Overall, the impression was that TU Braunschweig is facing up to the current challenges in research and teaching in a variety of ways and continues to offer great opportunities for students and researchers. Prof. Patrick Schwerdtner is also Chairman of the Alumni-Bau Carolo Wilhelmina e.V. association, which brings together former students from the Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Transport Engineering and Industrial Engineering/Construction degree programmes.
In the evening, memories of the student days were shared, supported by pictures that the participants had brought with them. The alumni particularly remember the HVÜ (main surveying exercise SS1975) in Solling:
Another highlight was the welcome address by the President of TU Braunschweig, Prof. Dr. Angela Ittel, on the second day of the meeting. In her speech, she emphasised the importance of the exchange between the university and its alumni and how their experiences and knowledge can enrich the next generations of students. She took a lot of time to explain current developments at the university and to take away the alumni's experiences and assessments for the future.