From March 16 to 20, 2026, the fifth Key Competence Week will take place at TU Dresden in the Fritz-Foerster-Bau.

Are you interested?

We are in the middle of the final preparations. Sign up for our list of interested parties - you will be informed in good time as soon as the program is online and registration opens.

Preview: Program 2026

The Key Skills Week 2026 will once again offer a wide range of workshops, lectures and consultations, including

• Agile project management
• Appearing self-confident
• Learning and exam coaching
• Rhetoric and conversation skills for study and work
• Stress and stress regulation
• Diversity competence - a success factor for studying and working
• Overcoming perfectionism
• Conflict management
• Speech and voice training for students
• Citavi
• LaTeX
• Efficient with Excel
• as well as many counseling services (e.g. Central Student Information and Counseling Service, Writing Center, psychosocial counseling).

Contact us

If you have any questions about the Key Skills Week, please contact Dr. Kathy Küchenmeister.

The alumna of the month for February com from Educational Sciences. Dr. Mandy Pastohr is President of the Federal Office of Economics and Export Control. The first woman to hold this top position not only studied at TUD, but also conducted research and earned her doctorate at TU Dresden. When she thinks of influential figures, the first person who comes to her mind is Prof. Hanno Hortsch: “He encouraged us to get in touch if we wanted to write proposals for research projects, teach courses, or review theses. Later, he became my doctoral supervisor,” she explained.

However, instead of pursuing an academic career, she later moved into political consulting. In August 2024, Dr. Mandy Pastohr was sworn in as President of the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA). Her work there involves foreign trade, economic promotion, and energy, among many other areas.

Speaking about her former major subject, she said: "My studies made me of a generalist. I've got a pretty broad knowledge base, love learning, am curious, and can reflect on things. And my background in educational science helps me when it comes to managing people.“

Click here for the detailed portrait.

Did you also study at TU Dresden and would like to stay in touch with your alma mater? Then become a member of the TUD alumni network.

Contact:
Susann Mayer
Alumni Relations Office of the TU Dresden
Phone: +49 351 463-36278
susann.mayer@tu-dresden.de

A new EU Graduate Competition 2026 will be published on February 5: https: //www.auswaertiges-amt.de/de/karriere/io/karriere-in-europa/eu-concours-node

The application deadline is March 10, 2026.

Whether peace and security, climate protection, the economy or digitalization: Europe is facing a wide range of challenges today that will shape our future. It is precisely these decisions for the future of Europe that are being made in the European Union. If you want to meet these challenges and play an active role in shaping these issues, you can apply to the EU from February 5 to March 10!

For the first time since 2019, the EU is once again holding a general selection procedure ("Concours") for university graduates. This selection procedure paves the way for permanent employment as a civil servant at the EU - an exciting job with many opportunities.

We wish all students who apply good luck!

Many thanks to everyone who joined us at the Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research!

A total of 151 young talents from TUD Dresden University of Technology, 15 companies and numerous industry representatives came together to take a look into the future of microelectronics and optoelectronics.

Professor Stefan Mannsfeld from the Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden outlined the impressive development of microelectronics (FYI: better "nanoelectronics") in Dresden and at TUD. The talents of our university are the most important driving force behind this success story!

Keynote speaker Dr. Christian Koitzsch followed on from this and presented his vision of an innovative center of the European chip industry in Dresden. He encouraged people to learn Mandarin as well as German and English.

The subsequent pitches by the employers made it a perfect blend of science, passion and practice. This is exactly what drives our region and the industry forward!

👏A big thank you to everyone who made this valuable exchange possible with their commitment and made this evening a success.

👉 Stay tuned: The future of microelectronics and optoelectronics will not only be shaped in clean rooms or at conference tables, but above all through lively networks. With Silicon Saxony, the state capital Dresden is ideally positioned here.

Participating companies

The EUTOPIA Student Career Ambassadors (SCA) are a network of students from EUTOPIA alliance universities who organize workshops and events to help students build successful professional profiles and navigate career pathways.  Over the coming weeks, they are offering several online workshops open to students from all partner universities.

EU Professional Opportunities Workshop

Host: Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF)

Date & Time: February 11, 12:00 PM

Description: Learn about career opportunities within European Union institutions, types of jobs, employment relationships, required tests, and the hiring process.

Presented and moderated by Javier García Risco, EUTOPIA Student Career Ambassador at UPF, the session will feature the interventions of the following speakers:

•  Alina Anton, Press and Information Officer - Communication, Outreach and Marketing - at the European Commission
•  Sasha Bacardit García, Ambassador UNICAT UPF
•  Luca Augello Ruiz, Alumni UPF and Adviser to the Director at the European Parliament

Registration: Register here

Job Orientation: Discover Yourself!

Date & Time: Monday, February 23, 19:00–20:00 

Focus: Self-analysis and personal branding to identify what job you really want and how to communicate it effectively.

Teams Link: Join here

CV, LinkedIn and Cover Letter: The Blueprint of Your Career

Date & Time: Thursday, February 26, 12:00–13:00 

Focus: How to create a strong CV and cover letter, and use LinkedIn as a networking and information tool to stand out.

Teams Link: Join here

From Local to Global: Career Pathways through Civil Society

Date & Time: March 24, 15:00–16:00 CET 

Focus: How young people can find international opportunities and build careers through civil society organizations, including Erasmus+ projects.

Teams Link: To be announced

If you want to explore career opportunities and develop your professional skills within the European context, these workshops by the EUTOPIA Student Career Ambassadors offer valuable insights and networking chances!

Get to know leading companies in the semiconductor industry - from research into sustainable materials to chip production. Find out what career opportunities await you. On January 22, 2026, at the Branchentreff Micro- and Optoelectronics Industry at TU Dresden, you will have the chance to meet employers on campus.

Program 22 January 2026

Leibniz-Institut für Festkörper- und Werkstoffforschung (IFW), Helmholtzstraße 20

Time of day	Agenda
4.30 pm	Kickoff & Keynotes Welcome by the Career Service Team Prof. Dr. Stefan Mannsfeld, Chair of Organic Devices, and Board Member of cfaed - Center for Advancing Electronics Dresden Dr. Christian Koitzsch - President and Managing Director European Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (ESMC)
4.45 pm	Employer pitches Employers present themselves and their company in 2-minute pitches
5.15 pm	Career Café - Networking Networking with employers Free snacks and drinks
7 pm	Raffle for an iPad* * All TU students who are registered for the event and present at the raffle are eligible to participate. Employees of TU Dresden are excluded from the raffle.
7.15 pm	Wrap-up

Which companies are present? 

Registration

Register now!

Dive into two departments within Amazon - our Operations Team and Global Engineering Services.

Step inside our German logistics network, where our speaker Younes Sellam leads operations as an Area Manager, and Amazon's cutting-edge supply chain network delivers millions of packages and smiles daily - combining artificial intelligence, robotics, and human ingenuity to transform customer wishes into same-day deliveries.

We will then hear from Torsten Pennartz a Senior Regional Construction Manager at Amazon Global Engineering Services, leading retrofit and expansion initiatives across Continental Europe while ensuring seamless ongoing operations. With a decade of experience at Amazon spanning Operations, Business Integration, and Engineering, he currently oversees a team of 35+ professionals. His team focus is on delivering complex construction projects that enhance our operational capabilities.

Date	Wednesday, January, 14, 2026
Time	5–6 pm
Career Talk language	English
Target group	Students of the following faculties Faculty of Architecture Faculty of Civil Engineering Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering Faculty of Mathematics Faculty of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Business and Economics
Study stage	Bachelor from 3rd semester Master from 1st semester
Career Talk hosts	Younes Sellam, Diplom Engineer Aviation and Logistics, Area Manager Torsten Pennartz, Diplom Engineer Industrial Engineering and Management, Senior Regional Construction Manager
Registration	Register now!

Career Talk in German language only. For details, switch to the German.

Ever wondered what it is like to work for the European Space Agency?

Launch your career with ESA

Andrew Kane, will introduce you to the ESA Entry-Level Programs, targeting students and recent graduates, and their related selection processes. He will also talk about the types of profiles that ESA is looking for and will give hints and tips on how to write a good CV and motivation letter.

Date	Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Time	5–6 pm
Career Talk language	English language
Target group	Students of the faculties Faculty of Biology Faculty of Business and Economics Faculty of Civil Engineering Faculty of Computer Science Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty of Environmental Sciences Faculty of Mathematics Faculty of Mechanical Science and Engineering Faculty of Physics
Study stage	Bachelor from the5th semester on Master from the1st semester on
Career Talk host	Andrew Kane, ESA Entry-Level Programs Coordinator
Registration	Register now!

Our Alumnus of the month is an expert in electrical engineering. Dr. Stefan Rothe's doctorate focused on lightwave programming and now conducts research at Yale University.

Back then, he regarded the broad scope of the electrical engineering program as both a blessing and a curse. “During the course of the studies, you undoubtedly get to know many fascinating and highly diverse technologies and their characteristics. However, until late in my studies (seventh semester), I still had no idea which industry I really wanted to work in later on,” he remembers.

Among the topics advertised, he was attracted to the current research topics of Daniel Haufe, then a doctoral student in measurement technology. He was programming light waves that he sends through a glass fiber to build hair-thin microendoscopes. “I still remember being completely astonished that something like this was actually possible – I was immediately captivated by the topic. So much so that I ended up doing my PhD on “secure fiber-optic communication” using light-wave programming – a topic I still work on today.

His advice for new students: “Don’t stress yourselves out, and enjoy your time at university as much as possible! It won't hurt you to consciously extend your time a little, for example with semesters abroad (I really enjoyed my ERASMUS semester in England) or by doing an internship or two.“

Click here for the detailed portrait.

Did you also study at TU Dresden and would like to stay in touch with your alma mater? Then become a member of the TUD alumni network.

Contact:
Susann Mayer
Alumni Relations Office of the TU Dresden
Phone: +49 351 463-36278
susann.mayer@tu-dresden.de

This event takes place in German only. Please refer to German website.

Das Format „Karriere mit Geist“ wird zum Jahresprogramm: Wir entwickeln gemeinsam mit dir Module, die dich ganzjährig mit Impulsen, Einblicken und praktischen Tools für deinen Berufseinstieg begleiten.

Komm zum Auftakt für ein Jahr voller Inspiration, Netzwerken und konkreter Karriereperspektiven!

Wann? 4. Dezember 2025 | 17–19 Uhr
Wo? Online über Zoom
Anmeldung & Zugang:
https://bildungsportal.sachsen.de/opal/auth/RepositoryEntry/48912072709/CourseNode/1759372547300558008

Was erwartet dich?

Kurze Einblicke in spannende Berufsfelder

• Übersetzung & Sprachmittlung
• Arbeit in Internationalen Organisationen
• Medien & Marketing

Motivationsschub & Austausch

✨ Kraft tanken – Flügel spannen – wir zeigen dir, wie vielfältig deine Kompetenzen sind und wo sie gefragt sind.
🔍 Arbeitsmarkt-Insights – über die genannten Felder hinaus: Was erwartet Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaftler:innen wirklich?
🗣️ Eure Ideen zählen! – Dieses Programm wird mit dir gestaltet. Deine Perspektiven sind gefragt, damit der Schmetterling fliegen kann.

Warum dabei sein?

• Du gewinnst klare Einblicke in deine Berufschancen.
• Du triffst Gleichgesinnte und erfährst von aktuellen Karrierepfaden.
• Du gestaltest aktiv mit – denn „Karriere mit Geist 365“ ist dein Programm.

👉 Melde dich jetzt via OPAL an.

The Alumnus of the Month for December is an expert in industrial Engineering. When he was a student, Christian von Olshausen wanted to gain a better understanding of the links between technological developments and economic incentives. After graduating, in 2010, he founded a start-up with the vision of ending the world's reliance on fossil fuels.

Sunfire has since become a pioneer in the electrolysis and hydrogen industry. As Chief Technology Officer, he is responsible for numerous innovations for synthetic fuels and green hydrogen. His experiences as a student in Innovation Management and the startup challenges at TUD were of great value to him, especially when founding the company.

His advice for students: “When choosing what career you want to do, choose something that you enjoy so much that you'll be able to motivate yourself to do it every day.“

Click here to read the full article.

Were you also a student at TU Dresden and would like to remain in contact with your alma mater? Then, join TUD's Alumni Network!

Contact:
Susann Mayer
Alumni Relations Office of TU Dresden
Tel.: +49 351 463-36278
susann.mayer@tu-dresden.de

Career Talk in German language only. For details, switch to the German.

Are you ready to embark on a transformative journey with one of the world's leading media, services, and education companies? Join our company presentation and explore the various divisions where you can build a thriving career.

Discover our major networking event, “Talent Meets Bertelsmann,” happening next summer. This is your opportunity to work with experienced entrepreneurs and tackle real-world business challenges.

We will also introduce our Future Leaders Graduate Program, seeking young individuals with fresh ideas and leadership skills. There are 3 tracks: in the Data Science track, we need data experts to develop innovative solutions for the evolving media landscape. The Creative Management track prepares humanities and social science graduates for careers in management. Lastly, the Business track offers graduates the chance to develop business concepts and strategies at Bertelsmann.

Join us and see how Bertelsmann can be the launchpad for your growth and innovative ideas!

Date	Wednesday, December 3, 2025
Time	5–6 pm
Career Talk language	English
Target group	Students of the following faculties: Faculty of Biology Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty of Computer Science Faculty of Mathematics Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Science Faculty of Physics Faculty of Psychology Faculty of Linguistics, Literature and Cultural Studies Faculty of Business and Economics
Study stage	Bachelor from the 1st semester on Master from the 1st semester on
Career Talk host	Aman Singh, Junior Manager Employer Branding & Talent Attraction bei Bertelsmann
Registration	Register now!