ESTIEM Magazine | Spring 2020 | 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

58th Issue

ESTIEM 1990-2020 ... a founder’s and personal perspective

PAGE 11

THE STORY OF LSS IN ESTIEM

... how it started and how the journey continues today

PAGE 18

30

TH

ANNIVERSARY OF ESTIEM

European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management Issue 58 2020/1 | ISSN 0874-5242 | Price €0.- | www.estiem.org

INTRODUCTION

Pursue your Master’s program in the Netherlands?

What about the masters in Industrial Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology? tue.nl/masterprograms/oml • tue.nl/masterprograms/im • tue.nl/masterprograms/mse IE MSC wervingsad 210x135 mm.indd 1

18-06-19 09:33

Get Active! Page

+180

29

+120

Central ESTIEMers

Central Entities

Get Active! Chats since 2018

What is CENTRAL ESTIEM?

Why join CENTRAL ESTIEM?

Central ESTIEM can be seen as the working place in ESTIEM.

There are a many reasons why you should join Central

It aims to provide a framework where people can work to-

ESTIEM. First of all, you will be working in an international

gether and develop their ideas with like-minded ESTIEMers.

team. In this team you can create your own impact by deve-

The Central ESTIEM structure consist of the board and se-

loping ideas or starting initiatives. Furthermore, it is a great

veral entities that support the board and the network and

opportunity to develop yourself by learning new things and

others that focus on the value creation by coordinating the

improve a variety of skills. Last but not least, it is amazing to

organization of services. More information on Central ES-

be part of an European Community. In this community you

TIEM can be found below.

will make new friends, collaborate with people from different cultures and have a lot of fun!

Join the Active Mail List 2 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

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INTRODUCTION

Table of contents INTRODUCTION 4 Project Leader’s Speech 5 President’s Speech 6 Introduction to ESTIEM 8 International projects and commitees

FOCUS TOPIC 11 ESTIEM 1990-2020 - a founder’s and personal

14

perspective 14 30 Years of ESTIEM - Darmstadt - Back to the roots 18 The story of LSS in ESTIEM: How it started and how the journey continues today!

SCENE 20 How the aerospace industry has changed in the past 30 years 22 The Importance of Awareness: Environmental

20

26

responsibility 24 Why you are arguing wrong, no matter if you are right 26 How taking initiative can change your life 28 How to live lagom 31 A journey from an outsider to a thriving teammate 34 Benefits of knowledge sharing 36 Data Visualization in Companies

31

CAREER 38 Alumni Interview 41 The hardship of job search 44 Why you should choose a nonprofit career 45 The Evolution of Jobs

INSIDE ESTIEM 46 Global Student Challenge 48 The rebirth of Academic Days

44

50 The 5 benefits of participating in Student competitions 52 How to write an estiem magazine Article?

EXPLORE 53 On the rocky road to Serbian lakes 54 Regional Coordinators Meeting, Berlin 56 5 questions to 5 entrepreneurs from all around Europe

50

54

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 3

INTRODUCTION Project Leader Oliver Dittrich Design Trajko Krstić Bojana Preradović Elena Dubić Vasilije Aleksić Veljko Tonić Article Acquisition Tanja Gagić Sonja Borota Kosta Savić Anđela Vasojević Aleksandra Ćirković Proofreaders Evdoxia Pantazi Lea Lemberg Sebastian Hummel Mark van Uden Milena Zoraja Nikola Milošević Jovan Vitošević Tanja Gagić Anastasiia Plishkanovska Aleanxdru Florescu With special thanks to Robin Dietrich Contact leader.magazine@estiem. org ESTIEM Permanent Office Atlas 2.328 P.O.Box 513 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands Fax: 0031-(0)40 2473871 info@estiem.org www.estiem.org Disclaimer The contents may not always reflect the opinion of the publisher. Any reproduction or copy is permitted only with the permission of the editors.

Our Partners Allianz ABB Oy Continental Eindhoven University of Technology Chalmers University of Technology Lappeenranta University of Technology Eurosender Asia Exchange Elium UNIT4 Tableau BEST EESTEC VWI

PROJECT LEADER’S SPEECH Dear reader, Back in 1990, 50 students from seven different countries

were

focusing

on

building

the

foundation of an organisation which they named ESTIEM: European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management.

30 years later, it has grown into an organisation bringing together 8000 students from 74 European countries, and it keeps growing.

ESTIEM has great memories to share, knowledge and expertise, time of intense professional activity, positive initiatives which turned into exciting projects, all of which were accomplished together by generations of ESTIEMers.

We as the Magazine Project are proud of our

Happy Birthday ESTIEM!

active network full of creativity, professional drive, innovative ideas and determination to execute it. We truly appreciate its longevity and very active alumni group.

Oliver Dittrich Celebrating our anniversary is an excellent opportunity to communicate our experience, to take a glance back and to recognize all the events we participated in. Everyone should remember one’s 30th birthday: we graduated not too long ago, are matured and responsible adults with the necessary wisdom for significant decisions in life, start moving together with our beloved ones and also build a family. 30 years of ESTIEM also means 30 years of family and growing together.

With the 58th issue of the ESTIEM magazine, one of the oldest projects in ESTIEM, you are invited to question yourself, take a step back, set new goals, share your personal moments, do something different, but also to celebrate the anniversary. With nothing left to say, enjoy reading.

4 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

ESTIEM Magazine Project Leader

INTRODUCTION

30 Years of ESTIEM - PRESIDENT’S SPEECH Dear reader, As you might have already understood, ESTIEM is reaching its thirty-years-milestone this year.

I would not know, but it is said that reaching 30 years of existence is not always easy to cope with.

Lacking the necessary personal life experience, I conducted thorough research on how to embrace this achievement. Please find the summary below: 1. Throw a fantastic party - 30th-anniversary party planned.

2. Make plans and set goals - Long Term Strategy created.

3. Be confident in what you have learnt - always.

4. Appreciate family and friends - for sure.

We have not thoughtfully planned to be prepared for this milestone but it looks like, somehow, we are.

In the pages that follow, you are invited to read the collection of articles we have selected for you

Throughout my journey, I have met some of the ESTIEM’s founders and heard both their stories and ideas; I have seen pictures and heard songs; I have been marvelled by past opportunities this network has presented to people all over Europe - And, above it all, I have added my own stories to the endless list of things ESTIEM helped people accomplish; I have seen people increase their own personal network, achieving new goals and setting new plans.

regarding history and stories from 1989 onward.

You will see that ESTIEM has survived plenty of things and that regardless of unpredictable adversities, like the ones we are currently facing worldwide, we are here to stay. From each trial, each success and/or failure, came a learning experience for someone else.

Nobody ever agrees on a perfect definition for ESTIEM, but after all this, I will subscribe and add to the words said firstly by someone I unfortunately never met:

The last item my research presented was also my favourite. It went as follows:

ESTIEM is a playground.

Are you joining or will you just watch?

5. Try new things What I, like countless other people, got the chance

In High ESTIEM,

to experience was the result of new seeds someone once decided to plant; and that is a challenge I will always promote - plant your own seeds!

Over

the

last

three

decades,

ESTIEM

has

undoubtedly seen a lot. My question is: “What is

Inês Moreira ESTIEM President

next?”

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 5

INTRODUCTION

ALL OVER EUROPE...

Back in 1990, students from five different countries founded an organisation, which they named ESTIEM: European Students of Industrial Engineering and Management.

After 30 years, it has grown into an organisation

The decision-making body of ESTIEM is the

bringing together over 60,000 students from 79

Council, which meets twice a year, in autumn

universities in 31 European countries, and it is

and in spring. Each university, represented by

still growing. All these universities offer courses in

its so-called “Local Group�, sends two student

IEM. Based on this structure, ESTIEM forms links

representatives. The six members of the Board

between students, academia and companies in

of ESTIEM are elected during the spring Council

order to create an Europe-wide, multi-level IEM

Meeting. The Board is responsible for the

network. ESTIEM has continuously increased the

management, coordination and administration

number of its activities, thus being able to offer

of the association.

a great variety of events to IEM students and an opportunity to experience different cultures, take

Besides taking leadership positions in the Board

part in international projects and become friends

and as Project or Committee Leaders, ESTIEM

with other ESTIEMers from all over Europe.

members can also take up responsibilities by working in one of the Projects, Committees or

Naturally, the backbone of ESTIEM is the

Initiatives. With lots of teams and tasks to choose

European IEM student. The students involved in

from, there is a place for everyone.

ESTIEM incorporate both the skills required for modern business and an open-minded approach

For

more

detailed

information

about

our

towards other people and cultural issues.

organisation and its activities, please visit our website at www.estiem.org.

75

180+

3,000

Local Groups in 27 countries make ESTIEM a large network.

events are organised

by Local Groups every year.

travels are made yearly by 2,000 students.

6 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

8,000 members and a reach of 60,000 towards IEM students in Europe.

INTRODUCTION

OUR MISSION Connect and support the growth and sustainability of European associations of IEM students, to foster relations and to develop their IEM students, personally and professionall

OUR VISION Be the connector of IEM Students with an IEM Europe An IEM Europe is the ecosystem of companies, universities, organisations and other entities interested in the field of IEM. We are striving for each IEM Student to have a connection not only with other students all over Europe of the same field but also to other companies and universities, to ensure each student as a voice as well as the opportunity to make a difference, and to allow each outstanding innovative idea to become reality.

OUR FOUR CORE VALUES

Embracing diversity

Striving for development

We see multiculturalism as a strength of ESTIEM. We benefit from our cultural diversity by being able to approach chances and challenges with different insights. Respect is not just something we strive for, but part of the very basis of our network

We grow together by trying hard and learning from mistakes, we are eager to go through a learning process and see accessibility and freedom as highest goals. ESTIEMers gain practical experience and important soft-skills needed in today’s world.

Encouraging participation

Aiming high

ESTIEM being a democratic organisation with a flat hierarchy encourages the participation of all its members. We inspire each other to partake in ESTIEM’s activities and develop new ideas.

We are not afraid of stepping out of our comfort zone. ESTIEM’s members are proactive students that always give 100%. We encourage an entrepreneurial spirit among students and other stakeholders by gathering and exchanging experiences and best practices.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 7

INTRODUCTION

STUDENTS INVOLVE THEMSELVES IN VARIOUS INTERNATIONAL PROJECTS AND COMMITEES...

ESTIEM is also a playground for great ideas developed by highly motivated students. If a student manages to convince ESTIEM’s Council of their idea, they can start their own International Project. taking an active impact on educational change, by

ACADEMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

providing opportunities to discuss education and contributing to academic development in Europe.

Provide

non-formal

complimentary

IEM

content based on students’ needs and current

Inchainge Global Student Challenge

developments in IEM, through advanced courses delivered by professionals, and support the

Support and develop the knowledge gain of Supply

research & development in the IEM field by actively

Chain Management within IEM students through

taking part in discussions and activities.

partnerships for competing activities.

Lean Six Sigma

INTERCULTURAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Our mission is to spread the knowledge of advanced methodology which is Lean Six Sigma

Intercultural Development department promotes

by providing worldwide recognised - Green

understanding

Belt Certificate. The Green Belt is not only

ESTIEMers to build intercultural competencies

revolutionasing and integreting all IEM students,

within our multicultural network.

among

cultures

and

helps

additionally it gives them a straight direction into finding first jobs in any industry.

Europe3D

Academic Days

Europe3D aims to gather students from all over the world with different backgrounds in a country

The goal of Academic Days is to share ESTIEM

to experience it in 3 dimensions – politics, economy

universities

knowledge

network.

and culture – while raising the intercultural

It

the

professional

awareness and spreading open-minded ESTIEM

supports

with

personal

the

and

development of students across Europe willing to

spirit.

complete their curriculum. In order to achieve this, each Academic Days event provides participants

Language Programme

deep insights into a specific topic in which the organising Local Group’s university has a high

Language Programme aims to foster language

expertise.

learning within ESTIEM, providing ESTIEMers with the opportunity to learn new Languages or

Vision

improve the ones already known.

“The aim of Vision is to give IEM students

Exchanges

practical insights in current and future topics and trends from areas between Economy, Society

Local Group Exchanges aims to connecting Local

and Technology while bridging the gap between

Groups by visits of LGs to another LGs with a

academic and corporate environment.

following return visit which facilitates them to share their cultures, knowledge, experiences and

IEM Connection

strengths between each other while having fun in a sincere environment.

To be the facilitator of the voice of IEM students and

connect

them

with

professors

and

professionals, in order to increase the awareness of IEMers on IEM Education in Europe as well as

8 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

INTRODUCTION Activity Weeks

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

Activity Week aims to gather students from all around the Europe in one city where the

Provide soft skills development opportunities on

participants have the chance to experience the

a constant basis, while defining and enforcing

hosting country by exploring their culture, food

standards for the soft skill learning experience,

and hospitality. These days fulfilled with various

based on the adequate use of trainers and event

activity events such as local festivals and concerts.

structures.

During the event dates a friendly atmosphere reigns due to which ESTIEMers easily can feel the ESTIEM

Braintrainer

spirit.

Braintrainer is a training-based project that aims to provide high quality, interactive and

CAREER DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

multicultural learning experiences. While working on soft and business skills such as communication,

Offer opportunities such as events, competitions

presentation, negotiation and team-management,

and programmes focused on preparing students

participants are also able to enjoy the experience-

for a specific career field, by developing a related

sharing, fun, and team spirit inherent to every

set of skills that will get them a competitive

ESTIEM project.

advantage.

Summer Academy TIMES The goal of Summer Academy is to potentiate the TIMES provides IEM students all across Europe

development of leadership skills, foster the sharing

the

while

of insights and knowledge within the Industrial

developing their professional skill set in a

opportunity

to

grow

personally

Engineering field and to create a unique and strong

competition-based context.

relationship between all the participants.

Be X in X Days

COMMITTEES

Be X for X Days aims to provide ESTIEMers and IEM students with the best opportunities

Human Resources Committee (HRC)

of getting real-life experiences, useful knowledge and insights about what is needed to be a

Support all central ESTIEM entities in recruiting,

professional in a specific field.

onboarding, managing and developing their team members by facilitating recruitment processes,

businessbooster

assessing stability and providing opportunities for development.

Businessbooster is an ESTIEM entity that aims to connect the different IEM student associations

Members Committee (MC)

with entrepreneurial interest. By facilitating the education of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge,

Take care of the Local Groups of ESTIEM and their

Businessbooster

entrepreneurial

activeness level, tries to expand ESTIEM network

mind-set while creating and maintaining a safe

and helps student groups in their membership

environment for business ideas.

process.

Industry Hubs

Corporate Relations Committee (CRC)

Industry

Hubs

enables

brings

the

together

interested

The Corporate Relations Committee is responsible

ESTIEMers to showcase a traditional or growing

for

creating

and

developing

academic

and

industry within countries and regions.

corporate partnerships that will contribute with value and support to the network.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 9

INTRODUCTION Information Technology Committee (ITC)

ESTIEMers in their professional development.

We ensure that ESTIEM can fully serve its members

Knowledge Facitilation Committee (KFC)

in helping them be their truest and most amazing selves by providing them a modern, stable and

Curate the knowledge and ensure its usage by

easily maintainable and upgradeable portal that

facilitating knowledge sharing in ESTIEM.

works well on all platforms.

Local Group Support System (LGSS) Public Relations Committee (PRC) Have a support system for Local Groups’ The Public Relations Committee aims to maintain

development, with a customized, project-based

the ESTIEM brand by creating and publicizing

approach, focusing on Local Groups willing to be

the necessary brand materials for this purpose

rescued from a bad state.

and to support entities and local groups in order to increase the recognition of ESTIEM to its

Legal Officers

stakeholders.

To strengthen ESTIEM’s regulatory structure, while Trainers’ Community Core Team

increasing and maintaining the legal knowledge in ESTIEM.

To maintain and develop the pool of trainers while

enabling

partake through

in

the

the

whole

community

decision-making

transparency

and

to

Ambassadors

processes

inclusiveness.

The Ambassador is responsible for establishing and fostering relations between ESTIEM and

Trainers’ community

other associations, while facilitating existing collaborations. The Ambassador should increase

As Trainers Community we provide training

awareness and recognition of ESTIEM towards IEM

sessions to ESTIEMers to help their personal and

Europe and bring value to its Members.

professional development while supporting the future growth of the community.

ESTIEM Magazine

Analysis Committee (AC)

The ESTIEM Magazine aims to provide an insight in the world of IEM from an academic and

Our mission is to support ESTIEM to make the

professional point of view and engage ESTIEMers

decision-making more fact-based in order to help

in the network.

the organisation move forward, while supporting

10 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

FOCUS TOPIC

ESTIEM 1990-2020 A FOUNDER’S AND PERSONAL PERSPECTIVE It is April 12th, Easter Sunday as I write this article.

and the blue flag with the yellow stars always has

We are in the midst of the coronacrisis and are

been a sign of hope for me.

all confined at home. Millions of people have been infected, hundreds of thousands have died,

In 1987, I moved from Venlo to Eindhoven to

schools and universities have closed, air traffic has

start my Industrial Engineering and Management

ceased. A deep recession is in the making, with

(IEM)

millions losing their jobs and complete industries

trip with a group of fellow IEM-students, in

forced to shut down (tourism, festivals, aviation to

Germany, Switzerland, Italy, France and Belgium,

name a few). The longer this crisis last, the clearer

visiting companies and universities in order to

it becomes the life post-coronavirus will never be

investigate how the unification of Europe planned

the same.

for 1992 would change their business. The first

studies. In 1989, I made a 3-week study

Astrid Sonneville-Dings Local Group Eindhoven

steps, back then, were the harmonisation of I have to explain to my children that this situation

product regulations and simplification of customs

is new to all of us, as we have never lived through

procedures, later extended in the treaty of

something similar in our lifetime. For the first time

Maastricht. That same year, I joined the committee

in our life we truly understand what liberty means.

that would become Interact.cie and after receiving

We will have to work hard to gain it back: our

a letter from VWI, inviting us to a European

liberty to move around, to attend school, to see

meeting in Graz in April 1990, I went there with

our friends and family without the risk of infection.

Marlies van Laarhoven and Stan Verouden. This

The liberty to be close to each other without fear.

first encounter with international students was a

The liberty to travel and get together for one of

life-changing event for me; something I know has

those incredible ESTIEM events with people from

happened to a lot of other ESTIEM-ers as well at

all over Europe. According to the latest prognosis,

their first international event.

full release of society allowing international travel and major gatherings will be 2021 at the earliest, as

The experience of meeting IEM-students from

it will require an effective vaccine to be available…

other countries was so powerful. We realised that

And I was looking forward to celebrate the 30

despite our differences in language and culture we

years anniversary this year, with 30 generations of

had so much in common: our studies, our appetite

ESTIEM-ers, so much!

to figure things out and make them work, our international curiosity and above all, our dreams

That realisation hurts, I have never missed one

and hopes for the future. The 48-hours spent

of the 5-yearly anniversaries: Foundation Berlin

together in Graz felt like a week and the experience

1990, Hamburg 1995, Cambridge 2000, Karlsruhe-

enabled us to progress further with giant steps.

Kaiserslautern 2005, Tahkovuori 2010 and Vienna 2015.

After Graz, we formed a committee between the groups geographically close (Eindhoven &

Truly, ESTIEM has been a very important in my life

Darmstadt) to prepare the foundation of Estiem. A

and personal development as you can tell from

lot of the strategic thinking put in back then, is still

the above. Having grown up in a small village close

visible in ESTIEM’s statute, student group-based

to Venlo, an area that has been Roman, Spanish,

structure, activities and its culture.

German and French, until it became part of the Netherlands in 1814, I have always considered

November 1990, we travelled to Berlin for the

myself a European from birth. In fact, my mother

foundation event. The atmosphere in the town

tongue is a dialect closer to German than to Dutch.

was magic, with the wall having come down a

Being connected to Europe was obvious for me

year earlier and the city full of hope related to the

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 11

FOCUS TOPIC reunification of East and West-Germany.

the company. Two years later both Marlies and I started our careers with P&G.

We had our first official Council Meeting, voted the statutes, worked through the night with Christoph

In 1991, I was organiser of the Eindhoven Council

Hagedorn and John from Galway (the only native

Meeting, a complex task, given the high numbers

English speaker at the time) and I got elected into

of participants (200) and the double hats as a

the first board with Christoph, Stefan and Elena. I

board member as well as lead-organiser of the

was appointed Vice President for Public Relations

CM. We combined this with a case-study weekend

and Finance (to note: initially we kept no finances

(organised by Joost Fontein & Ton Kooi), where

on a central level to avoid disputes about money).

I met a Philips officer that later helped me get internships in Sweden and Spain in 1992. As you

In 1991, with the help of a fantastic editorial staff

can see ESTIEM provided a perfect playground

in Eindhoven, I founded the ESTIEM magazine I

and offered plenty of opportunities to learn for

am writing this article for. Internet hardly existed

(working) life!

at the time, and to provide a professional image of ESTIEM and prove our seriousness to sponsors

In 1993, I graduated and got my first assignment

we needed a printed magazine. It was for this

at P&G in the Netherlands (marketing and later

magazine that Marlies and I interviewed a Procter

supply chain). My eternal wish to live in other

& Gamble manager, which raised my interest in

European countries was fulfilled in 1999 when

The iconic Matterhorn is illuminated by Swiss light artist Gerry Hofstetter sending a message of hope to the world

12 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

FOCUS TOPIC I left for Amiens, France to run the planning

the best reward for me. This year I had a ‘déjà vu’

department in a mega factory, only to work later

experience of founding ESTIEM: I was a co-founder

at the headquarters in Paris. As customer logistics

of a local ‘green’ political party called ‘Demain

head, part of Sales, I learned to negotiate with

Confignon’ and we went through the same

the notoriously difficult French customers, skills I

creative milestones as in 1990: a name, a logo,

benefit from to this date. My ESTIEM experience

statutes, objectives and strategies, a newsletter

on cultural differences and strategic thinking

and recruiting candidates. The party won a

helped me tremendously back then to work with

landslide victory at the election on March 15th,

people so different to me and achieve goals I had

2020. You can imagine how weird our celebration

previously thought impossible.

party was, all standing 2 meters apart, because of social distancing rules…

In 2002, our son was born and the family decided to move to a greener environment. I got an

This brings us back to the coronacrisis: the silver

opportunity to move to Geneva, Switzerland to

lining is that Mother Nature is teaching us, in an

the headquarters for the EMEA region, where

accelerated time lapse, what we risk to lose if we

consecutively I ran the supply chain for pet food,

continue treating her as we have been doing: our

managed the portfolio of product launches for the

health, our way of living, our ecosystems and even

hair care division and lead global multi-million-

longer term our sources of food and livelihood.

dollar costs savings programs. Our 2 daughters were born in this period, in 2005 and 2008.

It is in abnormal times that we learn most about ourselves and others. I hope this life-changing

In 2012, I left P&G as I felt it was time to move

experience in 2020, motivates today’s ESTIEM-ers

horizons. The movie ‘An inconvenient truth’ by Al

as we were motivated back then in 1990 to build

Gore was my wake-up call and after doing some

a better future together for Europe: a unique and

work within the company on sustainability, I

diverse continent with open borders, where we

decided my role would be outside of it, as I really

can meet and learn from each other, where we

wanted to accelerate the transition to a sustainable

use the technological advances to improve the

world. Leaving a comfortable, well paid job at

lives for everyone. A Europe where we promote

a great company was far from easy. One thing I

peace by listening and truly trying to understand

realised though, is that I do not need much money

each other.

to live the life I aspire to, as one can do a lot even with little money, as long as you are creative and

According to ancient myth, the one divine

have time. Time in fact, is the only limited resource

gift vouchsafed to humans — after all its evil

in life and therefore requires serious decision

companions escaped from Pandora’s box — was

making on how you want to spend it.

Hope.

It has been 8 years now that I work from home,

My hope for our joint future is that we listen to

as an investor and activist for the sustainable

these stark warnings, use the window of change

transition. I have learned many new skills (like how

and the trillions of recovery funds, to rebuild the

to renovate your house to use renewable energy

economy in a way that is just for the climate,

only, and how sustainable finance can accelerate

builds solidarity and reduces inequality. A plan

the transition to sustainable economy - see the

which promotes international collaboration in

article on this in the Spring 2019 edition of the

many fields and connects people to each other

ESTIEM magazine).

and to Europe, the very aims ESTIEM was created for and which it has successfully delivered for 30

I spend time educating my children who, especially

years now.

in their teenage years, need the guidance of their parents. I regularly teach and coach others, all pro-

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/astrid-sonneville-dings-

bono as the satisfaction of seeing people grow is

640a8_estiem-magazine-spring-2019-international-activity6539160712827162625-cpB6

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 13

FOCUS TOPIC

30 YEARS OF ESTIEM - DARMSTADT, BACK TO THE ROOTS

Jana Eisenbarth Local Group Darmstadt

Michelle Sefers Local Group Darmstadt

Some of you might know that we, as Local Group

ments, these high aiming students co founded a

Darmstadt, have the honor to organise the “30 Ye-

society in 1988, named “konaktiva”, intended to

ars of Awesomeness – ESTIEM Anniversary” this

organise an annual company fair, with the first

year. Why though, will this happen in Darmstadt,

taking place in the following year. What started

a city you have hardly heard about outside of ES-

as a modest company fair, has grown to an event

TIEM? That is what we aim to explain to you in this

with more than 250 companies and 10,000 visitors

article by leading you through our Local Group’s

to date.

history, in hope you will have a better understanding of why this event is so special to us.

Continuing in the same “aim high” style, in 1989 Arnold Petzold, the leader of VWI Darmstadt at

1978

that time, came to an unprecedented idea : What if they organised an event for students across Euro-

It is the year 1978. Some industrial engineers at

pe? An event that brought together industrial engi-

Technical University of Darmstadt make the move

neers from different European cities and cultures

to found VWI Darmstadt as a student society – the

that he himself met during his previous years of

first student society in the VWI organisation (ES-

studies? Such an idea came to fruition in Arnold’s

TIEM’s German counterpart). Up to this point, the

mind, yet he would not be the one to make it a

VWI was a German organisation purely for profes-

reality, as he was coming to an end of his studies.

sionals, aimed at fostering connections between German industrial engineers. Darmstadt led the

It was the effort of four highly motivated students

way for the VWI to also become a powerful stu-

that made Arnold’s idea possible. The project team

dent organisation. Over the years the nationwi-

consisted of Ulrich Nack, Martin Schimpke, Stefan

de VWI student network grew to 6,000 members

Schneider and Christoph Hagedorn. Together,

spread over 40 university groups in 2020.

they developed their concept of an international engineering and management student seminar in

VWI Darmstadt grew significantly during its first

Darmstadt. This concept will be presented at a VWI

years. Each year, the team would organise a bro-

Congress from the 14th to the 15th of October in

ad range of events for students in cooperation

Berlin – shortly after the Berlin Wall would come

with all sorts of businesses. Still, the students from

down. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, the students

VWI Darmstadt were not satisfied and they strived

of Darmstadt were set on connecting Europe on

for more.

a student level.

1988 & 1989

After the very positive feedback they received at

Jumping into the future, we are now in the year

versity of Linköping in Sweden and Helsinki Uni-

1988. Due to their insatiable hunger for achieve-

versity of Technology (later on merged together

14 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

the congress, the team wrote postcards to the Uni-

FOCUS TOPIC with 2 more universities to Aalto University) in Helsinki, using Arnold’s contacts, inviting the students

1993

to attend their upcoming seminar.

After several years, in 1993, Darmstadt’s students

1990

were reflecting on previous excursions and events they had the chance to organise over the years

One week prior to the seminar the team prompted

and envisioned implementing something similar

several students from German universities and

in the still young ESTIEM network. The vision was to

two students from Graz, Austria, to participate.

provide the students with an opportunity to travel,

There had still been no response to the postcards

demonstrate their skills and develop themselves

they had sent to Sweden and Finland though. Af-

both academically and culturally. The result was

ter what felt like an eternity to the organisers, Mika

a 3-week excursion for more than 30 participants

Gerlander from Helsinki University of Technology

from the early ESTIEM network to Japan and the

called the team with much excitement – he and a

USA, loaded with company visits and workshops.

friend of his wanted to participate in the interna-

It was a truly mind-boggling event to organise back

tional seminar and had plans to stay in Darmstadt.

then when so many technologies and methods

The international student seminar took place in

that we use today, were under development or

Darmstadt, but it is the Friday evening of this event

non existent. This event would serve as an inspira-

that will have a significant impact on industrial

tion for future endeavors of the local group.

engineer and management students all across Europe. On Friday, January 26th 1990, the students

The event series that was born out of this excur-

from Darmstadt, Helsinki and Graz were sitting in

sion is what we today know as Vision. Vision events

a Pub called “Riwwelmaddes” fantasizing about a

initially covered one visionary topic in depth in di-

European network that would enable more events

fferent Local Groups throughout the year, after

like the one they were currently in, to happen. This

which a final conference was held where what has

gathering in a pub in Darmstadt led to the founda-

been learned from each Local Group’s Vision event

tion of ESTIEM.

was presented. 25 years later, the VWI|ESTIEM Local Group Darmstadt organised the 25th anniver-

In November of the same year, ESTIEM was offi-

sary of the Vision series in 2018. The organisers of

cially founded in Berlin. Christoph Hagedorn, a

the first Vision conference joined this special edi-

member of the project team that brought about

tion at the Gala Dinner to witness the development

Arnold’s vision of a connected Europe, became the

of their idea. The following year, the new elected

first president of ESTIEM. Darmstadt is one of the

Vision leader proposed a different concept for the

co-founders of ESTIEM, and to this day we still take

event series: One Local Group would cover the en-

pride in the work of our predecessors.

tire topic on its own and each Local Group organising a Vision would have another topic, as the last years experience showed that students were not able to visit the Vision events of all different Local Groups that covered one topic.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 15

FOCUS TOPIC

End of 90s and early 00s

des, the bar where the discussions that led to ESTIEM being born took place, emerged. In 2014 this plaque was put on a wall in Riwwelmaddes, with

Our Local Group kept growing, so that at the end

many members of Local Group Darmstadt and ES-

of the decade, we finally got our own room as a

TIEM Boardies of 2014 being present, during the

student society at our university, where we could

Student Guide Coordination Meeting taking place

conduct business. At some point, near the start of

at the same time.

the decade, members of the VWI|ESTIEM Darmstadt started to organise an annual skiing trip, cal-

In 2015, Darmstadt organised their – until this year

led Orga-Boarder.

– biggest event: the TIMES Final.

Some years later, Darmstadt’s members had the idea of inviting other ESTIEMers to their yearly skii-

2018

ng event, which gave birth to the now somewhat famous Skiing Activity Week (SAW) in 2009. SAW

As VWI|ESTIEM Darmstadt was founded in 1978 ,

is an event where ESTIEMers from all over Euro-

2018 was the year we joyfully celebrated its 40th

pe together with Darmstadt’s members can ski or

anniversary with over 100 active members and

snowboard for one week in the Austrian Alps. In

alumnis attending the festivities. All those years

2018 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of the

of hard work and dedication made it possible for

SAW with a big birthday cake and many ESTIEMers.

Darmstadt to become a valuable and well-orga-

Since then we did not have a year without our Skii-

nised local group. Many ESTIEM, VWI, university

ng Activity Week, with the 12th edition being the

and team events take place in Darmstadt, in va-

last one organised earlier this year . For the first

rious event formats. Our Local Group is organising

time we gathered 50 ESTIEMers in a cabin in the

over 20 external events for students of Technical

Alps.

University Darmstadt each year such as one-week excursions to European cities to gather cultural

2011 - 2017

and business insights, weeklong Start-up-focused excursions, company visits, workshops and panel discussions, to name a few. In addition to that we

In 2011 Local Group Darmstadt achieved the mi-

normally organise national VWI and European ES-

lestone by having 50 active members, the highest

TIEM events in a rotating two-year cycle.

count since its founding. Some years later, the idea of putting a plaque inside of Riwwelmad-

16 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

FOCUS TOPIC

2020

to see him if you come to visit Darmstadt!

This year, we, as a local group, have the honor to

Now, 30 years, 60 Council Meetings and over 3000

organise the 30th anniversary of our beloved ES-

ESTIEM events later, we reached the year 2020 and

TIEM network. At this point you should understand

are looking back on our Local Group’s history as a

why this article is called “back to the roots”.

founder of the ESTIEM network. Our Local Group usually has 40-60 members, where the active team

During the 30th anniversary, all of us will travel

is around 30 people as the rest of the members

back through 30 years of ESTIEM history. As part of

are occupied with semesters abroad or inter-

an amazing pub crawl, you will visit the famous bar

nships. We have four board members with the

Riwwelmaddes, where you can take a picture with

following responsibilities: Finance, Human Resour-

the ESTIEM plaque previously mentioned. In order

ces, Networks (VWI + ESTIEM) and Public Relations/

to embrace the ESTIEM idea of always discovering

Corporate Relations. We still have our own Local

new cultures and places, we will also give you a

Group room - which is like a second home to some

chance to experience German culture in various

of our members – where various pictures and arti-

ways. During workshops and speeches given by

facts, gives an insight into our history. Twice a year

our alumni, you will learn about the history of ES-

we have a strategic weekend with around 30 mem-

TIEM and its many traditions. The Gala Dinner will

bers to plan the future of VWI|ESTIEM Darmstadt.

then take place in the location “Altes Schalthaus”, where the celebration of the 40th anniversary of

Two special facts that every ESTIEMer should know

our Local Group took place. For the past year we

about Local Group Darmstadt are:

have worked very hard to make this event unfor-

1. Party hats: “Is it your birthday today?” usually

gettable and we are looking forward to welcoming

is the first sentence that people will ask us all

you to Darmstadt in June 2020.

over Europe when we are traveling around with our party hats. But we can assure you,

Thank you to everyone who believed in the vision

most of the time the answer is NO! Those hats

of ESTIEMs founders. Thank you to everyone who

are a symbol of our Local Group. Whenever

made it possible to build and develop such a ne-

you see participants from Darmstadt on ES-

twork. Thank you to all the members and alumni

TIEM or VWI events, you can recognize them

of Local Group Darmstadt for the great memories

by the party hats on their heads. You can even

that we made throughout the years. Thank you to

find it on most of our merchandise. If you are

all members and alumni of ESTIEM who made it

curious about the history of these mysterious

possible for us to organise such a great event here

party hats, you should come to Darmstadt and

in Darmstadt.

find out.

2. Apart from the hats, we also have our mas-

In High ESTIEM,

cot, the gorilla, as a well-known symbol of our

Michelle Sefers, Jana Eisenbarth, 30th anniversary

Local Group. You can find him on our mer-

team and the entire LG Darmstadt

chandise as well and you might even be able

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 17

FOCUS TOPIC

THE STORY OF LSS IN ESTIEM: HOW IT STARTED AND HOW THE JOURNEY CONTINUES TODAY! The Lean Six Sigma (LSS) project is one of the youngest entities and still a baby compared to the long history of ESTIEM. We, as the leaders from different years of the Lean Six Sigma team, want to look back on the history of the Lean Six Sigma course and share with you how it has developed over time.

Jukka-Matti Turtiainen Local Group Lappeenranta and Helsinki Co-creator of Lean Six Signa Course It is amazing that people have put thousands of hours to make what the Lean Six Sigma Project is today. In the beginning, the motivation was to equip students with practical problem-solving skills that they can apply straight away and additionally provide them with opportunities which would be hard to get otherwise.

The idea to develop the course sparked in the “Summer Academy” of 2014 and 2015, where Professor Gregory H. Watson was teaching about:

Izabela Preś Local Group Warsaw and Eindhoven Lean Six Sigma Project Leader 2017/18

“Intellectual roots of Industrial Engineering and my resume”. By the end of that event, depending

Meeting other students interested so much in the

on who is telling the story, it was either Jukkis’ or

Lean Six Sigma project back in 2016, during the

Greg’s idea to start developing the course for ES-

event in Romania, was a great moment for me to

TIEM.

realize how much we can achieve together once we have a similar passion. Meeting Greg there be-

There are probably several reasons for people’s

came a great inspiration and motivation to work

high involvement, one being that they have got so

on the LSS course in ESTIEM.

much added value out of the course and want to share it with others. Another one is that you learn

I joined the journey when there were 4 team mem-

a lot on the way. In some universities, students te-

bers but when I finished my mandate, there were

aching the course actually get paid for doing that

12 central team members, over 25 Lean Six Sigma

and some people just love ESTIEM.

Instructors, more than 200 ESTIEMers trained and

18 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

FOCUS TOPIC 16 ESTIEMers certified. We participated in conferences in Europe, wrote publications for scientific magazines and had fun during team meetings.

Panu Laukkanen Local Group Lappeenranta Lean Six Sigma Project Leader 2019/20

One of my favourite moments was a meeting in Helsinki in 2017 with a few team members when we literally started a concept of ESTIEM Lean Six

I first joined the team as Instructors Responsible

Sigma instructors. We brainstormed about how to

during Izabela’s mandate and got to experience

make sure that the concept will become sustaina-

the formalization of work processes and the rapid

ble in ESTIEM. We came up with a name, mapped

growth of the course. My involvement within the

three levels of expertise, prerequisites etc. Now,

team, from the instructing experience and other

seeing ESTIEMers placing that role in their resume

opportunities that came along, have shaped my

or LinkedIn profiles makes it a rewarding feeling

academic and work-life for the better, in previously

for us. Moreover, setting strategies, defining roles

unimaginable ways.

for team members, mapping our team working processes made us a Lean Six Sigma family that

During my mandate, the creators of the course

kept in touch all the time.

gave us an opportunity to broaden our offering to the ESTIEM Alumni Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Paul Lyko Local Group Dortmund and Dresden Lean Six Sigma Project Leader 2018/19

course, as well as the Improvement Specialist Development Program (ISDP). The aim of the course has been to spread the knowledge provided to us.

To this aim, we are publishing the theory materials of the course publicly in the hopes of giving this opportunity for learning and growth not only to

Since the course reached so many people inside

ESTIEMers. This also drives us to improve our cur-

ESTIEM in its first years and also raised awareness

rent course, opening up to new possibilities. By the

outside the network, we realized that it was time to

start of 2020 we trained 700 ESTIEMers.

take the next step. We wanted to make the course sustainable for the following years. Therefore, we needed to implement and strengthen the concept of ESTIEM Lean Six Sigma Instructors. It meant involving former participants as instructors and encouraging them to not only teach once but to also pass their experiences and knowledge on to the next instructors. A lot of Instructors stepped up to the challenge and did more than we could have asked for. Additionally, we wanted to encourage Local Groups to organize local courses regularly,

Summary: One of the keys to success and growth

to make it a solid part of their academic calendar.

of the course has been and continues to be: com-

Especially in Finland and Portugal, it worked really

mitted ESTIEMers who are willing to spend their

well.

time on facilitating the course to students while deepening their own knowledge. We are grateful

Due to the young age of the project, we focused

to all instructors, Lean Six Sigma team members,

mainly on the creation of the course and its own

local organizers and ESTIEM as a whole.

definition. After that, we felt the responsibility to integrate the project more in the ESTIEM network.

Looking forward to the next 30 years of ESTIEM

We wanted to share our own experience and to re-

and the Lean Six Sigma Green Belt course!

ach the full potential of the project together with the help of the other entities of ESTIEM.

Jukkis, Iza, Paul and Panu

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 19

SCENE

HOW THE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY HAS CHANGED IN THE PAST 30 YEARS

Raúl Sotillo Guzmán Local Group Seville

Since their inception, aviation materials have

and tolerance problems that affect the assembly

changed as their properties were studied in flight

process and becomes even more noticeable in

conditions such as extreme temperatures, high

angled parts. This drawback forces the industry to

stresses, and large variable loads. At first, aircraft

force these parts from aircraft structures during

structures were built entirely of steel and alumi-

assembly to fit, increasing residual stresses in the

nium, later on of alloys and new metals such as

material and reducing their life span; very high

titanium. Thanks to advances in science, it was

stresses can lead to material failure which, under

discovered that two very different materials could

flight conditions, can be dangerous. When the

interact with each other as one material and, by

parts are studied, scaled prototypes are used. The

varying their parameters, incredible properties

deviations detected in the scaled prototypes that

could be achieved. Composite materials came into

appear small, are much bigger in the actual non

the picture.

scaled structural parts. But don’t worry. Today we live with these tolerance failures on a daily basis.

Composite material structures have been integra-

Thanks to the current knowledge in mechanical

ted for 30 years; most of them are carbon fibre.

engineering and material science it is possible to

In today’s commercial aircraft, this material repre-

predict and control these problems.

sents more than half of its weight, as the search is for lightweight and resistant materials that can

The idea presented in this work was to be able to

reduce the power required or introduce electric

return a piece of composite material to the desi-

motors and, with it, reduce their carbon footprint.

red angle; that is, to the design angle. After a long and detailed study, it was proved that it is possib-

In all materials, the manufacturing process pro-

le, thanks to controlled processes of temperatu-

duces unwanted defects. In the case of composite

re, pressure and loading, to do so in the future in

materials, the deformations produced during ma-

the same furnace where the composite material

nufacture induce residual stresses in the part, whi-

is consolidated. In this way, the angular variation

ch is known as spring-back, causing deformations

produced would be eliminated, and it would not

20 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE

be necessary to force the pieces to fit together.

or tension. These kind of materials are very useful

This would definitely make any means of transport

for the main structure of an aeroplane: the wings

made of composite material safer and more effi-

could vary slightly depending on the flight condi-

cient.

tions and the structure could vary to dissipate the vibrations produced at different speeds.

What’s next? Materials with shape memory are currently being studied. They have the capacity

Who knows how the ESTIEMers will be travelling

to transform themselves over time: they vary in a

by air in 30 years?

controlled way depending on the stimulus they experience, whether it is temperature, voltage, light

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 21

SCENE

THE IMPORTANCE OF AWARENESS: ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY Dead and fish-empty oceans, drowning islands,

gases than the whole transport sector globally due

low-lying cities and countries, ice-free pole caps,

to clearing landscapes, fertilizing, beef digestion

exploding temperatures and the 6th mass extinction. That is how our current future looks like, and Mathias Beilmann Local Group Kaiserslautern

some of those threats can already be felt.

It is obvious that we have to shift to renewable energy sources and there is no way around it. It is though, not the only lever we are holding in our hands. Several ecosystems in a healthy and stable condition are our livelihood and build the backbone of our planet. If we as humans always claim to be the most intelligent species, how is it that we act as if we have another planet to live on after this one is depleted, and ignore the science?

One important ecosystem are trees and forests.

Additionally, the United Nations (UN) urge a global shift towards a plant-based diet.

How are those two things connected?

Since the summer of 2019 it is no secret anymore

etc. Many of these problems were published in the

that every second the size of the Brazilian rainfo-

UN report “Livestock’s Long Shadow”.

rest decreases by large numbers because huge areas are cleared and burned in order to make

In 2006 already, one-third of the earth’s land mass

space for animal agriculture. Europeans import

was covered by animal agriculture. You do not

only a tiny percentage of Brazilian meat but the

have to be a scientist to realize that with a growing

livestock all over Europe is fed with Brazilian soy.

population and a growing demand for meat, this

Animal agriculture accounts for more greenhouse

trend will not work in the future.

22 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE Producing just a single kilogram of beef requires 15,000 liters of fresh water while for example the average German consumes about 123 liters annu-

So how can we contribute?

ally. Taking shorter showers will not solve water scarcity.

According to the European Commission, every re-

I am not forcing anyone to stop eating meat, nor

gion and country will suffer from climate change.

am I pointing a damning finger at you. I just want

From the very North down to the Mediterranean.

to show another way. You do not have to go com-

From melting permafrost to flash flooding in mou-

pletely plant-based, but reducing your meat con-

ntain areas, more severe droughts and less access

sumption is the single biggest way to reduce your

to fresh water. One tremendous result is the incre-

personal carbon footprint. You can help nature by

asing damage by floods along coastlines. Places

simply eating less meat.

like the Netherlands and Venice already fight this problem for years and are threatened to disappear completely.

Even though South America is far away, we still affect Amazonia and its valuable resources which affect in turn our global climate.

These problems are only a small part of the issues with animal agriculture and forests are only one out of several ecosystems that suffer from it.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 23

SCENE

WHY YOU ARE ARGUING WRONG, NO MATTER IF YOU ARE RIGHT

4 Reasons why you keep getting into pointless and frustrating arguments & 7 Tips how to get out of them Imagine that you and a friend want to travel to an

group of people is being taken as the deciding fac-

ESTIEM event together, but you disagree on the

tor over the preference of the individuals actually

best mode of transportation to get there. Getting

involved in the choice.

to a decision should be easy, but after hours of Robin Dietrich Local Group Berlin

heated discussion, you find yourself closer to can-

4) You see your conversation partner as an oppo-

celling your event application than to agreeing on

nent

a way of getting there. How did it get to this point?

All too often an argument turns into a destructive 1) You argue without having a point

fight, where the intention of communicating with a person makes way for the desire to dominate

Have you ever found yourself in the process of a

or even to hurt one’s conversation partner. If you

seemingly endless discussion, only to wish that

notice the tone of the conversation shifting to ag-

you had never even brought the topic up? This

gressive or insulting, you must do whatever you

happens especially more often if you start an ar-

can to bring it back to the point. so 1) apologize

gument out of impulse, without thinking through

sincerely for any incorrect behaviour on your side,

where you want to get. Next time: before you de-

without ruining the apology by adding a “but” in

cide to enter an argument, take a deep breath and

the end 2) forgive your partner for behaving incor-

think about whether you can imagine a positive

rectly 3) take a break from the discussion if spirits

outcome of the conversation.

are too heated.

2) You start a new argument in the middle of your current argument You are in disagreement about whether you should travel by train or by bus, and suddenly they remark that the coffee that is served at gas stations can indeed be called coffee, a statement you disagree with. Even though your burning hatred for gas station coffee makes you want to stab the partner you are arguing into submission, remember that the outcome of this discussion has little to no influence on the decision that needs to be taken. Ask yourself “is this relevant to the point we are discussing?”

3) You confuse facts and feelings Fact: “trains are faster than buses, therefore taking the train is the right option” in this case, feelings and preferences are disregarded.

Opinion: “buses are the most uncomfortable mode of transportation: this study says so” In this case, the opinion of someone else is being taken as a fact. In this specific case, the preference of a

24 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE

Tips

that the other one is merely playing or trying to manipulate the other, by either lying or not really

1) Rephrase your partner‘s statements

speaking their mind, the discussion is pointless.

Before you answer your partner’s argument, take

The following two statements should be conside-

the time to rephrase or repeat what they said in

red true by both parties. Otherwise, the discussion

your own words and ask them to confirm that your

might as well be abandoned:

interpretation is correct. Ask “Are you saying that <statement in my own words>?” or “What is the difference between what you said and <statement in my own words>?”

“I assume that you truly believe what you are saying.”

2) Ask, don’t tell: If you find that your partner’s argument has certain implications, ask them if they agree with that.

Instead of saying “What you said means XYZ”, say “Doesn’t that mean XYZ?”

“I assume that you consider me capable of understanding your reasoning.”

3) Find a common ground: Start by agreeing what your common values are.

5) Cut to the chase

Define critical concepts that you need to agree on:

When you get the feeling that your conversation

ask yourself “What are the fundamental assump-

is not going anywhere, ask your partner a simple

tions we are both making in this matter” and wri-

question like “What is your main point?” or “What

te them down. After clarifying the assumptions,

do you want out of this conversation?”.

agree on definitions of terms that are central to those assumptions and check for what statements

6) Reflection question

you both hold to be true. Starting with finding the

Ask “How do you interpret what I am saying?”. Hear

base facts that you share is a great way to anchor

out their point, correct any misunderstanding. If

your discussion in facts anytime it threatens to gli-

they misunderstood you, ask what made them un-

de out of control.

derstand it that way.

4) Assume best intentions

7) Stop! paper time!

Establish points that you expect from each other.

Stop for a moment to properly formulate your

For a discussion to be fruitful, some base condi-

main points on a paper (especially good if you have

tions need to be met. If one or both of you assume

a whiteboard available).

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 25

SCENE

HOW TAKING INITIATIVE CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE

Milena Zoraja Local Group Belgrade

Every day you have a choice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; you either do the

you think, the way you see yourself and the things

regular routine or you take a turn and see whe-

you wish for is an indicator of growth. The bigger

re it takes you. Understandably, you cannot just

the progress, the more accomplished you feel and

live from one plot twist to another (or you can, in

that exact feeling of accomplishment is a power

which case, maybe you should see a professional)

which can move mountains. When you learn to

simply because having a routine, being disciplined

channel that energy into something meaningful,

and future oriented is a way to go if you want to ac-

you are setting yourself on a road to greatness!

complish great things. There comes a time though, when your routine becomes your comfort zone, a state you are never 100% willing to give up, and if you decide to stay, it could stop you from reaching your full potential. If reaching full potential is not a goal for you, great! Keep up the good work! However if it is, you might want to snap out of it and take that other turn.

Taking initiative can have multiple incentives and they are usually based on your personality, but one thing all life changing turns have in common is passion. Your motive has to get you going. When you know the WHY, the HOW is easier to determine.

When joining ESTIEM, I could not have possibly been aware of how big of a plot twist it would be.

Suddenly you have all these meetings to go to, reports to finish, people to contact, team buildings to attend and the next thing you know, you are the person with ideas, doing one thing after another while having a blast. It was not until I saw people my age having trouble communicating, coming up with ideas or having nobody to ask for help, that I have realized just how much ESTIEM has given me. Now, if you thought this is an ode to ESTIEM, I assure you, it is not.

However, this is an ode to curiosity, to taking risks and doing things which set your heart on fire.

You know how, when we were kids, we did all these things which, looking back at them, had no sense and now make you feel embarrassed? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just take the root of that feeling into consideration.

Looking back and seeing the difference in the way

26 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE Quite recently, I have decided to risk my grades, social life and cut my free time in order to do a project. I had to learn about the topic, about time management and how to keep people motivated when simply giving them a salary is not an option.

Late nights, missed dates with friends, and a lot of reading material. I know what you are thinking â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she did it all and felt like Wonder woman. The end. Well, yes and no. I was sleep deprived, had a lot of explaining to do to my non-ESTIEM friends and was far from a good motivator. One thing that did exceed my expectations was how my thoughts were organized in this new little mindset which felt fresh and exciting. I have stepped out of the land of comfort and it was like breathing fresh air on a sunny morning. Being more aware of the possibilities before me, I have noticed how some skills like problem solving or setting goals and measuring them have become easier and more natural and that is exactly all it takes to keep me going. It is never easy but when you know how meaningful pushing your own limits could be in the long run, no trouble is ever so unbearable.

Finally letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s acknowledge that taking initiative is not always so easy. More often than not, there are obstacles like time, money, people, etc. That is exactly why finding a motive and having a vision is so important. It could be personal growth, gaining experience, or changing the world but be aware that your goals will determine the road your life journey is going to so choose them wisely and never let fear limit your curiosity.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 27

SCENE

HOW TO LIVE LAGOM Not too little, not too much – lagom

Not too little, not too much – lagom, represents a Swedish philosophy of balanced life and mindfulness.

Sonja Borota Local Group Novi Sad

Probably, you are asking yourself now, how a girl from Serbia can talk about a Swedish philosophy?

Or, maybe even, why.

My goal is to inspire people to think green and live lagom, as much as Linnea Dunne inspired me with her book. I firmly believe that one bold person is enough to change the world, and imagine what would happen if I could empower at least five other ESTIEMers all around Europe to do the same.

So, this article is gonna be for all the ESTIEMers, from Serbia with (green) love!

In elementary school, our teacher was telling us about the ozone layer and UV rays, how ice caps

the habits and systems that have helped Swedish

on the North Pole are melting and polar bears are

people ease into the change. Some of them might

about to go extinct faster than we think. They told

inspire you to try connecting with the environment

us the main cause for all of that are aerosol cans

that would be more lagom and enable you a big-

(believe it or not). So, suddenly, many girls stopped

ger symbiosis.

using hair spray – because who would like to be responsible for the death of polar bears?

Becoming an eco-warrior is not easy, but it is not

Our little eco glossary consists of: KÖPSTOPP

impossible! If it is only you, maybe you will feel helpless. Especially if you are living somewhere whe-

If you have decided to go for köpstopp, you have

re recycling is not a standard, or if going to a clo-

chosen not to buy anything for a certain period of

sest local shop with organic products is possible

time. When decide on that, you are admitting to

only by the ATV (all-terrain-vehicle). The first step

yourself that you have been buying stuff that you

towards a change though, is hidden in changing

do not actually need. Some of us succeeded not to

the attitude, and you can change the attitude only

buy anything, except food, for the whole month.

if you are open to accept new ideas. Talking to

It is not impossible. On one hand, it is good for

other people about your decisions, why you use

your wallet, and on the other, you are taking care

a bike instead of a car or why you turned into ve-

of the environment and enjoying more freedom,

ganism etc.

breaking free from the consumer society. Do not forget, a sustainable approach and awareness

To find a balance in consumer habits, first of all,

towards ourselves and the world around us will

it is important to change the mindset. The next

definitely help us improve our mental wellbeing,

few terms might help you to understand better

leading to a state of mindfulness.

28 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE PLASTBANTA

*DID YOU KNOW?

In 2014, the Institute of Language and Folklore put

Turning your thermostat down by just one degree

the word “plastbanta”on the list of new Swedish

might reduce your heating bills by about 10%.

words which can be literally translated as ’’plastic detox’’. Before you buy something, do you ever ask

Also, LED bulbs do not just use 90% less energy

yourself: “Is there a non plastic alternative to the

than the average bulb, but they last 20 times lon-

product I picked?”. Many plastic products today

ger.

contain harmful chemicals and toxins (for example children toys). It is one more reason why we should opt for more sustainable materials such as wood, bamboo, glass, etc. For instance, IKEA has stopped selling single-use plastic straws, and it has displayed a so-called Last Straw exhibition at London’s Design Museum. As an alternative, IKEA in Canada has presented new, more sustainable biodegradable paper straws, in both its product range and restaurants.

OUMPH! Oumph! is one of the extremely popular vegetarian and vegan alternatives to meat products. It appeared in Sweden a few years ago, and now 10% of people in Sweden are vegetarian, and one third wants to reduce meat products consumption in the future. One of Stockholm’s trendy bars, Södra Teatern, has also recently introduced to its guests a vegetarian menu, where instead of avoiding vegetables, guests have to choose a vegetable PANT

dish from the menu if they want to get meat on the plate. In other words, the menu has a focus on ’aware’ comfort food, according to them. Most of

If you ever had the chance to stay in a Swedish city

the dishes are meat and fish free. However, you

for a few days, you have probably noticed the lo-

have an option to add a supplement of 100 grams

cals standing in rows with their bags, towing the

of meat or fish to any dish.

empty boxes of cans and bottles, ready for recycling. Pant is a legislated deposit in a form of a

As the amount of eco-warriors increases every-

small amount of money paid as a part of the pro-

day, the awareness towards the dangers in our

duct part price and returned upon recycling of the

“normal” eating habits arise. The meat industry for

can or the bottle.

example, is part of the biggest dangers in today’s world. It leads to many harmful defects such as

In case you cannot recycle for a variety of reasons,

deforestation, floods, climate changes, extinction

upcycling might be more interesting for you.

of many plants and animal species, etc. So, maybe you should try to convert your ’’no meat Friday’’,

Upcycling is described as reusing some product/

into a ’’meat Friday’’, but to make the rest of your

object without degrading its material or compo-

week meat free.

sition. It is more like taking something that is not in use anymore and giving it a second life and a new purpose. The importance of upcycling reflects

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 29

SCENE in reducing waste we are producing on a daily ba-

So, tell a fellow ESTIEMer about your efforts and

sis and it reduces a need for new virgin materials,

see if you can learn some new tricks from each

such as metals (less mountains mined), paper

other!

(fewer trees felled). This might be the first step to reduce energy consumption. All we need is a bit of paint, new hardware, maybe an old chair and a touch of imagination and creativity. For instance, taking the legs of a broken chair and joining them to other wood pieces to make a coffee table. *Some Swedish eco facts: •

Only 1% of the household waste in Sweden

’’For what it is worth: It is never too late to be whoever you want to be.

I hope you live a life you are proud of, and if you find that you are not, I hope you have the strength to start over’’.

F. Scott Fitzgerald

ends up in the landfill – the rest is recycled or used to produce other kinds of energy; •

52% of the energy production are renewable energy sources, and almost 95% comes from hydropower;

•

Stockholm was the European Union’s first Green Capital.

This article does not aim to be an instruction manual. It is here to help and give some suggestions on how to make some subtle changes. Enjoying your life, grasping for something positive each day, while making this world better with minimum effort in it. Living ‘lagom’ can be an inexhaustible source of many topics related to sustainable living, and sharing various tips and tricks with you friends.

30 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

Source: ’Lagom: The Swedish Art of Balanced Living’, Linnea Dunne

SCENE

A JOURNEY FROM AN OUTSIDER TO A THRIVING TEAMMATE The opening line for this article could have been

to be, that that particular event became a turning

the deepest quote from a famous writer, or a

point in my university life. As many of us has ex-

scientific definition of team spirit, but it would have

perienced once you get in touch with ESTIEM, you

been too predictable. How do we understand the

feel like you belong there forever, which was also

meaning of a team? What does that word mean to

the case for me.

us? Why do you not come with me and discover the answer through my story? Let’s begin with first

It was a three-day event and each of participants

step!

had our own team. I was about to collaborate with

Isidora Strugar Local Group Belgrade

people that I have not met before which pushed

I Step

me to slowly free myself from the fear of interactions with unfamiliar people. Otherwise I would

In our time before ESTIEM, most of us were notas

not have been able to be part of the organisation

open and communicative as we are now. For the

team. In a blink of an eye, I started talking. I might

most part of my nonESTIEM period at university,

have talked too much, mostly because I was too

my biggest goal was just to finish my studies. The

nervous, but it worked. It was a strange feeling –

only focus was on passing all my exams, which, I

becoming a piece of a puzzle and being accepted

believe, was a goal for most of you as well. My cir-

completely. It felt like going with the ESTIEM flow,

cle of friends was small and tight. Two years into

falling in love with the organisation and its people.

my studies, I realised that I was constantly having

The first step on our journey together is – being

issues with giving presentations and talking to

open for communication with others no matter

other people. It was almost like a phobia. Still, I

the fear.

knew that I had to change my mindset and improve my skill set in order to be more prepared for the

II Step

future challenges that might lay ahead later in life.

Almost immediately after this experience, I knew One of my closest friends suggested me to parti-

I had to apply to join ESTIEM. My wish to have an

cipate in an event she was also a part of, and to

incredible and big family such as ESTIEM was enor-

try and see if i will be able to improve and get over

mous. Having informed myself about the selection

my phobia. Through her encouragement I joined

process, I started preparing for it. The selection

the organisation of an ESTIEM event. It turned out

consisted of a few parts, but one of them was

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 31

SCENE the most terrifying to me: working with a team of

III Step

again not familiar to me on solving a case study.

Luckily, the passion for joining the organisation was stronger than fear.

After being accepted to ESTIEM, there were many things to explore. Hearing many positive things

I broke the ice at the previous event and I knew I

about organising an event made me motivated to

would have what it takes to do it again. We worked

try it myself. I decided to apply for organising an

so hard on the case study. It was like magic – a

international event „Be a Project Manager For 5

group of people with the same goals, thoughts

Days“. The next 4 months of my life were dedica-

and drive. Once again, I found my place in the

ted to the team and preparation of an event for

team and it was so much easier to work in an en-

other ESTIEMers.

vironment like that. The interesting thing is that I did not manage that on my own, but side by side

I was so afraid of the fact that my fear could win.

with my teammates. Having faith in our team was

I was wondering what participants would be like.

the key for them to accept me. I have met some

Would they accept me? Will I be able to talk with

people that I might never have met otherwise, yet

them? Those questions circled my mind.

they became my friends. Finding people that share similar ideas, views and emotions towards the

Once the planning phase of the event had begun,

same goals is a recipe for success.Only then, the

I did not have a chance to think about any of this. I

team can become one and you can discover the

put it aside and focused on a single goal – working

second step - trusting the teammates along with

with my team. We wanted to prepare an unforget-

working together no matter how the situation is

table experience for the participants. While doing

- good or bad.

this, 5 of us, practically strangers, became a team.

Every team member has a special kind of knowledge that you can learn from. Each of them are needed and it is how you can improve yourself as

32 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE

a teammate. Maybe the most valuable step in your

There is no such thing as an unappreciated idea.

path is the third one: believing in yourself and lis-

Remember to always express your opinion and to

tening to the feedback from your team.

listen to others as well. Once the team is focused on the same aim and motivated, then success is all

IV Final Step - JUST BE YOURSELF!

you can look for.

How to do this while you are working in a team?

Well, we are all individuals and this step is different for each of us. The only things we have in common are ideas and the drive. That is something we all share in ESTIEM. We all want to accomplish something more while we are studying. We all want to leave our mark before we finish university. You will never lose yourself in a team when you all are on the same level of ideas, thoughts and passion.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 33

SCENE

BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING Knowledge sharing is recognised as one of the bi-

employees are able to keep track of what’s happe-

ggest success factors for digital organisations. A

ning in the field (STEEP) and are inspired to think

quick glance at the big 5; Google, Apple, Facebook,

bigger through stimulated learning.

Amazon and Microsoft, is enough to convince us Elium

that knowledge sharing is here, and it is happening

3. Collective collaboration

now.

Your teams are able to distribute their shared workloads more efficiently, whilst redefining prio-

We are entering a new era of knowledge, with

rities based on updated insights and data.

collaborative platforms promoting social and circular business knowledge, where all employees are

4. Speedy delivery times

able to participate and comment on the practices

Easing workplace communication means that cus-

and ideas of their colleagues. These platforms con-

tomers’ delivery times are shortened, and any im-

tain not only scientific, technical and operational

provements can be integrated seamlessly.

knowledge, but also include ideas, opinions and feedback directly from employees and even custo-

5. Clear constraints

mers. This means that tacit knowledge is strongly

By calling upon everyone’s previous experiences

reduced in favour of explicit, written knowledge,

and expertise, it is easier to understand any blo-

which can be accessed at any time, and by anyone.

ckages or constraints which might affect future projects, whether they are internal or external.

We have listed below the benefits we have seen first-hand over the last ten years. These have

6. Direct feedback

allowed us at Elium to prioritise agility in this ever-

Using dedicated technology enabling feedback,

-changing digital climate and given us a double or-

the organisation can be easily informed which pro-

ganisational dynamic; supporting both design agi-

ducts and services are viable and better serve the

lity and customer satisfaction. This dynamic has

customer’s needs.

helped us design better performing products and services. Dynamic 1:

7. Involved employees Knowledge sharing empowers employees, as they

Agility and exploration

know that their voice and expertise is valued. This can inspire them to define new business models

Knowledge sharing improves strategic design agili-

and infrastructures, helping to evolve corporate

ty, as it is much easier to anticipate and respond to

culture and customer experience.

customer requests and manage expectations.

It paves the way to new products and services

8. A hierarchy-free digital workplace

through:

Flattening organisational ties means that everyone can participate freely and recognise contributions

1. Quick thinking

of each throughout the platform. Dynamic 2:

A diverse range of opinions can be considered, identifying the future thought-leaders amongst

Performance and operations

you and allowing for objective decisions to be taken quickly.

Knowledge sharing improves strategic planning, making top management more efficient and trans-

2. Innovation & development

parent. It optimises the performance of products

You are able to create a culture in which innova-

and services through:

tion and development are strongly integrated, so

34 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE 9. Getting it right

remain within the organisation, accessible by their

Errors are much less likely to be repeated, as all

colleagues.

colleagues share their experiences, both in what worked and what did not. This allows new em-

14. Internal improvements

ployees to learn from the mistakes of others.

Employees have all the information they need to optimise methods, tools and techniques, as well

10. Speedy communication

as the freedom to question and improve their

Important information can be communicated wi-

use.

dely, and quickly, while also offering relevant information and resources alongside it for context.

15. Creating experts Expertise can be shared widely, meaning the ex-

11. Pro-active pioneers

pert is no longer needed. All employees are able

Knowledge sharing inspires proactive, self-led ex-

to build on their skills and gain confidence, redu-

ploration of content, enabling employees to sear-

cing the skills gap and widening the talent pool.

ch for relevant shared documents, presentations and videos without restriction.

Knowledge sharing is quickly becoming the journey that any business must embark on in the di-

12. Practices & procedures

gital era, in order to build an â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;ambidextrousâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; orga-

Encouraging good practice from everyone means

nisation; one that simultaneously explores new

that procedures and processes can become stan-

thinking and yet exploits its current knowledge,

dardised, and employees feel comfortable and se-

allowing for creativity alongside adaptability. More

cure using them.

established organisations can take advantage of their experience and expertise by simply sharing

13. Reassured employees

it widely, giving them an edge over smaller, or less

Newcomers feel welcome and have quick access

agile competition.

to the information they need. Departing team members can rest assured their knowledge will

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 35

SCENE

DATA VISUALIZATION IN COMPANIES

Elif Nur AkyÄąldÄąrÄąm Local Group Istanbul ITU

In this information age that we live in, data is

environment. It allows for the simplification of the

one of the most important factors that have the

process of understanding business insights, as well

potential to redefine businesses and ensure their

as aiding in finding new business opportunities by

growth. Big Data is emerging as the next frontier

accessing, evaluating and interpreting big data.

for business development. Tools are required to collect the data from customers and interpret

Business organisations are able to improve their

it effectively. Big Data and related technologies,

sales and garner more revenue by adopting data

such as data warehousing, analytics and business

visualization software. Many companies have

intelligence are transforming the business world.

been using data visualization applications and dashboards in order to understand their business

Data visualization and communicating with data

insights, thus

in general, sit at the intersection of science and

efficiency. It allows for an easy check of the process

boosting their productivity and

art. There is certainly scientific aspect to it; best

that requires attention and improvement. The

practices and guidelines to follow, but also an

charts and graphs provided make understanding

artistic component is present. In addition, this

the business faster and easier than reports.

reason makes this area so amusing, it is inherently diverse. Different people will approach things in

For instance, data visualization, a tool utilized by

varying ways and come up with distinct solutions

large-scale companies such as Nike and Amazon,

to the same data visualization challenge. There is

is emerging as a critical asset that has the power

no doubt about the usefulness of it for interpreting

to transform the way data is accessed, presented,

the data, allowing correct business decisions

and used.

to be made, in accordance with the business

36 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

SCENE

To embark on this journey, it is necessary to

Tableau enables multiple views and pleasant-

make use of data visualization tools in order to

looking graphs to be made quickly from the data.

understand the business better. There are many

In other words, it suits our needs and provides

data visualization tools available today, without

us with an area where we can make our business

considering the size of an organisation. However, it

magic much easier and with higher quality.

is by using the best available tools that the correct understanding and interpretation of business insights is ensured.Some of the best tools available on the web are Plotly, DataHero, Chart.js, Tableau, Raw, Dygraphs, ZingChart, InstantAtlas, Timeline, and Exhibit.

In ESTIEM, we are using Tableau as our data visualization tool. We aim to make decision-making more fact-based in order to help the organisation

“There is magic in graphs. The profile of a curve reveals in a flash a whole situation — the life history of an epidemic, a panic, or an era of prosperity.

The curve informs the mind, awakens the imagination, convinces.”

move forward, which is exactly the mission of the Analysis Committee.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 37

CAREER

ALUMNI INTERVIEW ...Sofia Ohnell and Elias Faethe about their personal ESTIEM stories. sentations, and stakeholder management to Your name:

keep partners happy and interested in continuing

Sofia Ohnell

working together towards a joint project application for e.g. Swedish national research funding or

Your Local Group: Magazine Team

EC funding such as Horizon 2020.

Gothenburg What are your plans for the future?

Year of graduation: 1998

To continue working for a more sustainable future through enabling and stimulating innovation in

Your current job:

the automotive and transport industry.

Senior researcher - digital innovation Which impact did ESTIEM have on your career?

Your current living place: Gothenburg

It made me even more interested in working internationally, having a job with regular international

Who do you choose as the next ESTIEM Alumnus

contacts.

to be interviewed?

Tell us your most memorable ESTIEM story.

Torben Schumacher.

My most fond memory of ESTIEM are the bilateral Tell us about your career until now:

exchanges with Local Group Hamburg in mid-90s.

We visited them and I got to discover that Ham-

So far, my career has been much more mixed than

burg has sand beaches along the Elbe, and one of

I thought it would be. I have never aimed for a ma-

our hosts dropped their glasses in one of the Als-

nager’s career, rather focusing on what I found in-

tern lakes while boating. When they visited us we

teresting and driven by a desire to shape my path

took them to Vrångö in the Southern Gothenburg

myself rather than having someone else doing it

archipelago on a cold May day that was nowhere

for me.

near warm enough for a swim in the sea...

That desire has led me to a ‘halfway’ PhD degree,

What are, in your opinion, the biggest changes

a year on a local contract for WWL in Oslo - with

that ESTIEM has faced in the past 30 years?

very valuable lessons in terms of cultural differences and understanding of other cultures - 11+ ye-

The increase in IEM programmes on both Bache-

ars in the Volvo Group - because I had to see for

lor and Master levels, showing the need for peo-

myself what it really was like working for ‘the Go-

ple with generalist competence, communication

thenburg flagship’ - and then a year ago daring to

skills and an understanding for the engineering,

imagine another future and stepping outside that

production, marketing and sales divisions in large

wonderful, competent and comfortable communi-

corporates.

ty into the unknown of RISE - Research Institutes of Sweden to continue working for a better world

What is your advice to current ESTIEMers?

through innovation in the automotive and transportation industry.

Do not worry too much if things do not go as planned - often they will turn out just fine and open up

What does your average working day look like?

It is a mix between work meetings, project pre-

38 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

new opportunities.

CAREER prospective students they are in contact with per Your name:

applicant and check all those conversion numbers

Elias Faethe

to figure out if we need to adjust our campaigns on Google or Facebook.

Your Local Group: Bremen, Eindhoven,

In the meantime the client has come up with thou-

Budapest and Hamburg

sand ideas on how to create more beautiful looking campaigns, which means I have to find a way to tell

Year of graduation:

nicely that beautiful is interesting, but I care mainly

2008

about results. In the end the client wins the argument (thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what clients usually do) and I set up

Your current job:

another campaign for this university - sometimes

Entrepreneur

to stop it after two weeks , because the results are not good, and sometimes to get surprised myself

Your current living place:

on how great this idea actually was.

Bremen Then I often have a call with Simona or Bojana Who do you choose as the next ESTIEM Alumnus

(both Alumni and my freelance support) to discuss

to be interviewed?

campaigns or share feedback from the client, before the day ends.

Balazs Bitay.

What are your plans for the future?

Tell us about your career until now: I still have a part-time job at the university, which My career started bumpy. I got an interesting of-

I will quit in the summer to focus on my own com-

fer for a startup in water disinfection, where I was

pany and start a new branch of it, where the mis-

supposed to head the production planning. Unfor-

sion is to support student organisations through

tunately, it took me only two weeks to figure out

better contacts with companies, while working in

that the capital they got for their company was ba-

an ESTIEM-like atmosphere. I have way too many

sed on a fake patent, which made my boss furious,

ideas in my head (some of them will fail though) to

who was responsible for the patent, and I figured

be working for someone else. My time in ESTIEM,

out I should better leave the company - unfortuna-

at StudyPortals and now 6 years on my own really

tely at the height of the financial crisis.

drive me to try out things instead of shelving them.

I made a much better decisions two years later,

Which impact did ESTIEM have on your career?

when my ESTIEM friends were looking for a sales person with German skills and I joined one of the

It was the eye-opener of opportunities. The atmos-

fastest growing companies in Europe: StudyPor-

phere of everything is possible, which ESTIEM has,

tals, at that time with less than 10 employees. I left

allowed me to try out my ideas, implement ideas

it four years later, when it had grown to over 100,

of others and let me experience the joy of seeing

full of confidence to be able to work on my own.

those ideas positively changing the live of others.

Now, six years later I have my own small business in a very small niche: digital marketing for univer-

Unfortunately this has the downside that I am

sities with one current ESTIEMer employed part-ti-

always looking for a similar atmosphere, while it

me and two ESTIEM Alumni as freelance support.

also has the upside that I know what I want.

What does your average working day look like?

Oh, and on a very practical side: At international conferences I feel like home and can easily connect

My digital marketing niche is a lot based on num-

with others, which helps tremendously in building

bers crunching, so I look at such sexy questions

relationships with others, which in turn is a key

like how many Euros did it cost to recruit one stu-

success factor in my work life.

dent for one of my clients. This means I analyse the costs per applicant they have received, how many

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 39

CAREER

Tell us your most memorable ESTIEM story.

What are, in your opinion, the biggest changes that ESTIEM has faced in the past 30 years?

One of my favourite stories happened at my second Council Meeting. I had met so many great pe-

ESTIEM was an enabler for international exchan-

ople that I wanted to say goodbye to all of them.

ges - if you wanted to have any contacts abroad,

Unfortunately, my last evening did not end before

ESTIEM was almost the only way. Nowadays stu-

breakfast, so when it was time to say farewell af-

dents might already have plenty of contacts in

terwards, I was so tired I fell asleep in the lobby.

different countries - even before they start their studies. Therefore, if you are an open-minded per-

Luckily almost everyone, who was about to leave,

son you might not automatically end up in ESTIEM

woke me up and took farewell pictures with me.

anymore, which makes it harder these days to get

So I could say goodbye to almost everyone. It wa-

the right students into ESTIEM.

snâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until the afternoon though, before I realised the reason for all the pictures and farewells. Appa-

What is your advice to current ESTIEMers?

rently while I had passed out in the lobby, someone (the culprit still owes me a beer) painted my

Try things out. Make your ideas happen. No-one

face.

will lose a job and you have the time for it. Gather enthusiasts like you and create your project, ini-

Looking at it now I still think it is an achievement

tiative or whatever idea you have. This will be one

to party until breakfast - especially for someone

of the most rewarding experiences - also for your

my age, but since then I have always managed to

personal growth.

avoid falling asleep in the lobby.

40 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

CAREER

THE HARDSHIP OF JOB SEARCH ESTIEM is fun and absolutely the best time of

Sebastian

Hummel,

our lives. However, we all have to graduate at

Alumni, said:

Local

Group

Eindhoven

some point and then we are dropped into a sea of uncertainty - the job search. Just over 3 months

“I do not personally enjoy the process

ago, I moved to a new country and got my first real

of interviews, so the hardest for me

job at Arekibo – Ireland’s largest digital agency as

was to find the energy to actually be

a Marketing Innovation Analyst. I finally landed a

proactive during a time when it was

perfect job and I consider myself very happy now.

easy to be lazy. You must realise that

Although, the path to finding it was not easy. It took

while being unemployed, your day job is searching,

me 3 months of applying for different positions

applying and preparing for interviews. When

(200+ in total) while doing several personality and

this message got through to me, I finally started

skills-based assessments and 7+ steps interviews.

making progress in setting up interviews.”

Alina Sidbrant Local Group St. Petersburg

No one, trust me, not anyone, told me it would be this hard. University officials have never missed

2. Keep an open mind

an opportunity to show us the flashy statistics of graduates’ employment rates, looking as high as Burj Khalifa. I had two degrees from top-rated

It is important to target positions and jobs that

universities in my pocket, multilingual abilities

you are passionate about but try to keep an open

and a little bit of real-world experience. I was sure

mind.

finding a job would be a piece of cake. My parents never had a problem finding a job – why would I?

“While waiting for more industry-specific

I was wrong.

vacancies to show up, I also applied for other fields that I have an interest in,

Later I discovered that I was not the only one among

even if I did not think I would take the job

ESTIEM Alumni who had a similar experience.

if offered. I did this for two main reasons;

ESTIEM is about learning, sharing and growing

firstly to get experience and confidence in an

together. We have gathered our 5 best tips in this

interview situation. Secondly, who knows maybe

article to help every ESTIEMer prepare for their job

you can find a dream job that you did not expect.

search and to make that journey into the unknown

Besides, I had nothing to lose because I had loads

easier and hopefully more fulfilling. I engaged the

of free time,” according to Sebastian.

COO at my company, Luke Tritschler, to share his insight too, being on the other side of the hiring

3. Improve your CV through the use of

process.

active words, free CV feedback services 1. Job search is a job of its own

The hardest thing about the job search is the pressure and emotional burden.

Job search and job applications take a lot of time

“When you are applying for jobs you will

and preparation. Ultimately, it is a numbers game –

most likely deal with rejections. This

the more applications you send out, the more likely

requires a lot of dedication, especially

you are to get invited for an interview. Based on

in the times when you need to write

our experience, we suggest allocating 35% of your

your thesis. Sometimes you need to

time for preparing your application documents

rewrite a part of your thesis or deal with

and searching for opportunities, and 65% for

rejection for a job that you would have loved to

applying for jobs. It is also important to have a daily

learn more of. This needs a good deal of motivation

or weekly goal for the number of applications sent

to go through,” Stephanie Riffo Rodriguez, Local

and keep track of it all somewhere, even in Excel.

Group Eindhoven Alumni.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 41

CAREER The second hardest thing though, is to get the CV

5. Be creative in tailoring your messaging

past the screening stage and get the long-awaited

depending on the job specification

invitation for an interview.

“The hardest part was actually getting an interview invitation. I got rejected for most of the jobs I applied for without even getting a chance to speak to a real person.

Once I got past this, the process afterwards was way simpler, as it is always easier to show your skills and talents in a conversation than in an application letter,” according to Mark Smoliar, Local Group Aachen Alumni.

Therefore, it is extremely important to get your CV right. One of the things that helped me improve mine was sending it to a free CV feedback service such as www.topcv.com. No doubt they want to sell their CV writing services,

Luke Tritschler, the COO of Arekibo, has been

but the free feedback I received was nonetheless

recruiting and interviewing candidates for more

useful. The second thing that increased my CV

than 9 years. Luke said one of the worst things a job

search

on LinkedIn by 200% was rephrasing

applicant can do is to not read the job specification.

my experiences using active verbs. Having never

Ignoring the requirements mentioned in the job

heard this term before, I Googled “active words

description will be easily spotted in both the CV

for cv” and found a list of synonyms that made

and cover letter. This does not mean you have

the experiences in my CV more appealing to the

to have 100 versions of the CV and cover letter if

recruiters. Once your CV is updated – update your

you apply to 100 jobs. Instead, you need to make

LinkedIn profile accordingly.

sure, all the experiences listed are relevant to the job you are applying for. In addition, it is not only

4. Search outside of LinkedIn too

about the experiences, because maybe you are a new graduate and do not have work experience yet.

LinkedIn is the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about a job search. However, even

It is even more important to find that connection

LinkedIn states in their annual hiring report that

that describes how you can apply the things that

channels people you the most are: online job

you have learnt before to the role that you are

boards (60%), social professional networks (56%),

applying for. Therefore, pick the most relevant

and word of mouth (50%).

experience for your CV and then use a cover letter to connect the dots for the recruiter and help

Research what are the best recruitment platforms

them understand how this experience is relevant

in your country of interest and make sure to set

to the role. Another thing Luke highlighted was

up a professional profile that reflects your most

the hobbies and interests section of your CV.

up-to-date CV. Once registered, don’t forget

Recruiters want to know that the person they are

to regularly check them in and answer all the

about to hire has interests and activities outside of

messages recruiters might have sent you. This

work, so give them a flavour of who you are.

sounds like a lot of work, that is because it is! In addition, you should think about how else you can diversify your job search strategies. An idea I came up with was to check the meetup community and Eventbrite for upcoming local recruitment events, which I then attended.

42 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

CAREER

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 43

CAREER

WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE A NONPROFIT CAREER For any college graduate looking for an “in” into

world we would have to let go off our idealism, but

their desired field, it might seem impossible to get

that is not necessarily the case.

a foot in the door of landing a paid job. Nonpro-

Sara Živanov Local Group Novi Sad

fit organisations are an amazing starting point for

Having a genuine job purpose and knowing that

this process, since it is incredibly easy to get your

you are doing something that matters is a truly

foot in the door.

fulfilling emotion. Working in a nonprofit organisation may allow you to make a change for a cause

Generally understaffed, nonprofits are alwa-

that you care about. Fulfill your aspiration to be a

ys looking for new energy that recent graduates

socially conscious human being by basically doing

bring. If you have recently graduated, with no ex-

your job.

perience, there is one thing you can do: Volunteering - that is how you make your way in. Apart

Learn how to fake people skills, while networking

from the approachability, easy access and the fact

at the same time

that you probably already have the skills needed

For any introverts out there, casual chatting is a

to start in an organization, there are a few other

nightmare.

perks of working for a nonprofit you should consider.

With this job, you will learn that the science behind dealing with people, especially difficult ones, can

Try different hats

be brought down to patterns. Also, since nonpro-

Nonprofits work in teams and there is more room

fits are often a tight-knit community, you will get to

for you to work outside of your specific job des-

meet numerous people from different backgrou-

cription. As someone whose studies are closely

nds in a very short time. You will also get introdu-

related to project management and grant writing,

ced to influential executives, government officials,

grants were one of my first tasks when I first star-

social activists, and company representatives. Me-

ted working in this sector. During those few years,

aning you will get to make a name for yourself very

I have been involved in marketing, event planning,

early on, which cannot be bad for your career.

human resource planning, coordinating volunteers, company relations and a lot of administrative

If you can adapt to a fast-paced beat, tight dea-

tasks.

dlines, and last-minute additional tasks, which are the core of nonprofit work, you will not stay a vo-

It is an amazing opportunity to widen your skillset

lunteer for long. The chance of getting a paying job

and learn how to work out of your comfort zone,

and advancing up the ladder is even higher than in

all while contributing to your organization’s cause.

a for-profit organisation. A cross-sectional approach to work will help you discover what you are

Work for the cause that matters to you

good at and small teams will ensure your contribu-

We all assume that by going into the business

tion does not go unnoticed.

44 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

CAREER

THE EVOLUTION OF JOBS

The professional world is changing in terms of culture, organisation, skills required and education.

What does it imply?

Cyber-Physical Systems , Cloud Computing Sys-

Even though these jobs are already known , some-

tems, Internet of Things and other new technolo-

times the competences that these professionals

gies heavily affect our work environment.

have are not enough to fulfil company needs, moreover, sometimes not even companies are aware

Such technologies have a huge impact on our li-

of what they actually need.

ves, for example, many manual jobs become automated and this entails the arising of new jobs and

Skills development

new competencies required.

Many universities are not able to promptly follow Implications

Mario D’Ambrosio Local Group Calabria

the trend of skills needing changes, therefore, students who just graduated hold knowledge that is

Industry 4.0 and digitalisation impact the labour

already outdated.

market [1].

Learning factories or training programs help comAutomation allows the volumes of production to

panies to fill this gap [3]. In this way, employees

increase using less workforce which causes the

are trained to adapt their competencies and know-

loss of some jobs that get replaced by robots or

ledge with the company needs. These program-

computers that cost less of human work and are

mes start with managers, who have to be the first

more effective. Nevertheless, for jobs that disa-

to embrace the culture of changing and transfer it,

ppear, there are new ones that are emerging.

to all employees.

These emerging professionals may be classified

Trainers play a crucial role in this revolution.

as Process Engineers, Data Analysts and Program-

They can also be considered a new emerging job,

mers [2].

anyway, they have to be very skilled. They might do either psychological training (e.g. motivation,

Process Engineers; they can design new proces-

personal development, team working etc.), or te-

ses or modify the current ones to gain efficiency

chnical ones ( e.g. programming, working methods

and effectiveness in every management area (e.g.

etc.). Also, this training requires skills that change

production, operations, etc.).

over time, therefore even trainers have to change their methods and contents according to the up-

Data Analysts deal with so-called big data. Their

coming needs.

job is not always linked to marketing, data analysis applications are much wider. For example, Enter-

In conclusion, the world changes rapidly and conti-

prise Resource Planning systems allow us to col-

nuously which means that we, as persons first and

lect and analyse data from every company depart-

professionals second, should learn how to find the

ment and to get useful information to all company

right path we belong to. If some jobs disappear,, it

areas. The capability to collect and interpret those

means that our past job is evolving in something

data represents a 360 degrees competitive advan-

new, therefore, we have the duty of not being like

tage nowadays.

salmons that follow the wave, but being the wave.

Programmers are those that can develop every kind of software to support Business Intelligence, programme robots and develop Artificial Intelligence.

[1] Beatrix Fregan, István Kocsis, Zoltán Rajnai.

(2018). Risks of Industry 4.0 and Digitalization. Muszaki Tudomanyos Kozlemények. Vol.9. 87-90.

[2] Andrea Benešová, Jiří Tupa. (2017). Requirements for Education and Qualification of People in Industry 4.0. Procedia Manufacturing 11. 2195-2202.

[3] Melissa Reuter, Henning Oberc, Manfred Wannöffel, Dieter Kreimeier, Jürgen Klippert, Peter Pawlicki, Bernd Kuhlenkötter. (2017). Learning Factories “trainings as an enabler of proactive workers” participation regarding Industrie 4.0. Procedia Manufacturing 9. 354-360.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 45

INSIDE ESTIEM

INCHAINGE GLOBAL STUDENT CHALLENGE

Global Student Challenge

The Global Student Challenge is so much more

In December 2017 we were contacted by the

than just an international student competition. It

Board of ESTIEM in response to a newsletter they

offers you the chance to gain valuable knowledge

had received from us. Even though previously not

and further develop the skills you learned during

aware of our brand, they realised that we shared

your curriculum course. By participating in

a common branch: Supply Chain. One of the main

the Challenge, you will experience the life of a

specializations of ESTIEM students is logistics and

Corporate Executive and run your own virtual

supply chain, thus ESTIEM aims to complement

company, this is as close as you can get to reality!

their education and their knowledge in that field.

They had asked us whether we were interested

The Challenge, now in its 6th edition, pits teams

in starting a cooperation with them, as that was

from top business schools and universities from

exactly the case, we said ‘’Yes!’’.

across the globe against each other in a search for the world’s Top Talent. Every year more than

To get a better understanding of the concept, two

20,000 students, from over 600 schools, all over

delegates from ESTIEM joined our Global Final

the world experience our simulations and are

Week in April 2018.

eligible for participation in the Challenge. Only the top 30 teams will qualify for the Global Final and

For the first time a Global Village was created on

spend one action-packed week in The Netherlands

a campus in order to house all 27 teams attending

battling for EUR 20,000 in cash prizes and the

the Global Final. The Global Village setup was

championship title!

a decisive element in creating even more opportunities to make friends, socialize, and build an international network.

The enthusiasm was very high on both sides after this event, we were definitely convinced that ESTIEM and GSC could have a beneficial partnership. Inchainge, the organiser of the Challenge

and

developer

of

the

business

simulations, was invited to provide a workshop on

The

Fresh

Connection

at

the

ESTIEM

conference in Warsaw in November 2018. About 40 representatives joined this workshop and were inspired by the value the business simulation in combination with the Challenge could offer to their local group members.

46 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

INSIDE ESTIEM

The first Regional Final for ESTIEM was organized in 2019 and won by team “We’re doing this for the planet” from EPFL Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne. They got to represent ESTIEM in the Global Final Week of 2019 and were accompanied by the President of the ESTIEM Board Jorik Meijers who also participated in the Inchainge Connect educator conference.

The Global Final week made it possible for students and teachers from 15 countries, and 24 nationalities to interact with each other, share their culture and take back to their countries unforgettable experiences that will last a lifetime. Student networking activities, company visits to KPMG, Henkel, ASML, Heineken, an excursion to the highly advanced harbor of Rotterdam, and much more was part of the program.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 47

INSIDE ESTIEM

THE REBIRTH OF ACADEMIC DAYS What is Academic Days?

New Hot Topics

The goal of Academic Days is to share the

Maria Serodio Local Group Porto

Mariana Vieira Local Group Aveiro

knowledge of the universities inside the ESTIEM

Knowledge is the keyword in these events. What

network.

type of knowledge though? We want to provide students with topics that they are not provided in

It

supports

the

personal

and

professional

their faculties but that are extremely valuable for

development of students across Europe willing

Industrial Engineering and Management students.

to further compliment their curriculum. To

From strategy to innovation, the next Academic

achieve this, each Academic Days event provides

Days events will bring a new perspective in many

participants with deep insights into a specific topic

areas connected to the world of engineering and

in which the organizing Local Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s university

management, like marketing, strategic human

has high expertise, and shows the participant how

resources, finances, strategic management and

life is in a different faculty.

much more.

What changed?

Booklet of Knowledge

Since the ultimate goal of every service is to

The booklet of knowledge is composed of small

provide the best possible to ESTIEMers, we have

reports written by the participants of the events

been restructuring for the last few months the

and contains in a clear and graphical way what

concept and central team of Academic Days.

they learned there. This was created to provide a handout to all the participants but also to share it

We

have

various

teams

working

on

the

coordination and construction of the events with the Local Groups, on the collection and assembling of reports written by participants for the booklet of knowledge and on knowledge management and composition of support documents.

48 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

with the entire network.

INSIDE ESTIEM

The first “sail” with “Strategic Marketing - an efficient match to peak success” Where did the idea come from?

The Academic Days Experience

The idea was born out of our curiosity about what

“[...]I have had a chance to hear great examples of

is behind all the communications and relationships

using Marketing in business. Lecturers were often

between companies and customers. Therefore, we

using their own experience to help us understand

combined strategy and marketing, which gave us

better, which was very interesting and a great way

Strategic Marketing.

for us to learn. [...]”

Since the topic was more academic and the Local

Sanja Vujic, LG Belgrade

Group has very close contact with the professors specialized in the area, we believed that the format

“During the Academic Days event, [...] we aimed

of Academic Days could provide ESTIEMers with a

to share knowledge of real-life examples, in order

deep knowledge of the matter.

to enrich the curricula and skill-set of participants.

Participants who should, at the very least, know

Breaking down Strategic Marketing

what they will have to do when they make the transition to senior leadership and, eventually, in

Marketing is defined as the effort to promote and

some cases, to Chief Executive Officers (CEOs).”

advertise a product or item to be sold, considering

(Oliveira, 2019)

the market knowledge and different advertising techniques, while Strategic Marketing is built on

Manuel Oliveira, Mentor

the market and customer knowledge to create plans to promote the company and its products.

In

the

technological

era,

there

are

some

developments to keep an eye on, like artificial intelligence and the capability to support the client without human interaction. Other examples are social media and emotional marketing, where the presence of companies and their brands are equally important as the quality of the product sold.

Therefore, it is crucial for the organization to look at marketing on a strategic level and from different perspectives.

Why is this important for IEM? “The engineer who becomes a manager, or a strategist, with a solid base in mathematics, will be able to make informed decisions and after doing important calculations about the gains to be had. Engineering is actually a very good base from which to, in the future, make important strategy decisions, as quantifying comes naturally to engineers.” (Oliveira, 2019)

Mentor Biography Manuel Oliveira is an Assistant Professor at the University of Aveiro, where he lectures on Marketing and Strategy.

He studied at the University of Porto (PhD in IEM), at Cardiff Business School (MBA in Management) and at Universidade

For more insights into this article, check all about it in

Portucalense (undergraduate degree in Computer Science).

the booklet of the Academic Days in Aveiro.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 49

INSIDE ESTIEM

THE 5 BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN STUDENT COMPETITIONS Competitions among students have become more and more popular every year. Students from all over the world are motivated to take part in contests for many reasons. At the moment ESTIEM provides opportunities to compete in business Anastasiya Slipenko Local Group Kyiv

case studies (TIMES) and supply chain management (Global Student Challenge - GSC). Tournament In Management & Engineering Skills (TIMES) is the biggest Industrial Engineer and Management (IEM) case study competition in Europe and Global Student Challenge (GSC) is a competition where

2. Improvement of soft skills

participants simulate the daily management decisions of a supply chain company.

One more benefit is the development of your soft skills which has become increasingly important.

Take a look at the benefits you can get from par-

Many companies value soft skills even more than

ticipating in student competitions:

hard skills and knowledge when they are looking for an employee. During student competitions

1. New knowledge and practical skills

you can practice communication, public speaking, team working, time management, multitasking and other skills. For example, many competitions

Every competition aims to improve your knowled-

like TIMES involve the presentation of your solu-

ge and skills in a specific topic. You can get practi-

tion.

cal experience, learn new techniques and find new ideas during the preparation. As an IEM student, you can find many competitions which are aimed

3. Making new friends

at your studies and interests. In this way, you will work with real cases from your future industry.

Networking is also one of the most important parts of student tournaments, but it is not only about business contacts and meeting new companies.

During the competition you might make friends with other participants. Many contests provide not just the working part but entertainment as well. For instance, after the working sessions of a TIMES event, participants usually have city tours, gatherings and other activities where they get to know each other, just like in the GSC Global Final.

4. CV and new career opportunities Your achievements in student competitions will enrich your CV. They can be your competitive advantages on the job market or during the search for an internship. You can also get into the talent database of the sponsor companies. Being a participant of GSC, you will have a profile in The Talent Connection, a talent programm. Big international companies work closely with The Talent Connection, so it can provide great career opportunities.

50 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

INSIDE ESTIEM

5. Financial benefits Very often tournaments offer financial rewards for the winners. Of course, it needs hard work from you but the results are worth it. A good amount of money can help in the implementation of your ideas or business plans. For example, in GSC the top 3 teams of the Global Final win a total of 20,000 â&#x201A;Ź in cash prizes.

If you still have doubts about participating in a student competition, think about what will happen if you never try it in your student life.

You can miss the great opportunity of challenging yourself.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 51

INSIDE ESTIEM

HOW TO WRITE AN ESTIEM MAGAZINE ARTICLE? What I love the most about ESTIEM is that it gathers students who are open-minded, interested in

Q2: Will I talk from a personal angle?

self-development and are willing to share their knowledge and skills to improve each other as well

The answer to this and the previous question

as their surroundings. The Magazine is an extra

depends on you and the topic of the article. I am

Aleksandra

opportunity we have to share our experiences.

now writing about some things I had to go through

Ćirković

To motivate you to develop the writer within

to write an article in the past, so I believe it is good

Local Group

you and encourage you to share your voice, this

to write it from a personal angle, and that is good

Belgrade

article is going to cover some issues that authors

to address you directly. I usually like reading

face through the whole process of writing, from

articles that are not subjective and are very fact

choosing the topic to structuring your text in the

oriented, but not every topic can be written in that

best possible way.

manner.

No 1. problem – “What should I write about?”

Q3: How should I start?

Of course, every issue of the magazine has its focus topic, for example “30th Anniversary of

“How should I start?” - That seems to be one of

ESTIEM”.Beside it, there is always space where

the biggest problems when you are trying to write

you can write about anything you want, as long

something important.A literature professor once

as it is related to topics of industrial engineering

told us to skip the introduction if we do not know

and management or the network itself. Ideas can

how to write it. Just start writing a part that you

come from anywhere. That means that if you

already know how to develop and structure, and

do not know what to write about, then change

get back to the introduction later. The same goes

your environment, apply for the conference of

for the conclusionl. You can also write smaller

something that you are interested in, listen to

pieces that sound good to you and then slowly

some new podcasts, or read a textbook that is

figure out the way to fit them together.

not about one of the classes you are currently taking. It is never really too early to start thinking about the subject of your next article. Sometimes

Q4: What if my level of English is not perfect?

the inspiration is harder to find, or it requires a thorough research that takes a lot of time. As soon

Write the article anyway. After you have finished

as the inspiration kicks in – write it down before

your article, make sure you read it once or twice

the idea vanishes.

and see if you are covering all the points you wanted in the beginning. There are tools online

Now, when you have the idea, the hard work

that can also help you have the correct structure

begins – “How do I write an article?”.

and avoid grammatical mistakes. Furthermore, there is a proofreading task group in the ESTIEM

This is a process where you have to ask yourself

Magazine team that will help you later on to make

some questions.

an outstanding article.

Q1: Will I address the reader directly or will I use passive voice?

Some basic tips are to avoid writing the article in the last minute. Give your article to a friend to read it that will see it from a different angle, and be accepting to feedback. Practise your writing

e.g. “You should write that idea down” vs “That

skills with every given opportunity. Finally, we are

idea should be written down”)?

all engineers and writing is a skill that is required in our field, whether it is a project or a scientific paper. So do not be afraid of writing. Share your voice and change your community for the better.

52 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

EXPLORE

ON THE ROCKY ROAD TO SERBIAN LAKES ...four ESTIEMers discovering unknown places The idea came randomly from one of us, after

In the end, with zero organization and preparation,

spending quite some time in our hometowns,

we managed to visit a few places:

unable to meet since we are all kilometers away

•

The horse stable “Ljubičevo”

from each other. Four ESTIEMers, four different

•

Artificial lakes near the city of Požarevac

cities in Serbia - some might say impossible, we

•

The city and lake “Vlaški Do”

say - challenge accepted!

•

Few villages near Morava river

•

And all the random ghost places we discovered

The outline of the trip was quite draft. We just

during the trip.

Trajko Krstić Local Group Belgrade

opened Google Maps, drew a circle around our cities and picked the lakes which are located in the

In total, for 3 days of travelling, we cycled between

center of the circle and we thought our job here is

180 and 200 kilometers (individually).

done. A free tip for anyone thinking about doing something similar - it is okay to trust Google Maps,

It was a really good boost of our motivation and

but if you want a real adventure, then pick a road

amazing experience, and definitely the best thing

with your instinct and group’s wishes!

that happen so far in 2020!

With the experience and motivation we gained during this trip, we decided to take it to the next level! If everything goes well, the plan is to go on a bike trip from Belgrade to Sofia in July this year, which is about 420 kilometers away.

We are not sure how that will end, but we have just one thing on our mind - we will have an amazing time and we will come back with a bunch of stories to tell! Hope you will read more about it in the next issue! Wish us luck, we really need it!

On a trip like this, only one thing is certain - you will discover the most beautiful and unknown places ever! We had a chance to cross the most unstable bridge ever made, spend some time with beautiful horses, meet some people and hear their funny stories.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 53

EXPLORE

REGIONAL COORDINATORS MEETING, BERLIN As an informal way of keep on enriching the Regions, debate current problems and talk about

2. Regional Monitoring Tool

some new projects that could add more value to

Luis Viudez Local Group Seville

the network from the regional side, the Regional

On the following working day, the majority of our

Coordinators from Alpine, North East, North

time was dedicated on deciding and designing the

West and South West met in Berlin from the 24th

first draft of the Regional Monitoring Tool, which

to the 27th of January.

we want to standardise in order to have a more efficient collection of data from all the Local Groups

After a couple of days together we found it very

in the network. The goal was to achieve a final re-

strange that this kind of meetings are not a com-

sult that could perfectly balance qualitative and

mon practice, since we all saw it as something that

quantitative data and also have some background

should at least happen twice a year. Of course it is

history. This is certainly something that we want to

not always easy to travel and schedule something

finish so it can be tried out by the following gene-

in order to have all eight Regional Coordinators

ration of Regional Coordinators.

attending, but we definitely recommend it for the following generations of Regional Coordinators

3. Definition of the Regional Coordinator

and it will be included in our handover.

position In the third and last day, our main focus was to work upon the Regional Coordinator position since we think there are plenty of possibilities to be explored and a lot of things that are not still well defined. It was also a day for us to establish the bases of the collaborations with both Members Committee and Ambassadors.

The outcomes of these very productive days can be divided into three main topics: 1. Tools On the first day, we focused our attention on the tools we are providing to the Local Groups and how useful are they for their development. The main goal was to discuss and improve the Regional concept. We worked upon many different ideas: chats, calendars, working groups etc. However, the best outcome was the creation of a Regional Drive and the content we want to include in it. This first regional knowledge management tool should include a strong component of Best Practice Document, structure of the Local Groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, minutes from regional chats, Public Relations material and more.

54 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

EXPLORE

After all we still cannot find the words to describe those days together. A balanced combination between productive work days used to solve common problems, the development of new projects and team building, while having the opportunity to explore the city of Berlin.

Mixing those ingredients together, it will result into a big boost of ESTIEM spirit.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 55

EXPLORE

5 QUESTIONS TO 5 ENTREPRENEURS FROM ALL AROUND EUROPE Have you ever wondered, what is this ultimate power that is enforcing all entrepreneurs to move further, to wake up every morning and strive towards fulfilling their dreams, to try changing the world again and again?

What do entrepreneurs dream about and what personal qualities have helped them on their way? We have traveled Europe for you to meet 5 inspiring young entrepreneurs from very different areas, including social entrepreneurship, art, business analytics, the finance sector and entertainment. Here is what they had to Alina Sidbrant Local Group St. Petersburg

say: Laine Sildere, Liepaja, Latvia

after learning basic economy principles: the S

CEO at “Laine Sildere”: beekeeping

curve, the supply-demand principle, I have to price

and honey production

the honey to be compatible on the market and even though it feels a bit unfair, I understand that

1. What is your dream?

this is the way to go. Understanding the economy

My dream as a beekeeper is to be able to work

and business is very important, besides the

purely as a beekeeper, having enough money to

commonly known entrepreneurial characteristics.

live, travel and educate myself without having to

Unfortunately, this is also why I have to keep

take on a side job.

beekeeping as a hobby at the moment.

2. What is the most important quality of an

5. Can anyone be an entrepreneur?

entrepreneur?

Definitely! For me to be an entrepreneur is to be

I would say it is seeing the bigger picture,

able to work hard and give away what you have

understanding how the season went by the

produced to the people for good cause and I

previous year and how it has affected this year,

honestly believe everyone can do that if he/she

how the labor invested at the beginning of the

wants to. However, you should definitely learn

season will result at the end of it. It is finding

many things before becoming one.

connections between past experiences and the future outcomes of your business. Knowing and

Florian Alwast, Berlin, Germany

understanding business models and different

Founder and CEO of “ESTIEM board

company development scenarios and applying

game

them in reality.

creation of board games for student

development

team”:

the

networks 3. Where do you take your inspiration or motivation from?

1. What is your dream?

For me, it is the process of seeing the bees on a

My dream is to make sure that water volleyball

weekly basis and seeing how they grow. Every time

gets to the Olympic Games!

I go there – I see the change. When making the honey, marketing and other commerce-related

2. What is the most important quality of an

topics do not inspire me at all. I believe in the

entrepreneur?

good purpose of little bees, I see them changing

I have learned that sales skills are the most

the world, and helping these tiny hard working

important because even if you have an amazing

creatures is in itself what inspires me.

product or business idea, you need to sell it to investors/friends/business partners/clients to get

4. What did you realize was important for an

the profit.

entrepreneur that you didn’t know before you started your business? What did you learn?

3. Where do you get your inspiration or

I understood a bit more about the financial part. For

motivation from?

example, all the work I have to do and invest in my

I love traveling, meeting new people, cultures,

business could have affected the increased price

experiences. I try to stay open-minded, to absorb

of the final product – the honey itself. However,

as many new traditions and commodities as I can,

56 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

EXPLORE to be able to understand the world we all live in

Later on, they started exploiting my goodwill and

better.

dedication to work by motivating me with threats. I don’t respond well to threats, so I started thinking

4. What did you realize was important for an

what it would be like to be my own boss, how

entrepreneur that you didn’t know before you

would I do if all of the pressure was on me, would

started your business? What did you learn?

I behave the same? I started with small steps like

I have learned that, in fact, failure is just a learning

making a student club that went from zero to hero

point, which you should not be afraid of, as it leads

in 5 months with the help of my friends. Soon

to something better – to success. I have learned

after starting my own company, it became clear to

that if you fail, you should not be sad, you should

me: the inspiration lays within the people I work

just try again and again and again instead.

with and within the fact that every day I am able to make a little step towards my dream of making

5. Can anyone be an entrepreneur?

this world a better place. Sometimes it is harder,

Yes and no. Everyone can be one, but not everyone

sometimes easier, but it never upsets me, because

can be a successful entrepreneur as humans have

I love my life the way it is and no sacrifice is too big

different skills, experiences, and mindsets.

to be able to wake up every morning with a smile.

Branimir Suk, Zagreb, Croatia

4. What did you realize was important for an

Founder and CEO of “Ocean Znanja”:

entrepreneur that you didn’t know before you

organization of youth exchange

started your business? What did you learn?

and personal development training

Two of the most important things that I have

events in Europe

learned

related

to

my

entrepreneurial

life

happened in the extracurricular activities. First was 1. What is your dream?

in a theatre group where I played the role of a sloth,

My dream is to change the world to be a better

one of the 7 deadly sins. The role had me verbally

place by giving opportunities and training/

attacking the main actor, that he was as lazy as

education to young people from the age of 14-25

90% of the population. These people are thinking

who did not have the possibility to learn or were

about all of these grand ideas while sitting on their

never compelled to learn by their environment,

sofas and watching TV but never getting up to start

to go pursue their dreams. I want to help them

making them happen. During the early stages of

discover how great and fun learning can be,

shaping the company, I learned how important is

and what it means to be surrounded by people

to have a team, how to make a good team, as well

who strive to improve themselves and enjoy life

as what kind of people to surround yourself with.

because they are doing what they love, in order to

Try to find like-minded people to pursue the same

encourage them to pursue their dreams.

dream, because then you will reach it much faster.

2. What is the most important quality of an

5. Can anyone be an entrepreneur?

entrepreneur?

I truly believe that everyone can be an entrepreneur.

There are two qualities that have proven to be

It depends on 2 things: how much you love

the most important ones: the power to never give

freedom and responsibility and how much you are

up and the freedom to fail and take the learning

willing to work for your dream. Everyone has ideas,

points from the experience in order to make your

it just depends on your decision if this idea will

product/job/idea better and more sustainable.

become something inspiring or it will end up in the

My personal favorite is to believe in yourself and

graveyard of ideas. Since 2016, I do not even know

in your idea. Then you will find a solution for any

how I have made a group of friends who are all

obstacle.

entrepreneurs. We talk about people who started their companies, brands, and alternative sources

3. Where do you take your inspiration or

of earning money. This has inspired me to go

motivation from?

further and to develop even more than I thought

I started searching for my purpose when I was 16.

I was ever capable of. The lesson I learned here

While searching for what I want to do in my life and

is that your environment really matters and this is

where all my talents can be utilized, I have been

why I can so clearly explain what is my dream is

through so many jealous and incompetent bosses

and why everyone can be an entrepreneur.

and co-workers who were making my life hard.

ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM 57

EXPLORE 1. What is your dream?

Olli Remes, Oulu, Finland

I wish for more art to be created in the world by

Co-founder and CEO of “Quiet On”:

the most talented of us and that art is not only

an ear plug-in to absorb the outer

mass-spread in the big cities and city centers, but

noises

also in the suburb and rural areas.

1. What is your dream?

2. What is the most important quality of an

I do not have a single great dream over others.

entrepreneur?

Instead, I have plenty of smaller dreams, which are

I think it is the ability to foresee possible problems

easier to grasp and which I use in order to have

and risks and to be able to avoid them using a very

the motivation to do my best every day.

well thought through business strategy. Secondly, the passion and motivation to work as hard as

2. What is the most important quality of an

possible in order to reach the goal you have set.

entrepreneur?

Last but not least, a good entrepreneur should be

Perseverance. Always believe in your vision, but

as brave as to admit the reality, in which he/she is

still have the courage to adjust your plans should

operating.

changes in your environment require that.

3. Where do you take your inspiration or 3. Where do you take your inspiration or

motivation from?

motivation from?

I take my inspiration from meditation and self-

Working with exciting, competent people around

debrief. I often find myself asking millions of

me. Startup crew is my second family, and enjoying

“Whys?” and by that, I get to the real meaning

your family members’ company always makes life

of things, their importance to me and my real

easier.

aspirations. When I know what it is I really want, I can reach it easier and become happy sooner. This

4. What did you realize was important for an

inspires me.

entrepreneur that you didn’t know before you started your business? What did you learn?

4. What did you realize was important for an

I was raised by an entrepreneur so I cannot really

entrepreneur that you didn’t know before you

say there was something that really surprised me.

started your business? What did you learn?

Connections and having an open mind are very

5. Can anyone be an entrepreneur?

important. The more you know, the more you

Entrepreneurship can occur in many different

will learn and gain. It includes the people who

forms, you can do it as a side-job when it doesn’t

will help you on the way with advice or financing,

require too much of your time i.e. to earn a side

the knowledge you obtain to help solve occurring

income or to do social work in your community.

problems fast, and all the experiences that would

You can also be an entrepreneur as a member of

help you connect with the like-minded people

a larger organization by starting different internal

from around the world easier.

initiatives. The threshold to enter either of these two forms of entrepreneurship, in my opinion,

5. Can anyone be an entrepreneur?

is fairly low and can be recommended to most

I honestly believe everyone was born as an

people. Full-time entrepreneurship, on the other

entrepreneur or a businessman in the first place

hand, is not for everyone as one has to be able to

but has, however, forgotten it along growing up.

deal with a high level of uncertainty and also to be

As soon as you start working on an idea though,

able to accept potential failure.

which is not about money, but about a good cause and making this world a better place, your heart

Stanislav Malyshev, St. Petersburg,

will remind you of the entrepreneurial nature

Russia

of human beings and show you the right way of

Founder and CEO of “Mne nravjatsja

creating a sustainable and profitable venture.

denjgi” («Мне нравятся деньги»): fast and easy short-term loans to private and business customers

58 ESTIEM Magazine | 58th issue - 30th Anniversary of ESTIEM

DEPARTMENT OF TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT AND ECONOMICS

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