Alumnus André Bartscher on self- development during studies

ALUMNUS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Self-development is something special

Alumnus André Bartscher founded his own company as a student

When André Bartscher founded his company digimago in 2009, he was studying at the Department of Computer Science at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg. Digimago provides software, hardware and content for digital infoboards, modern touchscreens and LED walls, otherwise known as digital signage. The software developer came across this topic while working a student job and thought to himself, “I can do better than that”. But it was a long road ahead from having the initial idea to turning it into a successful business. His most important realisation during this time was that he had to delegate. “Letting go and trusting other people is a difficult learning process, especially in the early days, but it’s what you have to do.”

Teaching values during studies

Today the Master’s graduate manages a successful company in Siegburg with eight employees. Television network SAT.1, the bank Kreissparkasse Köln, and drinks manufacturer Rotkäppchen-Mumm are among their clients and cooperation partners. One of the factors that has made the business a success is its company culture, in which critical inquiry and open feedback play a decisive role. “I contribute ideas to discussions about technical developments just like every other team member. And I can be wrong, just like anyone else. No one on the team should be afraid to contradict me or point out mistakes.” This is also the way André Bartscher works with his customers, and he communicates openly with them if he doesn’t agree with their plans. “We see clients as partners with whom we create new projects again and again over many years.”

Studying at H-BRS was a formative time for the alumnus in which he took on board many of the values imparted by his teachers. “I was really able to develop as a person in the Master’s degree programme. At the time, we had close contact to our lecturers. I was even able to develop part of the subsequent digimago technology in the scope of my Master’s thesis, sketch out ideas and discuss them with my professors Simone Bürsner and Manfred Kaul.”

The entrepreneur recommends that students take their teachers’ advice and use the freedom they have in their studies. “The opportunity for self-development, to do what you want to do, is something special,” thinks André Bartscher. The doors of his company are always open to H-BRS students. “We look forward to welcoming students and are happy to help young people gain experience.” Computer scientist and entrepreneur André Bartscher advises students to value the freedom they have in their studies: “The opportunity for self-development, to do what you want to do, is something special”

Dr Wang Yi

Head of the International Office (IO) since 2021

“The International Office stands for developing talent and character through international experience. This applies not only to students and lecturers, but to all university employees, and it encompasses all activities – from cooperating to teaching and researching to studying. International experience doesn’t have to mean going abroad. We also facilitate ‘internationalisation at home’ through the interdisciplinary digital lecture series, ‘Sustainability and Innovation’ in cooperation with Shenzhen TU in China. We’d like to expand international collaboration projects like these between other partner institutions and our departments.

I see personal development as being very closely related to the institutional development of the International Office. Since 2021, we’ve been working as an interface for the entire university. In this new organisational form as a central service facility, we can support students, researchers, lecturers and the administration even better.”