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Professor Boris Bracio is Dean of the Department of Electrical, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (FB 6) at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences. In this interview, he gives an impression of the "spirit".


Professor Bracio, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering and Industrial Engineering
can be studied at FB6. How would you describe your job?
We electrify, we digitalize, we build machines. And we also build the future. Because our future engineers get the tools here to provide smart answers to the questions of tomorrow. In the Bachelor's and Master's degree programs, we teach and research current technical and technological issues. We work closely with companies and institutes - a real plus for practice!

Are your students likely to be in demand on the job market?
That's absolutely right. Even after graduating with a Bachelor's degree, there are attractive options for students on our electrical and mechanical engineering courses. And the Master's degree programs pave the way for research. In medical technology, for example, students cooperate with doctors from the region and develop highly complex systems. Virtual reality (VR), a computer-aided, interactive representation of reality with its physical properties, is driving innovation in the healthcare sector - and we in Köthen are at the forefront with 5D simulation. With regard to Mechanical Engineering, it is foreseeable that the industry's demand will continue to exceed the number of university graduates in the future. The drastically shortening product development times constantly demand new solutions for innovative products and components.

Specialist knowledge is important for this. In your opinion, what else counts for the training of engineers?
The job market demands engineering expertise and the ability to think beyond one's own specialist area. Experience shows that interdisciplinary teams are usually more successful. Those who train with us are close to practice. The world is open to our graduates: From here, you can go anywhere!

There has been a tradition of engineering training in Köthen since 1891...
From the very beginning, the approach was to combine the training of engineering specialists with the Economics development of the region. Mechanical Engineering underwent major changes in the last third of the 19th century. Natural and technical sciences were used to initiate progress in Germany. The idea from the founding era is more relevant than ever - and in the 21st century has long since been extended to a global perspective. Just like back then, we are experiencing a spirit of optimism today. Our keywords are digitalization, artificial intelligence and augmented reality.

What characterizes the education at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences today?
In addition to professional expertise, our students in Köthen benefit from excellent support from the instructors. Everyone appreciates the informal learning atmosphere, small internship groups for which you don't have to drag yourself out of bed in the middle of the night to get a place. Our aim is to put the students even more at the center of our attention.

How would you describe the atmosphere in your department?
The following example gives an impression of our everyday life and the spirit here: A young man with a physical disability is studying here. He sometimes has to struggle quite a bit in everyday life because not all rooms are barrier-free. His year group is now building an exoskeleton for him. This is an external support function that is individually tailored to his needs. The cohesion of the students is one thing, the practical orientation is another. We try things out together, we experiment - and our performance improves the student's quality of life at our Department.

Those interested can find more information about the degree programs at the Department at www.hs-anhalt.de/ingenieurwissenschaften-studieren