50 Years 50 Faces
Christina Rüttinger-Kirchner
Employee in the field of Digital Tools at the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering, former student of the Faculty of Visual Design
Studied at FHWS from 2008 to 2016, employed since 2018
For me, FHWS is ...
a large network of students, carried by FHWS employees of all areas.
What do you appreciate about FHWS?
What I value most about my job with the Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering are the trust, the friendly interactions and the variety in my job. Each day is different. This is mainly due to the people I get to work with every day. Together with students, lecturers and colleagues, we create new ideas and solutions which benefit the faculty.
What was the best decision in your professional career and why? What has changed since then?
Right after my general higher education qualification, I started my studies at the University of Nuremberg. Sitting with hundreds of students in one lecture hall, I got the feeling of only being an enrolment number among many. The following year I decided to take up a new degree programme in a different city. Thus, in 2008 I started my degree in Communication Design at FHWS and I have got to say that this was one of the best decisions. The short distances, the personal interactions and the international focus have appealed to me from the start.
These criteria were the decisive factors for me to start working with FHWS in 2018.
What do you think has shaped FHWS the most over the last 50 years?
I have only been with FHWS for 14 years. Within this rather short period of time, the topic that has characterised FHWS the most: internationalisation.
There is the international week with speakers from all over the world, there are English-taught degree programmes and the opportunity to spend one semester abroad – whether for an internship or at a partner university. Going abroad has never been that easy.
In my opinion, FHWS has become more and more diverse. Not only do numerous incoming students shape our University, but also the young people who once came to Germany as refugees in 2015.
What is your vision of the future for FHWS? What might FHWS look like in 50 years’ time?
The pandemic is still challenging us today. Again and again, we have to find new solutions and react quickly. This is proven, among others, by the Dean’s decision shortly before the beginning of the summer semester 2020. In order to uphold teaching, FHWS had to switch to online teaching in less than two weeks. This would not have been possible a few years ago.
After two years of the pandemic, remote work and virtual meetings have become part of everyday working life. I would appreciate it if FHWS continued to support digital developments in teaching and work.
What is your insider tip for the cities of Würzburg or Schweinfurt and why?
When we have a lot going on or just want to treat ourselves, we like to visit Suppenglück (“Soup Happiness”) in Theaterstrasse. Our “Glück to go” (“happiness to go”) so to speak. Excellent soups and a diverse menu. A small restaurant, but huge on quality.