Taiwan meets Germany - Yi-Ying Ko

"I have always dreamed to come to Germany."

During her bachelor studies, Yi-Ying has already spent one exchange year in Germany at the University of Tübingen. Germany, known as the country of classical music, has always aroused Yi-Ying's interest. Before she started following the business-oriented career path, she studied classical music. Her choice for spending a year abroad also fell on Germany as she wanted to learn speaking a fourth language, next to Taiwanese, Mandarin, and English. Yi-Ying directly fell in love with the openness of the German society. "For international students, Germany is a very safe place to study, and everyone can be what he/she likes to be", she explains. "The Taiwanese student was so delighted by her experience in Germany that she decided to pursue her master's degree here as well.

"I searched for a program that includes gaining practical experience."

After she spent one year at the University of Tübingen strengthening her theoretical foundation in business-related matters, Yi-Ying wanted to opt for a master's program which incorporates practical experiences such as company projects and an internship. She early developed an interest in marketing and sales as she often stood in close customer contact in her parents' retail shop in Taiwan. After she gathered experience in auditing and in the banking sector through two internships, Yi-Ying recognized that the field of marketing and sales arouses her interest most. While she was searching for master's programs on the DAAD website, she came upon the IMS master's program at the FH Münster. "The program was exactly what I was looking for!", Yi-Ying points out. The combination of marketing and sales, the possibility to take part in a semester project in the third semester as well as the option to choose among several electives matched perfectly with what she had in mind. "The application process at the FH Münster worked smoothly, especially with Mrs. Stypinski's kind and fast help at all times", explains Yi-Ying. She highlighted that prospective students should know that the application for the IMS master's program takes places via the internal myFH Portal, not via Uni-Assist as this is the case for many other universities. Having earned her spot in the program, Yi-Ying was overwhelmed by the beauty of the old town of Münster. "The Aasee is my favorite place in Münster", she points out.

"The IMS program really opened my mind."

"The master's program does not only equip you with marketing and sales expertise but also with problem-solving skills, an independent working style and encourages critical thinking", the Taiwanese student says. On the other hand, she highlights that working together with fellow students in numerous group projects allowed her to strengthen her team working skills. "The program really requires you to get your time management right. You learn to work under stress, to prioritize, and to manage your time efficiently", Yi-Ying explains. The acquisition of all these skills helped her to get an internship position in the International Marketing department at the Kao Group in Darmstadt. She opted for the semester project instead of spending another semester abroad because she wanted to gather work experience in Germany. Now, she can imagine taking on a fulltime job in Germany after graduation. "I would love to get a job here after completing the master's program", says Yi-Ying.

"The master's program helps you grow in so many ways!"

Yi-Ying happily looks back at her study experience at the FH Münster. She encourages newly incoming international students to believe in their selves and to not give up in stressful times. "Undeniably, the master's program is challenging, but it helps you grow in so many ways", Yi-Ying stresses. She highlights that one should always stay motivated and make sure that one finds the right balance between private life and studying. She also gives newly incoming international students the advice to learn the German language upfront: "Even though you do not need German for the master's program itself, it facilitates living Germany outside of the university context a lot." Yi-Ying is excited to successfully complete the program this year and is very proud of the personal development that she went through by attending this master's program far away from home.