Andrés Ruiz just started his master’s degree in International Management at ISM Dortmund. For the student from Uruguay, it’s a dream come true to expand his knowledge and global network while studying abroad.

Every two seconds an Airbus A320 takes off or lands somewhere in the world. The Airbus production site in Hamburg is one of the factors making it possible – and one of the excursion destinations of the International Logistics & Supply Chain Management students.

Earn a PhD with a university of applied sciences degree? ISM students have been able to do this for quite some time through collaboration with various universities, such as the IQS School of Management in Barcelona. Now the latest cooperation with the multi-award-winning Bond Business School (BBS) of the Australian Bond University provides another opportunity.

Coming from 24 countries like Norway, Argentina, Peru or Finland, 150 guest students have arrived in Germany and are looking forward to the winter semester at ISM in Dortmund, Frankfurt and Munich. On orientation day they got to know their new campus, tasted Bavarian food or went on a boat trip on the Main river.

One is at home in the world of finance, while the other studied business psychology – Nico Auel and Felix Tietjen got to know each other through the ISM Mentoring Program. What might sound like an unusual combination was in fact a stroke of luck for both of them: Nico was looking for a new member of staff in the HR department of the RWB Group and Felix was looking to kick-start his career.

The ISM Mentoring Program pairs up experienced graduates with current students. Together they discuss career paths, personal goals and how to secure a job. When explaining his reasons for joining the program, Felix says: “On the one hand, it was very interesting to find out how the mentors ended up in their current positions and what I needed to consider when planning my own career. And, on the other hand, I also wanted to develop my network further.” The 28-year-old recently completed his master’s degree in Psychology & Management at ISM Hamburg. His mentor, Nico, in contrast, has been highly successful in his job for more than ten years and recently became Managing Director of the RWB Group. “No matter what industry you work in, you’re often faced with similar challenges. An experienced mentor can therefore provide excellent advice. That said, discussing matters with the mentee is also valuable for the mentor, as the mentee often approaches a topic with fresh ideas and without any preconceived notions, and this can actually result in completely new perspectives.”

Clarifying expectations, setting goals, communicating openly – these are the things that Felix believes are important for successful mentoring. “I’d already looked at what jobs would suit me and what I needed to put in place to achieve my goals. Furthermore, I put together a presentation outlining my skills in order to breathe new life into my CV.” This allowed Nico to get to know Felix much quicker and to actually make him a job offer. The first step to finding the perfect match begins on the ISM Alumni Platform. This is where you can find extensive information on the program.

Foreign cultures and countless new impressions are waiting for the around 70 students from ISM‘s Indian partner university IILM Institute for Business and Management. For three weeks, they will attend Summer School in Munich and Hamburg. In addition to courses in management and finance, the guest students will also go on various excursions.