Name, First Name: Borgeest, Kai
Nationality: German
City, Country: Aschaffenburg, Germany
Study Program, Degree: Electrical Engineering, Dipl.-Ing., Ph.D.
Year of Graduation: 1993, Ph.D. 1998
Employer, position: University Aschaffenburg, Prof. Vehicle Mechatronics

Why did you choose the TUHH back then and was it a good decision from today's perspective?
Before that, I studied at a mass university with an average duration of almost 16 semesters at the time. At the small TUHH, I was able to complete my studies, including a stay abroad, in the normal time.

Can you remember the first impression the TUHH made on you?
Although there was still a lot of improvisation going on at the time - I remember, for example, the rats in the former Eichenhöhe ballroom that were obviously also interested in control engineering and scurried through the lectures - the TUHH still made a familiar and modern impression. This overall positive impression was confirmed during the course of my studies.

What motivated you to choose this subject and this career?
Today, I would choose mechatronics, but back then, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering were my options. I wanted to gain a deeper understanding of what I had assembled, dismantled or repaired as a teenager and have good career prospects.

How would you summarize your time at the TUHH?
At first, there was a lot that you simply had to "get through", but I only learned later what that was good for. When the practical relevance increased in the higher semesters, it was more and more fun. I liked the friendly, optimistic atmosphere.

Your favorite meal in the canteen?
With a bottle of "Extra Hot Chili Sauce" in my pocket, almost anything.

Where did you prefer to spend your time in Hamburg/Harburg apart from studying?
Rather north of the Elbe, although the last S-Bahn ran quite early back then. I only really got to know Hamburg as a tourist since I no longer live there.

What are your tips for a good career start in your sector?
Broad knowledge, including non-specialist knowledge (e.g. abroad, social commitment). Practicing exams against the clock during your studies may be good for your grade, but in industry it is no longer necessary to calculate standard exams against the clock, it is more important that you have understood and can apply everything.

What do you use from your studies for your job?
An astonishing amount, more than the 10% often mentioned, but you almost always only know exactly what you need later in your career. It is important to understand a lot, you can always look up pure factual knowledge if necessary.

What does a typical working day look like for you and what skills do you need for it?
Unfortunately, a lot of bureaucracy, email ping-pong and paper (the tendency increases with every reform), but that's the case in almost every job, even in industry. The most important skill is to ensure that these activities do not destroy too much productive time and that unavoidable tasks from these categories are still completed on time (time management). However, there were very exciting tasks in self-administration, especially during the development of the then new Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences, and I was able to shape a lot of things. It took a lot of time and effort, but it was very interesting. The most important skills here were creativity and perseverance, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable obstacles.

The most enjoyable things are teaching and research. No two days are the same and that's a good thing. In teaching, you have to have in-depth specialist knowledge, but even more importantly, you have to enjoy teaching and have the courage to try out forms of learning that go beyond the traditional lecture. Research at universities of applied sciences takes place under much more difficult conditions than at universities, which is why most UAS professors don't do any research. I do it as far as possible, so the most important skill is the ability to improvise. The main topics at the moment are the control of combustion engines (no simple LTI systems) and mobile robotics, as well as confidential activities with industry. The breadth of expertise is important here because many current issues are interdisciplinary, but the focus is on control engineering, embedded systems and the practical differences between ideal and real electronics (e.g. EMC, thermal problems).

If you were President of the TUHH...
... I think the TUHH has the right president. I would do a lot of things in a similar way, especially strengthen the qualitative importance of teaching.