The event aims to arouse students' interest in regional companies and at the same time facilitate an uncomplicated exchange in a relaxed atmosphere. The organisers rely on a combination of sporting activity and personal discussions.

This year, a total of 16 students from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences from various disciplines took part, including Mechanical Engineering, Digital Product Management and three English-language Master's programmes. They met fellow students from other universities in Thuringia and were split into teams to complete various golf practice stations and collect points in the process.

Golf coaches were present at each station, demonstrating and practising various hitting techniques. Company representatives presented their companies and answered the students' questions - including regional software companies as well as large corporations such as Bosch and CATL.

Although the Nordhausen students narrowly lost out at the awards ceremony, the event was considered a great success overall. Professor Folker Flüggen, mechanical engineering professor at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences, was enthusiastic about the innovative event format and expressed the idea of organising a similar event in the North Thuringia region. "The keen interest shown by students and companies shows us that informal, personal contact formats are more in demand than ever, especially in the age of digitalisation. Our small and medium-sized companies in the region in particular, which offer excellent development opportunities for our graduates, deserve to be recognised in the battle for future employees. Meetings in a relaxed atmosphere, such as those that take place here on the golf course, enable a completely different exchange than the usual application format. The educational mission of our university does not have to end at the lecture theatre door. In our region, we should work to ensure that companies and universities work closely together in order to be successful together," says Flüggen.

The feedback from the students was consistently positive. The innovative concept, which combines networking with an enjoyable sporting activity, was well received and will probably continue to be part of the search for skilled labour in the coming years.