13 April 2023

Koorosh Parvaz from Iran writes master's thesis on energy at the municipal housing company

(Source: Städtische Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH Nordhausen)

Städtische Wohnungsbaugesellschaft (SWG) is employing a working student from Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences for the first time. Koorosh Parvaz has been employed by the municipal housing company in Nordhausen since April.

The 27-year-old Iranian has been studying for a Master's degree in Renewable Energy Systems in English at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences since last year. The budding engineer will be writing his master's thesis at SWG in the coming months. "Renewable energies, heat supply and the energy efficiency of buildings are important topics for us as a housing company, and we deal with them in many areas of our daily work. We will have a need for technical staff in the coming years. In this respect, it is a benefit for us to be able to draw on the expertise of the university," says SWG CEO Inge Klaan in a company press release.

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences was one of the first universities in Germany to respond to the energy transition by establishing its own degree programme in "Renewable Energy Technology". It also offers several international Master's degree programmes such as Computer Science and Renewable Energies. "We want to utilise this potential of well-trained young people much more in future in order to retain skilled workers," says Klaan.

The head of SWG was able to establish contact with Koorosh Parvaz during the university hikeathon on the topic of the energy crisis. At this two-day university event in December last year, important tasks for the coming years were discussed. One of the issues for the housing industry was how to achieve the 2045 climate protection targets in building refurbishment without generating major additional financial burdens for tenants and landlords. The Hikeathon format offers methodical solutions for this, Klaan continued.

"For Mr Parvaz, this year is all about supporting his theoretical knowledge with practical experience, further developing his language skills and seeing whether a long-term collaboration is possible for both sides," says the SWG boss. The municipal housing company has provided several topics for the working student's master's thesis. The young Iranian has two on the shortlist: "But I haven't quite made a decision yet," explains the Master's student.

In September 2021, a dual student began his training as a plant mechanic and Bachelor of Engineering at the subsidiary, SWG Objektmanagement GmbH. SWG is cooperating with Erfurt University of Applied Sciences.