In Augsburg, 8 April

„Dear Students, dear Alumni, dear Friends,

The Graduate School is currently facing its greatest challenge in the 21 years since its inception, and we are working - together with the President's Office and many official bodies - daily to cope with this situation. My two priorities as Dean of the Graduate School are, first, to do everything I can to ensure that Graduate School students and staff remain safe, and secondly, to keep our programmes running wherever possible, so that our students can progress with their degrees. This is clearly not easy in the case of laboratory or project work, but in other areas, both staff and students have already started working together successfully online. I am very grateful for their flexibility, and for all the positive feedback that has been given to me by all parties. In addition, the rectorate is supporting us

I am working from my home in a very tiny rural place near Augsburg. Honestly, with 2 kids at home and our dog around it is not always easy to manage all requests of the different “stakeholders”… but I am getting better and better in this way, too. And it helps to better understand and value what it means to “manage a family and household…”

I would like to thank the Graduate School staff, professors and students for their understanding and for all working together as a team in this difficult time. Additional thanks to the President's Office and administration of the Hochschule Esslingen for providing specially tailored support and options especially for our international students – of course within the legal framework of the University’s statute. We will get through this together! In the meantime, stay home and stay safe!“