Hailing from the culturally diverse city of Munich, Franz-Jakob Bodenmeier has found himself a natural fit at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) as he aspires to pursue a career in the project management side of the renewable-energy industry.
Blood runs in the family
Heavily influenced by his father who manages renewable-energy investments, Jakob developed an interest in this area at a young age. It came to no one’s surprise when he chose to study economics as his university major but his decision to study abroad did come as a shock to some.
Why Hong Kong and CUHK?
“With everything considered, it was just the best option. Hong Kong is an international city that serves as a bridge between the East and West so studying here opens a lot of doors, and there’s also no better place to learn business pitching and hone my soft skills,” he said, adding that his previous 6-month exchange experience in Beijing also played a role in his decision.
“Similarly, CUHK is a university where East meets West. One can get the best of both worlds by developing an Asian perspective on top of the international one deeply ingrained in the city. In addition, there is a great mix of local and non-local students at CUHK so it’s nice to meet and learn from people from all walks of life,” Jakob explained.
As one of the selected few currently studying in The Chinese University of Hong Kong-Tsinghua University Dual Undergraduate Degree Programme in Economics, Jakob receives the best economic training in Asia and will spend four years in total, two years each in respective universities before graduating with two of the most prestigious bachelor’s degrees in Asia.
Ranked 47th and 30th in QS’ World University Rankings by Subject 2022 in Economics and Econometrics respectively, CUHK and Tsinghua University empower students to develop insightful global and Asian perspectives as they develop connections by accessing both alumni networks.
CUHK is well-recognized internationally for its academic strength that spans across diverse disciplines. QS’ World University Rankings by Subject 2022 placed twenty one CUHK subjects in the world’s top 50 with seven subjects, specifically anthropology, communication and media studies, computer science and information systems, medicine, nursing, philosophy, and theology, divinity and religious studies ranked first in Hong Kong.
Paving the path to success
Despite not naturally possessing superhuman adaptive skills, Jakob has fully immersed himself in life at CUHK.
“There’s very comfortable accommodation, awesome people, excellent teaching, speedy assistance from different departments, as well as meaningful events and activities held to assist us in developing critical career skills,” he said.
One activity Jakob joined was the CUHK Mentorship Programme (CUMP) where he met professionals from different industries and obtained invaluable advice about career planning and development, while the CUHK Host Family Programme has allowed him to build closer connections with professors eager to impart years of wisdom and share their ways on developing the necessary skillset for future success.
CUHK also regularly organizes workshops, events, and seminars about internship opportunities to help students work towards their future goals, which include the Bloomberg Academy held in June this year.
“The support provided is unmatched. You can feel the University really cares about us and goes the extra mile by doing everything they can to support our development,” he added.
Looking back, Jakob has no doubt that to study in CUHK and Hong Kong has been the right decision.
“Everything that drew me here in the first place has lived up to expectations. The cherry on top is the warmth and sense of belonging I feel here. Everything is perfect.”