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THD encourages everyone to find their passion in life. And for some, that is creating their own companies and being self-employed! The good news is there is an institute inside the university, the THD Startup Campus, that can help you in every step of your way towards creating your company and contributing to our society. From planning stages, where participants define their ideas, do market research, and create their business plan, to finding financing opportunities, and preparing the launch, Startup Campus will be there for you.

We talked to Tanya Marin, entrepreneurship manager, about what Startup Campus is, their role in helping national and international students start their own businesses, regulations, visas, and much more.

So, Tanya, how would you describe Startup Campus? What do you do, what is your role?

Startup Campus is a THD institute that offers students, staff and alumni support in developing their business ideas. We help everyone, from every study programme and faculty – as long as they have ties to the university.

Lots of different people come to Startup Campus and depending on where in the startup process they are and what they need to actually and officially start the business. My team and I help them gain more focus and connect them with the know-how and people they’re going to need. In a nutshell, there are three main routes how people make their way to us: Most often, someone comes to us with an idea from a simple “thought” and we look to help that become a viable business. The second route is when academic or research developments signal a value that could benefit not only scientific advancement but also society and the economy at large, if you will.; The third route is for those who have this “entrepreneurial spirit”, the will to start a business and make it flourish but can’t exactly pinpoint what their business idea should be. We help them find ideas or connect them with another person or team that might already have a fantastic idea but needs help to develop it. A startup needs the right team to make it work and we’re thrilled if we can help people and teams find the right fit! That said, we are still at the early stages of streamlining routes two and three.

You mention that there are people with an incredible entrepreneurial spirit, but with no concrete ideas, how do you help?

There are many new formats which we are developing to help them come with the ideas by themselves. We might show them what new trends are out there, ask them about their skills and interests, among other things. We are constantly improving our resources, so we can help them find their own passions and lead them on the way to their startup. We can always guide and provide resources, but ultimately it has to come from their side. But as I mentioned before, we often have startup teams looking for new teammates!

And in which steps does Startup Campus specifically help?

We accompany students throughout their path to starting their business.  But it is also important to mention that a lot of this is hard work from the participant´s side: we will always guide, recommend, and connect but the ones who have to make the decisions and do the hard work are the entrepreneurs themselves. The business is theirs and this is something they are building for their lives.

What types of financing opportunities does Startup Campus offer, or can help participants acquire?

So, our main two funding opportunities are Kickstart Incubator and EXIST. With Kickstart, we decide which ideas we can help fund – however we are bound by certain rules. EXIST is a federal grant directed at graduates and students at German universities and research institutes. For this path, more rules apply.

If Kickstart or EXIST isn’t an option, then we help in other ways. For example, by helping with infrastructure or using our network in the area, mainly in Lower Bavaria. As the THD is located here one of our goals is also to help develop the region. We have so much knowledge and potential at THD, in all our institutes and faculties, which could be used to help our region grow.

We know that when you are an International Student, there are some conditions to starting your own company. How can Startup Campus help international students?

Yes, exactly. For EU Students, the same rules apply as for German nationals: they can start their own business in Germany, no need to ask for authorization from the foreign authority but they should always consider that startups can be very time-consuming. If they have student health insurance, they are not allowed to work more than 20hrs per week otherwise the AOK or Techniker or what have you, will no longer categorise them as students and they will have to pay much higher monthly rates. There are also some other formalities and things to consider before launching a business, so even if they feel confident that everything is going to go smoothly, it really doesn’t hurt to double check with us – it doesn’t cost a thing and we’re also happy to help connect them with people that might be able to provide a springboard for their business.

When we are talking about international students, so non-EU students, they absolutely must get permission from the foreign authority.  This could be tricky, so we highly recommend that they speak with us to help get prepared. The actual permission is only necessary once they’re ready to officially launch the business (or, for example, if working as a freelancer) , everything that is in the “planning” part, such as market research or writing the business plan, can be done that in their own time, at their pace, and there´s no need to ask for extra permission or authorizations. Normally these steps are done while during their studies, so of course, time management is important, especially when it comes to academic compromises.

When an international student graduates, they have 18 months to find adequate employment. During this time there are generally no restrictions as to what kind of employment they pursue. After the 18 months, they can apply for an extension if they meet certain criteria. A sustainable, growing business can also meet that criteria and be the basis for obtaining an extension of the visa and maybe ultimately permanent residency.

For this, of course, they need to show certain paperwork and go through certain steps, and here is where we can help them. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, as the foreign authority has the last word, but we can help increase the chances of receiving a “yes” for an answer. And even if the answer is “No”, I would always recommend our international entrepreneurs to apply again! Because that No could change to a Yes given other circumstances.

That´s a very good recommendation. And if a master student, for example, wants to get a  business up and running while they are still studying can they create their own companies during this time?

Again, the foreign authority will have the last word here. Theoretically yes, as long as our international entrepreneurs can make clear that their studies will still come first.

Here, as we are talking about very specific aspects, every case must be seen individually. Startup Campus can help prepare them for their meeting with the foreign authority as well.

And of course, the foreign authority has the last word

Yes, absolutely. It always comes down to if they authorize it or not. But as I said before, we can guide participants through all this process, increase their chances. And if the answer is a no, hey… we’ll figure out another strategy and try again!

Is there any last advice or recommendations you have for international students?

Just try. Come, bring your ideas. That´s all you need to start. There is no dream too big or too small. And if you don´t have a “breakthrough idea” but you have the will, come and consult us.

More information, contact details and short introduction videos can be found on the Startup Campus website.

Ayelen Toscano Juanes • 30.07.2021

Some people prefer to learn German by watching movies or tv shows, but for others, books and reading materials are the best tools.

If you belong to this second group, here we leave you a list of amazing books written originally in German and/or by German-native authors, to practice and better your skills.

Some of them are learning literature books (normal stories adapted by certain publishers so beginner students can understand them easily), but the most advanced ones are simple reading recommendations.

Some of these books have been recommended to us by our German students here on campus, other by international students that read them as part of their learning path; and other just recommendations from various sites (references below!)

We certainly hope you find one that suits you!

Further recommendations on this topic

• Although books and reading can be an exciting, new way to learn a language, not all of us have time or money for this. If this is your problem, then audiobooks might be your solution. 
  Audio books will help you develop your listening skills instead of reading ones; but you will still learn new vocabulary and grammar in a fun and different way. Moreover, audiobooks tend to be cheaper (or even free!) when compared to normal books. If you have long commutes between work/ uni and your home, this might just be the perfect opportunity.
  Spotify has tons of audiobooks you can listen to for free.

• Let´s go back to the libraries! Libraries in Germany have amazing book collections, and something it´s possible to ask for borrowing a book from another library (if your local one provides this)
  If you want cheap reading materials, the state library in your town or city is a very reliable source. 

Ayelen Toscano Juanes • 09.07.2021

One of the most difficult, frustrating aspects of researching can be trying to access and read scientific sources without spending the whole semester´s budget on them.

Therefore, today we are talking about scientific sources, where to find them, and how to access them.

First, what search engine/databases should I use for scientific sources?

If you are just starting your paper or thesis and you don´t know where to start, Google Scholar and the THD´s OPAC system are always two very good options.

Google scholar is an extension of the same-old google searcher we all know and love. You can just type “google scholar” in your browser and it will direct you to a separate search engine of google, one that only searches for valid, scientific sources (sorry Wikipedia!).

Here you can just type your search (preferably: short, concise, try to go to the point and not write full questions or sentences in the search engine) and Google Scholar will give you a lot of entries on the topic, such as regular Google.

One question remains is: Is google scholar safe?

Well, yes and no. Google scholar will only give you entries which are academically valid, but it is up to you to check those sources and interpretate what type of content that is. It will not give Wikipedia or Newspaper articles as options, such as books and bachelor´s or master´s thesis.

What other types of search engines do we have?

Although it is not a search engine, the OPAC system at the library provides good and reliable material on all subjects related to THD study courses.

If you are using it from home, you will have to connect with your VPN connection; and then you can just search by topic, title, language, and other criteria.

Okay, I´ve already found some journals or sources which interest me, but all the options I find I must pay… how can I solve this?

Copyright and author´s right are a very important thing in the academic world. Nevertheless, there are some authors who willingly publish their work only, free of charge. Research Gate and ScienceDirect are some of the largest scientific source’s databases, and here you can find many papers free of charge, as the authors have published them intentionally. In ResearchGate, you can also send a “request” to the author/authors and ask them to send the material only to you. You can write a short explanation on why the source is important to you and mentioning that you are a student might help.

Personally, I have done this many times and researchers answered in a positive way, sending me the required articles.

Be careful: have in mind that the researchers are sending these articles for you, and only for you. Sharing, printing, or distributing them would be a breach in the copyright law and, therefore, an infraction. Do not share content with anybody or distribute it without the author´s consent.

THD has access to some online databases, such as ScienceDirect or Web of Science; although not to all publications. To check the list of online databases available, visit https://www.th-deg.de/en/students/library#databases

I still haven´t found what I am looking for… what other alternatives are there?

If you still haven´t been able to access the journal or research you are looking for, there might be some other alternatives available.

JSTOR, another online database, lets you read up 100 articles online for free, though you have to pay for downloading them. PubMed allows you to search for papers online and, in some cases, read the abstract (including methodology and results) free of charge.

Google books is another option if you are searching for a book rather than a journal and don´t have access to it/can´t buy it. It will let you read some parts of the book free of charge and remember you still must cite it.

Lastly, you can always consider the Library´s interlibrary loan , in which literature that isn´t available at the library can be borrowed from other libraries.

Ayelen Toscano Juanes • 30.06.2021