BauFaK
The BauFaK, or Civil Engineering Student Associations Conference, is a biannual meeting of (almost) all civil engineering student associations in the German-speaking region.
During this conference, important university-related and student issues that affect many or all civil engineering students are discussed. The hosting student association also organizes many great events to network with the participants.
At the end of the multi-day conference, which includes various plenary sessions and numerous working groups, there are not only about 200 exhausted (and sometimes hungover) students, but also position papers and recommendations that are taken into account by nationwide university committees. These contributions help ensure a unified stance among student bodies across different universities.
Here you can find some outcomes from previous BauFaKs:
The 100th BauFaK from the Perspective of Civil Engineering Students at TUM
The Student Association (BGU) at the Technical University of Munich proudly participated in the 100th BauFaK (Civil Engineering Student Associations Conference) in June 2023. The BGU has benefited greatly from the regular participation in previous BauFaK conferences.
Our primary reasons for attending the 100th BauFaK include the excellent networking opportunities and the chance to meet students from various universities and institutions. Additionally, we wanted to actively engage in important topics discussed in working groups and World Cafés. Furthermore, many new students at the BGU were interested in the BauFaK and in driving changes in their studies and future careers.
Key topics that caught our attention at the BauFaK include sustainability in connection with teaching sustainability in civil engineering. This issue is extremely important to us as we aim to protect our planet and preserve it for future generations. On the other hand, increasing the number of students in civil engineering is necessary to achieve this goal. The organizers of the 100th BauFaK posed an amusing guiding question: “How to make civil engineering sexy again?”
We also want to extend a big thank you to the VBI, who served as the main sponsor. On the first evening, we gained valuable insights into what the VBI stands for and its goals through a panel discussion.
Finally, we would like to pass on a request from the students to the industry:
To increase the attractiveness of the profession and consequently the study program, aspects such as flexibility in the job, better collaboration with related industries, and fair compensation should be addressed.
Nevertheless, we are extremely excited about starting our careers in civil engineering after successfully completing our studies.
The Student Association (BGU) at TUM
Authors: Marlene Willadt, Adrian Benesch