Between the pandemic and the AI revolution: ESB students embark on their professional careers
On Saturday, the traditional hat-throwing ceremony marked the completion of their studies at ESB Business School, the business faculty of Reutlingen University. During the ceremony at Reutlingen Town Hall, the graduates reflected on their time as students, which was characterised by global crises and technological disruption. In his speech, ESB alumnus Maximilian Lachnit, CEO of the Transline Group, emphasised, 'The future belongs to those who take responsibility and remain curious.'
Two and a half years ago, Lachnit received a call from a private equity investor asking if he would be interested in taking over the management of a Reutlingen-based translation company with 130 employees. "I was 35, had little management experience, and DeepL and ChatGPT were fundamentally changing the industry," he said. After a brief period of consideration, he accepted. Today, Lachnit is successfully leading the Transline Group through this period of change. The methods he learned during his studies are more valuable than ever before. His advice to the new alumni is as follows: ‘The future does not belong to AI. “It belongs to those who use it wisely, who remain curious, make decisions and take responsibility.”
Prof. Dr. Markus Conrads, Dean of the ESB Business School, also expressed his confidence in the potential of the graduating class. ‘We are proud of you,’ he told them in his laudatory speech. With a wink, he added, 'What you have learned during your studies is ideal theory — reality looks different.'
'Studying at ESB is very practical,' said MBA graduate Jonas Weingärtner by contrast. In his reflection on his time at ESB, he praised the professors and compared the certificate he had been presented with to a train ticket. Departure: Departure: ESB; Arrival: the future – largely uncertain. But that is precisely where the opportunity lies: ‘We can determine the direction ourselves.’
Bachelor's graduates Paul-Philip Buczek and Ignacio Arregui Lesser recalled starting their studies in the middle of the pandemic, with Zoom lectures instead of in-person teaching. In their second year, they came into contact with ChatGPT for the first time: 'This thank-you speech was even inspired by it.'
Reutlingen's mayor, Thomas Keck, praised ESB Business School as a 'beacon and a great asset for the city'. He quoted the philosopher Plutarch in praise of the faculty's educational work: ‘The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but wood to be set on fire.’ The future lies in the hands of the graduates, perhaps even in Reutlingen.
The festive ceremony, which featured musical interludes and was attended by around 720 guests, culminated in the traditional hat throwing. ‘This marks the end of your time as students, but not your connection to ESB,’ said Dean Conrads in his closing remarks. As a lawyer, he pleaded with a wink: ‘Life sentence.’
