Interview with Teodora Marinova
"I want to be a driver and shaper of positive development in my home country!"
The internationalization of the economy and society as well as international exchange is a prerequisite for innovation and progress. Direct experience with international students, young academics and researchers stimulates the WiSo Faculty's diverse international relationships and collaborations. Teodora Marinova is an alumna of our WiSo Faculty. Her Master's in Marketing was made possible by the ERP scholarship program - initiated by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). We asked her, among other things, how her path led her from Bulgaria to Cologne, to what extent her marketing studies prepared her for professional life and who or what inspires her and why. Ms Marinova, how did you end up in Cologne, at the WiSo Faculty?I gained my first impressions of the University of Cologne during my Bachelor's degree at the Faculty of Economics at St. Kliment Ohridski University in Sofia. It was a bilingual business administration program, in German and Bulgarian. The program was based on a cooperation between the WiSo Faculty of the University of Cologne and St. Kliment Ohridski University Sofia. As guest lecturers, professors from the University of Cologne, such as Prof. Dr. Ralph Anderegg and Prof. Dr. Müller-Hagedorn, held courses in Sofia. This academic partnership drew my attention to the WiSo Faculty and motivated me to pursue my Master's degree in Cologne. I also really wanted to deepen my studies in the field of marketing. The WiSo Faculty had the right range of courses and offered the opportunity to choose marketing as a major in the Master's program and thus obtain a targeted qualification. It was also decisive for me that the WiSo Faculty has a broad network of corporate partners. To what extent did your studies prepare you for your professional life?
The Master's program at the WiSo Faculty is very well geared towards practice. It provides the necessary theoretical basis for the profession. What I find to be a particularly good experience are the courses in the form of practical seminars in cooperation with companies.
I personally took part in such events in partnership with Beiersdorf, Henkel and L'Oréal. This gave me the opportunity to work on real business cases as part of the study program and also to make useful contacts with the companies. Why did you return to your home country Bulgaria after your studies?
Academic exchange with developed countries such as Germany - where graduates return home as highly qualified specialists after completing their studies - is a good way to achieve economic and social progress. My home country Bulgaria is a beautiful, small country that is one of the less developed countries in Europe. However, Bulgaria has an incredible amount of development potential. On my return, I would like to be one of the drivers and shapers of positive development in my home country. What are your three tips for our students?
In general, I would advise students to be entrepreneurial, actively seek out information and opportunities and make active use of them. I think it is advisable:
Firstly, to complete at least one internship during your studies to see how what you have learned is put into practice.
Secondly, to plan a stay abroad, either in the form of a semester abroad or an internship abroad. Any international experience broadens our horizons and provides invaluable experience.
Thirdly, I think it's important to be socially active and participate in various initiatives and student organizations. You get useful information, you exchange ideas and experience with like-minded people and you make contacts with fellow students who could become your work colleagues or even business partners in the future. My conclusion: everyone is the designer of their own studies and it's up to us to make the most of it. Who or what inspires you and why?
One inspiring person for me is the entrepreneur Elon Musk, founder of PayPal, SolarCity, Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Musk had his own vision of which spheres will have the greatest impact on the world of tomorrow and he invests in all of these fields: Internet, renewable energy, artificial intelligence and space exploration. He has always dreamed big and has revolutionary ideas, including making life on Mars possible. People like that drive innovation and help decide the future of humanity. I find it inspiring how Musk pursued his dreams even when he was almost broke. His story shows that there are no limits to our goals and dreams if we are guided by optimism and persistence. Thank you for the interview!