Alumni Day 2026

Insights, Inspiration, and Real-World Experience

The Alumni Day of the Biotechnology & Food Engineering program has long been an established event at MCI. This year, once again, the format offered students an engaging and inspiring afternoon.

Following welcoming remarks by Prof. Katrin Bach and Prof. Christoph Griesbeck, the event opened with a keynote address by Mag. Brigitte Huter, Head of the Student & Career Center.

Under the theme “Inspiration for a Successful Career Start”, she offered valuable insights and practical advice on navigating the transition from academia to the professional world.

This was followed by presentations from four graduates of the master’s programs in Biotechnology and Food Technology & Nutrition, who shared their personal career journeys:

• Carina Kurz – Regional Procurement Quality, EU Regulatory Affairs & Quality Management Expert, AGRANA Fruit Services GmbH

• Nadine Nuschele – PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Immunology, Technical University of Munich

• Franziska Birkenmaier – Project Manager for Development & Application and food startup founder, MILLEI GmbH, Leutkirch

• Julia Kiechl – Head of Quality Operations, Single Use Support GmbH

Graduates with diverse professional backgrounds were intentionally invited to provide students with a wide range of perspectives. Their experiences clearly showed that career paths are rarely linear, which can open up many exciting opportunities.

The speakers spoke openly about challenges, turning points, and key decisions along their professional journeys. They also reflected on which courses and subjects had particularly prepared them for their current roles. Many noted that they now work in fields they had not originally imagined for themselves.

The numerous questions from the audience highlighted the students’ strong interest and led to a lively exchange.

The speakers themselves also looked back on the event very positively. One participant commented:

“It was an honor for me to participate in the Alumni Day, and I truly enjoyed it – it was great to see how engaged and interested the students were that afternoon.”

“I really enjoyed the afternoon, and it was wonderful to see how many exciting questions and conversations emerged.”