Barbara Kramer-Meltsch, Managing Director of the alumni network alumni FH Burgenland, opened the exciting live talk with this quote from Mark Twain and thus immediately introduced the topic of "Improving the world". As part of the new series of events, committed alumni were once again brought to the virtual podium, who sometimes take steps to tread rocky paths and put themselves at the service of a good cause. They spoke about their careers, their motivation, what motivates them and how important it is to be able to set yourself apart.
As a long-standing Burgenland Heute presenter and journalist, Melanie Balaskovics is particularly well known in Burgenland. During her studies at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, she was involved in a lot of pioneering work. She was enrolled on the first year of the International Business Relations diploma programme and later also took part in the first year of the International Wine Marketing Master's programme. Even though she originally wanted to take a different path with her business degree, Melanie Berlascovics initially ended up in a completely different field by chance in her younger years:
The FH Burgenland is actually to blame for the fact that I ended up at ORF Burgenland. In the semester before last, we had a seminar on media work with the editor-in-chief at the time. At the end of the semester, he asked me if I would like to work at ORF. I said yes and stayed longer than expected.
Melanie Balascovics, designated Director of Caritas Burgenland
She didn't initially expect to be "stuck" there for over 23 years, she says. Now it's time for something new so that she can utilise her skills in a different area. During her time at ORF, she was already leaning more and more towards social work, which she is now trying to put into practice in her new position. In the course of the year, she will be taking over the job of Head of Caritas Burgenland, is currently in a very intensive familiarisation phase and is already very much looking forward to this task. In any case, she is no stranger to social commitment, as she has been involved in the ORF's Light into Darkness programme for the past four years. This work ultimately strengthened her idea of realising herself in this area.
"I got caught up in it and at some point you just realise, ok, now you're where you actually belong. And the more I travelled for Licht ins Dunkel as a journalist in social institutions and got to know the field better and better, I realised that the time had come. Now you go and throw yourself into the area that the heart dictates," she says. The cooperation with students from the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences at Licht ins Dunkel, where she worked with motivated students from the bachelor's degree programme in Information, Media and Communication, was another incentive for her to try something new and do something new.
Carina Hörting also appreciates the importance of a smile. She quickly realised that she wanted to dedicate her career to the well-being of people. It is not without reason that she completed a Bachelor's degree in Health Management and Health Promotion and two Master's programmes in Integrated Care ManagementandHuman Resource Management . The Burgenland University of Applied Sciences also laid the first stone for her professional career. During the course with the Managing Director of GGZ as a lecturer, she knew that she wanted to pursue her career there. In her position, it is important for Carina Hörting to know what concerns and wishes her nursing staff have. This enables staffing concepts to be set up correctly, which ultimately achieve the desired effects. This was also demonstrated by her commitment last spring when Corona arrived at the care homes. She personally lent a hand to relieve her colleagues.
Last spring, the coronavirus pandemic meant that our carers were "in need". I personally volunteered to help out directly in the care department and went to a residential home to make beds, go for walks with residents and have conversations, as visits were unfortunately not possible.
Carina Hörting, Head of Human Resources Geriatric Health Centres of the City of Graz
Other colleagues in the administration did the same and provided support wherever possible.
Daniel Novak completed the very first year of the Bachelor's degree programme in Social Work, which started in 2014. He decided to specialise in child and youth welfare, which is still part of his area of responsibility today. Even though he currently acts more as a head office in his position, is responsible for organisational and structural matters and is also in a supervisory role, he is in close contact with many social workers and knows their worries and needs.
For me, social commitment was one of the primary reasons why I chose the degree programme back then. Standing up for others makes a difference, is worth a lot and is becoming increasingly important in our society.
Daniel Novak, social worker in child and youth welfare at the Office of the Burgenland Provincial Government
He has the feeling that people are polarising more and more, i.e. thinking in black and white. This view is problematic, as it makes it difficult to have differentiated discussions on socially critical political issues, explains Daniel Novak. "That's why social engagement for marginalised cultural and religious groups and for people who need support will become all the more important in the near future."
As President and co-founder of the FH Burgenland alumni association, Kathrin Renz still has close ties with FH Burgenland. As a self-confessed optimist, she loves connecting people from different spheres and areas of interest and bringing them into contact with each other.
Above all, I have gained a lot of technical expertise from my studies. Especially in my field, energy and environmental management and building services engineering. The Burgenland University of Applied Sciences offers a very good starting point for laying the foundations for further education and training in this field and developing this knowledge further in my professional life.
Kathrin Renz, Head of the Office of the Secretary-General at the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology
As a graduate of the Energy and Environmental Management degree programme at the Burgenland University of Applied Sciences, she is now contributing her expertise to the Ministry of Climate Protection. For her, sustainability and social commitment means above all taking responsibility. "Taking responsibility in our interactions with one another, but also in our own sphere of influence, both privately and professionally. Wherever you have the opportunity, you should take an active look and try to make your contribution in order to perhaps change something." When talking about sustainability in practice, there are usually three areas that should be considered in combination: not only the ecological aspects, but also the economic side and the social aspect, she explains. "A good balance between the three pillars is very important in the area of sustainability."
The fact that it is important to all four alumni to work sustainably and optimistically on our future and to stick together was demonstrated very authentically and sympathetically in a joint discussion round with the following questions:
To summarise, it became clear:
Whether for climate protection or for the social sector - in the end, it is always important not to give up and to pursue your goals and visions. It is essential to engage with each other and talk to each other so that solution-orientated approaches can be found and the best possible decisions can be made. It is also essential to treat each other with respect, love and appreciation.
At the end, our alumni gave us a few tips:
With so much positivity, we can only look to the future with motivation and confidence. In any case, we are already looking forward to the next Alumni Talk ;)
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