Mexican Day of the Dead celebrations at TH Mannheim
November 3, 2025
The Day of the Dead – Dia de los Muertos – is one of the most important Mexican holidays.
A group of approximately 20 Mexican students TH Mannheim prepared an exhibition on this topic on November 3, 2025, under the organizational leadership of Mr. Jorge Rojas Dominguez (Co-Coordinator of DHIK Mexico and International Degree-seeking Coordinator) and the International Office.
The official opening was conducted by Prof. M. Hafner (Vice President for Research, Transfer & International Affairs), Ms. A. Müller (Head of the International Office), and Mr. Rojas Dominguez.
The tradition is based on the belief that the souls of the deceased are not lost, as they are omnipresent and can communicate with the living. Once a year, they return from the afterlife and celebrate with the living in a joyful and colorful festival with music, dance, and special foods. The altar, which is set up in homes, public squares, and schools, plays a particularly important role in this custom. It is meant to welcome the dead with its offerings, and photos serve as a reminder of the deceased.
With great attention to detail, our Mexican students informed visitors about:
• the history of the tradition
• regional specialties of the celebrations
• the structure and meaning of the altar
• La Catrina – symbol of the holiday
• special foods, drinks, and sweets
Visitors were also able to sample Pan de Muertos, guacamole, meat-filled tortillas, juices, and sweets.
The exhibition can be visited until November 5, 2025, in the foyer of Building H.
Technical degree programs at TH Mannheim achieve top rankings in the CHE university ranking
May 8, 2025
In the current CHE university ranking, published today in the ZEIT Study Guide 2025/26 and on www.heystudium.de, six bachelor's degree programs at TH Mannheim were re-evaluated: Biotechnology, Electrical Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, and Process Engineering. They all achieved top rankings both in student ratings and in the facts about teaching and research.
The average student rating for all six degree programs is 4.3 out of 5 stars.
In terms of the factual criteria, five of the six degree programs also achieved top rankings for support at the beginning of their studies. Four of the six are also in the top group for professional experience, and three are in the top group for graduation in a reasonable time.
"I am very pleased with the excellent performance of our technical degree programs in the current CHE ranking – it confirms our commitment to not only providing students with excellent technical training, but also to providing them with individual support from the very beginning and strengthening their practical relevance early on," says Prof. Dr. Klaus Beck, Vice Rector for Academic Affairs, Teaching and Sustainability. "This result is a tremendous endorsement of the commitment of our faculty and the consistent development of our teaching and learning offerings."
New VIP project started in cooperation with SAP at TH Mannheim
At TH Mannheim the new Virtual Innovation Player (VIP) project “Developing Strategic Business Opportunities” has been launched. Around 20 students from bachelor's and master's programs from all departments work in interdisciplinary teams together with SAP SE on the topic "The Future of Innovation: Empowering Ecosystems by Scaling Enablement & Adoption". The aim is to develop practical solutions and strategic growth options for SAP.
The kick-off took place on September 25, 2025 in the MARS Space at TH Mannheim and was accompanied by representatives of the SAP Experience Garage - a collaborative environment in which SAP employees experiment and develop prototypes. The project runs throughout the semester until January 15, 2026. Weekly appointments on two days are supplemented by coaching, tutorials and practical field studies.
The students develop concrete suggestions for how innovations can be used and scaled in the long term and present their results at a strategy meeting at the end of the semester.
The VIP project offers students the opportunity to learn realistically, think strategically and take responsibility. At the same time, companies benefit from new ideas, practical prototypes, strategic recommendations for action and the early identification of potential young talent.
The project is led by Prof. Dr. Stephan Altmann carried out and recognized as coursework.
Successful 2nd CareerSprint for medium-sized companies at TH Mannheim
Wednesday, October 15, 2025, the CareerSprint Mittelstand career fair took place for the second time on the campus of TH Mannheim - a compact event that offers students the opportunity to get to know medium-sized companies from the region directly.
“I made contacts at the last trade fair and now learned a few cool things and inside information,” says Celine, a chemical engineering student in the Faculty of Process and Chemical Engineering.
15 exciting employers from various technical sectors presented themselves in Building H. They not only presented their entry and career opportunities, but also offered concrete offers for working student positions, internships and theses.
The visitors particularly appreciated the personal exchange at eye level: many companies had young employees on site who had recently completed their studies themselves - often at the TH Mannheim. This resulted in authentic conversations and practical insights into everyday working life. One of the numerous alumni and young professionals present said that, looking back, the course was characterized by its high quality. He also managed to get started professionally – and found a suitable position.
The compact format of the CareerSprint Mittelstand is implemented in cooperation with the Association of Friends (VdF), the Economic and Structural Development of the City of Mannheim and TH Mannheim and enables intensive networking in a relaxed atmosphere - directly on campus and without long distances. This year's event once again showed how diverse and attractive the career opportunities in medium-sized companies are.