🌄 Ferienakademie 2025 – A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience in South Tyrol 🇮🇹

Just returned from an incredible 2-week journey as a participant of #Ferienakademie 2025, a prestigious summer school jointly organized by Technical University of Munich (TUM), FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg, and University of Stuttgart — held in the stunning Sarntal Valley, South Tyrol, Italy.

Here’s a glimpse into this unforgettable adventure 👇

🗓️ My Experience – Week by Week Highlights

🚍 Day 1 – The Journey Begins

We started early morning as a group from all three universities, travelling together by bus to Sarntal and arriving by evening. After settling into our rooms and meeting our roommates, we had a welcome kickoff session by the professors and course coordinators.

✨ Our team won the Ice-Breaker Challenge, performing better than many previous years — a fantastic start to the program!

💼 Day 2 – Getting into the Flow

The introduction event covered Scrum, Agile methodology, and the overall project workflow. We also had a requirements session from Linova Software GmbH and Siemens Healthineers. I felt privileged to be part of the Linova team, working on a real-world challenge from industry.

🧠 Days 3–6 – Project Work Begins

We dove into project planning, architecture design, and component development. Working alongside an amazing team — Felix Kock, Isabel Zeir, Salman Salim, Alejandro, Volodymyr, Monica, and Jonas — was a rewarding experience. Despite the rainy weather in Sarentino, we kept our spirits high with short walks to enjoy nature while eagerly waiting for the hikes to start.

One of the most exciting moments was the Design Review, where we prepared a movie-style trailer for our product requirements — a creative and unique experience! 🍿

🥾 Midweek – First Hike & Cultural Immersion

We embarked on a 2–3 hour introductory hike, which was actually my first-ever hike in Germany 🏞️. Even though I’m not a hiking person, it turned out to be an unforgettable experience. The hospitality was exceptional — from delicious meals to warm interactions with everyone involved.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t join the full-day hike due to health issues for a few days, but the support and encouragement from everyone around made a huge difference.

🌆 Weekend – Exploration & Local Traditions

We spent a full day exploring Bolzano, discovering its history, culture, and charm. In the evening, we attended a traditional local event and learned about the fascinating history of the Sarentino valley.

💡 Final Days – Inspiration & Presentation

In the final stretch, we were visited by Andreas Lohr (CEO of Linova), who shared his entrepreneurial journey and inspired us with his vision and leadership.

Our final presentation was truly special — we combined role-play, GenAI, software development, system design, and even drone technology to showcase our solution. The professors were deeply impressed — in fact, they shared that our presentation was “the best they had seen in 25 years of Ferienakademie” 🎉

💭 Reflections

These two weeks were far more than just a summer school. It was about innovation, teamwork, cultural exchange, and personal growth. I learned to collaborate across disciplines, think creatively under real-world constraints, and explore new technologies while building lasting friendships.

From early morning coding sessions overlooking the Alpine peaks to evening discussions about technology and life, every moment was a learning experience. The blend of technical challenges and natural beauty created the perfect environment for creativity and collaboration.

🎤 Special thanks to Prof. Bernd Brügge, Leander Pfeiffer, Ruth, and Felix Mahr for their continuous motivation, guidance, and for creating such a transformative platform.

I return from #Ferienakademie not just with new skills — but with unforgettable memories and inspiration for the future. Already looking forward to the next one! 🚀

✍️ Written by Satya
🎓 M.Sc. Electrical Engineering, University of Stuttgart