From Classroom to Career: MAI Alumni meeting 2025
On Thursday, December 11, 2025, CAIRO had the great pleasure of hosting the very first MAI Alumni meeting. Around 30 former and senior students of our Master’s program in Artificial Intelligence (MAI) came together to reconnect, share their post-MAI life stories, catch up on where their fellow students are today, learn about recent developments in the MAI program, and reflect on how their studies have supported their career paths so far.
The evening began with a welcome and a short retrospective by Prof. Dr. Pascal Meißner, Co-Director of the MAI program. He highlighted the program’s journey over the past four years and the changes in both content and structure since its launch. A key factor in this development has been the growth of the CAIRO research institute. The Master’s program in AI is a study program of the Faculty of Computer Science and Business Information Systems (FIW) at THWS but is primarily coordinated and shaped by the research professors of CAIRO. What started in 2022 with a single professor, Prof. Dr. Magda Gregorová, has grown into a team of eight professors who now contribute courses and supervise students across a broad range of AI-related fields.
This was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Prof. Dr. Gregorová. Alumni panelists Gokul Perumbayil Vijayakrishnan, Mahesh Saravanan, and Tharun Kumar Korine Palli shared their personal perspectives on entering the German job market as international graduates. They were joined by company representatives Gunther Schorcht (green spin GmbH) and Lothar Pfeuffer (PFEUFFER GmbH), who contributed practical takeaways from an employer’s point of view. Several key recommendations emerged from the discussion: learning German remains essential, active networking makes a real difference, and demonstrating skills through concrete project experience is crucial. One particularly important, though more subtle, point was emphasized: integration into the German community should not only be professional, but also social. Informal networks and mouth-to-ear channels often play a significant role. Joining leisure or professional associations (Vereine) can be a great first step, with the IWInet alumni network of the FIW faculty at THWS mentioned as one possible starting point.
The conversation also addressed challenges many international MAI students face, including the need for financial security and independence early on during their studies with their non-German families not having the financial means to support their life and studies in Europe; the related difficulties of balancing their time between MAI studies, German courses, work and free-time networking activities; or the time-pressure and administrative complications related to the job-seekers visa. At the same time, the panelists highlighted clear strengths and opportunities of the MAI students: their strong technical skills are highly valued by companies, their ability to adapt and eagerness to learn makes them flexible employees, their excellent English language skills support greatly the international business. Some perhaps less obvious opportunities to keep in mind have also been brought up: many successful companies have their base outside Würzburg, such as those gathered within the TTZ-Kitzingen; for those interested in the start-up ecosystem, the activities of the TGZ Würzburg might be of interest.
As the evening continued in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere with light food and drinks, informal conversations deepened the exchange. Alumni and senior students expressed strong appreciation for the continuous improvement of the MAI program. Interestingly, many advocated for even stronger technical requirements to further enhance graduates’ competitiveness in the job market. In particular, Cloud integration and MLOps have been stressed out as a concrete expertise gap in the current program. We are pleased to have recognized this need early and hope to cover this soon through a new “Professorship for AI Infrastructure” currently being recruited.
Overall, we are glad to have been able to facilitate this first MAI Alumni Meeting and the open exchange of experiences and ideas it inspired. Our alumni and senior students clearly value the opportunities the MAI program provides. They are eager to succeed in the German job market and are ready to build their future in the region. Their paths may differ – some are socially very active and already well integrated, fluent in German, and professionally established; others face greater challenges, including financial constraints or personal circumstances – but they share a common goal: They are dedicated to pursuing their dream of living in a free, peaceful, and democratic environment; one that allows them to build a fulfilling future with financial security and stability. At THWS, FIW, CAIRO and within the MAI program, we remain committed to supporting them on this journey.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Magda Gregorová
FIW - Faculty Computer Science and Business Information Systems
CAIRO - Center for Artificial Intelligence