This immediately put a damper on the freshmen and one or the other was certainly shocked by this statement. Thorsten Steinhübel was initially annoyed, but was only spurred on by this and wanted to prove to himself and the lecturer that you can also find a good job as an oecotrophologist. His then lecturer in the field of microbiology was formative during his studies. With his enthusiasm for microorganisms and his lively presentation, he awakened Thorsten Steinhübel's enthusiasm for the "little things" in life. And so this was not just a focus in his studies, but the subject of microbiology runs like a thread through his professional life. He particularly appreciated the strong practical orientation during his studies and the fact that the lecturers had experience in the "real" economy. This practical orientation in turn facilitated Thorsten Steinhuebel's entry into his internship and also into the working world. Experiences and knowledge from laboratory internships and microbiology were not gray theory, but found their implementation and application. "That was a great feeling!" he recalls. The abstract and theoretical approach of HACCP (English for "hazard analysis and critical control points") was also made clear by the vivid description from Prof. Wittig's everyday professional life and illustrated by the example of the problem of germs in cream with subsequent failed experiments and solutions to the problem (keyword: drying the hoses). For Thorsten Steinhübel, the school-based form of the course was a relief. The structured and fully planned week is not necessarily associated with "typical" student life. But that didn't really come up for him either. Many students commuted daily and did not live locally, and the pub culture in Mönchengladbach was not as attractive as the offerings of neighboring metropolises. But compared to other college and university cities, the Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences has the decisive advantage of not being too big, so that all courses could be taken as desired, you always got support and personal contact with the lecturers was also given. The lab practicals in chemistry were more problematic, with experiments that went wrong and unexpected deflagration reactions that made one wonder why the students kept their hair. Thorsten Steinhübel swears that he has read every (instruction) manual since that time. The question remains whether the prophecy of the business administration lecturer has come true and there would be no jobs in the field of oecotrophology. Smiling, he refers to his curriculum vitae. Today, Thorsten Steinhübel is Managing Director of TÜV SÜD Food Safety Institute GmbH, a service provider in the field of food safety, hygiene, quality management and HACCP.
