Prof. Dr. Manfred Walser was appointed to the School of Business at Mainz University of Applied Sciences in March 2022 and teaches employment law and private business law
What prompted you to switch to Mainz University of Applied Sciences?
There is a lot of change happening at Mainz University of Applied Sciences right now, and a whole variety of new young faculty members have recently joined the university. That’s a great dynamic, and there are a lot of exciting and new things are emerging, particularly in the combination with the functioning established structures and experienced faculty.
But what primarily attracted me was the fact that the university also focuses on the field of law –something that is not a given at universities. While at many universities employment law in particular – despite its enormous relevance for practitioners – is being reduced rather than expanded, Mainz University of Applied Sciences not “only” offers a great bachelor’s degree program in business law, it also offers students the chance to complete a master’s degree in employment law. As an employment law specialist, I am of course thrilled to be able to teach in such an environment.
Last but not least, I have been living across the river in Wiesbaden for several years and can now ride my bike across the Rhine to the university. At my last job at Bremen University of Applied Sciences, I had to commute five hours each way by train. Apart from the appeal in terms of content, that’s a significant improvement in my quality of life.
What do you find most appealing about your new position?
In addition to the aspects I’ve already mentioned, it’s the combination of research and teaching that makes working at the university so exciting. Then there is the high degree of freedom that you have. You decide for yourself which topics are important, worth researching, and worth teaching.
Moreover, after my first semester at Mainz University of Applied Sciences, I am impressed by how committed the students are, the high level of motivation and the exciting practical backgrounds they have. Incidentally, this also applies to my colleagues at the university. That makes work fun!
What topic would you like to exchange ideas with students on in a casual setting?
As exciting as law and employment law are, they are not really ideal for a casual conversation. Other topics are more suitable: I like to go to the stadium sometimes – although I have to admit, even though we work within sight of the soccer stadium of 05, I especially go to games when FC St. Pauli or Werder Bremen play in the region. Other recreational activities also provide better topics of conversation outside of the university than the law does: I like to go snowboarding, mountain biking, climbing, and paragliding, for example.
On the other hand, I always find it very exciting to get to know the diverse backgrounds of our students and their motivations for studying at our university.
