Saxony’s top livestock farmer is studying Biotechnology

Ms Dutsch, you’ve turned your passion for animals and biology into a career. When did you decide to do that?

Alexandra Dutsch: In my family, our pets instilled in me a sense of responsibility from an early age, which had a profound influence on me. My enthusiasm for biology came more from school. That’s why I knew I wanted to do something that combined my love of animals and biology.

But you didn’t start your degree in Mittweida straight after leaving school, did you?

Dutsch: No, originally I wanted to study veterinary medicine. But after my A-levels in 2019, I didn’t want to go straight to university. My connection with animals was still very important to me, so I first completed a three-year apprenticeship as an animal husbandry specialist. When I started looking into what I might do next, I eventually ended up at the Open Campus Day (Studieninformationstag) at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences. At the time, it was held online because of the pandemic. After that, I’d made up my mind that I wanted to study Biotechnology here.

What have you particularly appreciated about your studies in Mittweida so far?

Dutsch: As I’m from Limbach-Oberfrohna, being close to home is definitely a factor. I’d moved to Leipzig back then for my training.

Something else I’ve noticed is that in Mittweida, friendships form right from the start; you have a completely different rapport with your fellow students. The lecturers also place great importance on knowing our names and fostering a personal relationship with the students. At other universities, there are far more students who don’t know each other at all. It’s definitely different here.

What career prospects does the degree you’re aiming for at HSMW offer?

Dutsch: In agriculture, for example, there are sectors that deal with genetic diagnostics and editing of seeds or animals, with a view to breeding for greater productivity or climate resilience. You can also work in quality assurance for various certification bodies. And, of course, the medical field is also an option – where the focus is on vaccines, medical devices and many other areas, amongst other things. There’s a wide range of career prospects to choose from.