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Unit 3: Essential WU Institutions

More than just places with long German names.

So, WU isn’t just lectures and Canvas deadlines. Behind the scenes, there are a few key institutions that can seriously level up your uni life, if you know they exist.

Let’s break them down:

🚀 The WU Entrepreneurship Center​

This is where all the future founders hang out (or at least pretend to).

You’ve got an app idea? A side hustle? A secret plan to build “the next big thing”? This is your place.

They offer:

✅ Workshops and coaching to turn ideas into actual businesses
✅ Pitch events where you can impress investors and get free pizza
✅ A network of alumni who’ve been there, done that

Basically, if you’ve ever thought “I kinda wanna start something”, don’t wait until your Master’s. Start snooping around here. Most people start with the Skills Academy.

🧠 WU Institutes (a.k.a. SBWL Headquarters)​

Here’s a little secret: most SBWLs (specializations) have their own institute.

  • Entrepreneurship? Head to E&I.
  • Consulting & Management? That’s IfU.
  • Other SBWLs? WU offers plenty of different specializations. Each is worth 20 ECTS in your studies, so your choice matters. We'll go deeper into when they get important in Unit 6.

These institutes aren’t just academic bunkers, they’re where you’ll:

✅ Meet profs who might supervise your Bachelor thesis
✅ Find tutoring or student assistant jobs (yes, paid)
✅ Hear about real projects with companies

Melanie started as a student assistant at E&I in her second year. Nils didn’t even know what an institute was until Semester 4. Guess who’s got a killer CV now?

🎓 The Career Center (ZBP)​

Think of this as WU’s own LinkedIn, but with less cringe.

It’s most relevant later in your studies, when you’re:

✅ Hunting internships
✅ Prepping your first job applications
✅ Or practicing how to sound professional when saying “I’m passionate about… whatever you’re hiring for”

Also worth checking out: their job fairs and CV-checks. Even Nils admits they helped him make his résumé look less like a high-school group project.

🌍 The International Office (LC 4th floor)​

Dream of studying in Singapore? Or doing a summer program in Barcelona? This is your HQ.

They handle:

✅ Erasmus & other exchange programs
✅ Getting credits for internships or summer schools abroad
✅ Info events that make all the paperwork sound (almost) doable

Melanie popped in during Semester 3 and had her Florida exchange locked down by Semester 5. Nils… is still wondering if Erasmus means free beer.

🗣️ The Language Center (LC 2nd floor)​

Want to learn Spanish? Brush up your German? Or flex Chinese at networking events?

The Language Center offers high-quality courses with great teachers, but heads up: they’re not cheap.

💸 Around €229 for a 30-hour course (non-German languages).
💸 German pre-semester courses? A bargain at €40.

Still, Melanie swears her French class was worth every cent (and the crêpes she now eats in Paris agree).

🏆 WU Top League – for the “high potential” badge​

WU loves acronyms and fancy programs, and the WU Top League is one of them.

It’s basically an honors program for students with top grades and “high potential” vibes. You get:

✅ Workshops and seminars
✅ Exclusive networking events
✅ A shiny badge for your CV

To be honest: in practice, it doesn’t magically make you smarter or richer.

What it does give you is:

  • Access to interesting people and a decent network
  • A good signal on your CV (“Hey, I was selected for this elite thing”)

👉 You can join before starting uni if you’ve got a strong high school GPA (Abitur/Matura), or later via the “Quereinstieg” after your first year if your grades are on point.

👋 WU Alumni Network​

You graduate. You’re out in the world. But you’re still “WU.”

The Alumni Network hosts events and meetups, connects you with grads in your industry, and is perfect if you want to keep flexing your WU badge on LinkedIn.

So yeah—these aren’t just random offices with confusing German signs.

They’re cheat codes. Use them.