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Nicolas Mues
PhD student and research assistant in Economics at the University of Siegen
Host university: University of Orléans
Period of stay: 1 - 31 October 2022
About me
I completed my studies in Münster, but I was born in Siegen. My research focus is on the management of family businesses. In teaching, I give lectures on organisational design and human resource management.
As a PhD student, the most interesting thing for me is to get to know other young researchers from other universities and countries. During my visits to conferences in Vienna and Manchester, among other places, I was able to make many contacts and learn about research interests of other regions and universities. Exchange with international researchers is very important, especially for researchers in management, as Europe has many common goals as an economic union.
Preparations
I found out from the House of Young Talents that there is an opportunity to work and do research abroad at an ATHENA university for a month. I often use House of Young Talents offers, for example to get to know research methods or find out more about career opportunities. Such an exchange can give me important insights for research and teaching.
Contents of stay and benefits for the work
The University of Orléans is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in France. There is a research centre called Vallorem which is part of the Faculty of Law and Management. The research priorities at Vallorem show some intersections with the profile of the chair I work at in Siegen. One focus of Vallorem is the strategic management of human resources and projects. The research center emphasises its strong regional connection. The aim is to optimise human resource management approaches.
Our chair has several lectures on this topic. In addition, the Vallorem is researching how individual creativity and motivation can be promoted in order to increase the innovation of organisations and companies. The organisational creativity is a central interest of the research centre. Among other things, this involves personnel communication and governance. Here are also parallels to our chair in Siegen. Therefore, Orléans was my first choice for the PhD exchange.
For example, there is also a shortage of skilled workers in Orléans. As in Siegen, the economy is characterised by small companies, often family businesses. However, there were also differences, including the financing of innovations. I also gave lectures in Orléans. The contents of the lectures are similar to those of our chair. What was particularly interesting for me was that there are different approaches to designing the course of studies. In Orléans, practical experience has much more relevance. This is an aspect that is very important to me. Although working together on research projects is very insightful for me, I find collaborations with regard to teaching particularly exciting. We have often spoken about the fact that the faculties of Economics in Orléans and Siegen should work closely together because ther are many parallels. There will be meetings about this in the coming months. There was also a day of action for international exchange during my stay. ATHENA also had a platform there. I met many international students. An employee of the university had already visited Siegen and had many good experiences.
Life in Orléans
Siegen and Orléans have a lot in common. The cities are similar in size and the number of students is similar. The buildings of the Faculty of Management and Law of the University of Orléans are located in the commune of Olivet, south of Orléans. It was my first visit to this region. Although Olivet is not directly in the heart of Orléans, you can easily get to the centre. Orléans is of course known for Joan of Arc, to whom a large monument was dedicated in the city. The Cathédrale Sainte-Croix d'Orléans is also very impressive. I've been to the center of Orléans many times, but mostly I've been to Olivet. Here, you can do sports very well and you have all sorts of shops right around the corner. You can also visit the castles on the Loire, such as the Amboise Castle or the Chambord Castle. Since the weather in Olivet and Orléans was warmer than in Siegen, I was able to go running a lot or visit the parks. The time in Orléans passed very quickly and the local Vallorem members helped me with every question and told me about plans for how the cooperation between Orléans and Siegen could be intensified in the years to come. Furthermore, Paris is easy to reach from Orléans and a visit is always recommended.
Conclusion
Due to the many similarities and the similar research interests, it would be advisable for the faculties of Economics of Orléans and Siegen to cooperate more closely. This cooperation can take place both in research and in teaching. I can only recommend a visit to the University of Orléans. The local people took very good care of me, and I had many interesting experiences.
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| The Orléans Cathedral | The city centre of Orléans | Statue of Joan of Arc |