Today we started the day off taking the streetcar to the University of Augsburg campus for a guest talk from Audi. Before the guest presentation, we all worked with our groups to complete a company overview presentation for each of our assigned companies. For our group, we are analyzing Audi, so it was especially helpful to gain new insights through the presentation early on. Through the Audi presentation, we learned about their approach to expanding their portfolio of electric cars and their competitive advantages. In wake of the U.S’s separation away from the Paris Climate Agreement and recent news that automobile companies are struggling to sell electric vehicles, I asked about the future of EV cars for Audi. I learned that though the news is signaling a monetary decline for EVs, this is not a future indicate that the market will not change. In the early stages of EV expansion, market fluctuations are to be expected and are not a sign to fully abandon that pursuit.
Following the end of group presentations, we met up with several German students from last night to get lunch at the university canteen. We were slightly confused by the menu options due to the language barrier, but the students near us kindly helped us clarify the food options for us. The canteen was a massive open space with all types of food. I ended up getting bolognese pasta and boiled potatoes, which were both delicious! After lunch, we went on a tour of the campus before heading back to the city center for a scavenger hunt. We were divided into teams and worked together to answer trivia questions about Augsburg’s history and landmarks. One of the most memorable challenges involved recreating a statue depicting the legendary Wolf of Augsburg. The monument references the city’s folklore, in which a wolf is said to have protected or guided the people of Augsburg during a difficult period. To recreate the statue, members of our group had to copy the positions of the figures surrounding the wolf. A highlight of the scavenger hunt was recreating the figures in a statue. No, I did not mind laying on the wet floor and yes, I was pretending to be one of the children in the sculpture!
Shortly after this photo was taken, the weather took a drastic turn and it started pouring along with fast wind gusts. So, of course we used this as an excuse to get away from the rain by getting gelato! We went to Chocolaterie Bitter Sweet and I got the apple strudel flavor!
After the scavenger hunt we went to a beer garden to try different beer flavors before getting dinner at an Italian restaurant. I once again got bolognese pasta because I’m actually obsessed.
Looking back on the day, one thing that stood out to me was how much easier it became to navigate the city compared to when we first arrived through the street cars and walkable infrastructure. The scavenger hunt also taught me that learning about a city’s history does not always have to happen in a classroom or museum. By physically visiting landmarks and interacting with them, I remembered much more than I would have from only reading about them. I had such a fun and busy day, I’m looking forward to touring the BMW factory and celebrating Erin’s birthday tomorrow!