Interview mit unserem Gast der Stanford University
Prof. Dr. Michael Hüther, Direktor des IW Köln, initiierte während seiner Gastprofessur an der Stanford University in den USA ein Praktikantenprogramm, durch das Studenten der Universität Einblicke in die Arbeit des IW erlangen können. Einer der Praktikumspioniere ist der Kanadier Christopher Lin Xin Lu, der in Stanford VWL studiert. Beim JUNIOR Bundeswettbewerb unterstütze er das Team der IW JUNIOR bei der Organisation. Für Christopher kein Neuland, denn in der Highschool war er selbst Teil eines JUNIOR Unternehmens, das von JA Canada, dem kanadischen Pedant zu JUNIOR ermöglicht wurde.
What kind of Mini Company did you found in high school in Canada?
I founded and presided over Gymfit, a company that manufactured gym towels with pockets. Each towel had a colourful zipper which opened up to a pocket for your phone and another one for you keys/card/protein bar/etc.
What has been the most valuable experience from this time?
At that time, the most valuable experience was “teamwork”. Students can often fare very well alone at school, but when they first start working on a project like a JA company, they quickly realize that goals can only be achieved by working together. I learnt to cooperate and develop fond relationships with people diverse in interests, talents, and personalities.
Today, I realize that the true lesson I learnt from the JA program was the process of learning itself. I was put in a position where I had to always learn more. Learning how to sew, how to fix the sewing machine, how to prepare a balance sheet, how to work in / lead a team, etc. One never stops learning in life and JA does a great job to not only make us realize the necessity of this, but also makes us love learning. I still remember the enthusiasm my friends/colleagues had when they learnt how to sew!
Did you enjoy our national school contest?
The national school contest was extraordinary. I truly enjoyed discovering their products, their story, and simply getting to know them on a personal level. Their work is the reflection of their perseverance and ingenuity.
The organization was also very smooth and I think it helped make the event even more memorable.
Do you see similarities to JA Canada?
There are many similarities in terms of the passion the students had for their projects. I think this is the beauty of getting young men and women involved in these projects: their enthusiasm is unrivalled.
I think that there are also many differences, at least with JA Quebec (Jeunes entreprises Quebec). German students seem to be much more comfortable and talented to build products from scratch with many industrial materials. I’m thinking about the bullet pens, the sandals with cork and tire, the furniture made with the wooden cases, etc.
