Dagmar Möbius

Julia Paternoster has been working in international student marketing at TUD for twelve years. Every year, she visits international education fairs to attract prospective students to TU Dresden. Cooperation with German schools abroad is also an important aspect of her work. International alumni are happy to help.

A lot of Julia Paternoster's work involves her balancing the wishes of the university, the Free State of Saxony and business and industry. She needs to respond to the needs of prospective international students and anticipate what they might need when they come to Germany. This could be information on the costs associated with studying at TUD or on which prerequisites apply to qualifications from the respective country. Before she travels to a fair, she contacts the Alumni Ambassador for that location. “If there are alumni in the area close to the trade fair, I ask whether they would like to help out at the stand, for example. Many are happy to come because they feel a strong connection to TUD and can give prospective students from their country a first-hand insight into life in Dresden and studying at TUD. This also helps young people to overcome their shyness, and usually leads to in-depth discussions.” Alumni have the advantage of a dual cultural connection: They are familiar with both mentalities and know what questions and problems may arise for young people moving to Dresden.

Not the same fairs every year

Marketing activities are focused primarily on certain countries in Asia, Latin America, and Central and Southeastern Europe. TUD is represented at three to four fairs per year. "We don't go to the same fairs every year." And there are also online fairs. In April 2025, there are plans to participate in a trade fair in Vietnam under the name "Study in Saxony," which is being organized in collaboration with the Vietnamese Liaison Office of the Free State of Saxony. “This year, we have something new,” enthuses Julia Paternoster. “It won't be me manning the stand, but rather Tan and Huong, two alumni ambassadors representing our university. In 2023, alumni supported our booth in Vietnam, which proved to be a success. I will coordinate everything with them beforehand and have full confidence in their abilities. In this way, the university will also save on high travel costs – a good thing in times when funds are tight.”

"It's great when something clicks at school"

Julia Paternoster is often in contact with German international schools, national schools with a distinct German teaching and qualification profile, and German language diploma schools, especially in Latin America and Central Eastern Europe. If these schools organize education fairs, for example, she contacts local TUD alumni and asks if they would be willing to help out at the stand. The reception is usually positive – as in Budapest in the fall of 2023. There are also regular school fairs in the Czech Republic and Mexico, as well as virtual ones in Peru, for example. She personally enjoys interacting with groups of schoolchildren the most. And it's all the more rewarding when she feels she has been helpful: "It's great to see young people suddenly realize what they can do after graduating from school and what each subject entails," she says. 

Whenever possible, visits to these schools are combined with participation in trade fairs abroad, such as in March 2023 in Colombia. In addition to an information event for students at the German School in Medellin, TUD also participated in the Expo Estudiante in Medellín and Bogotá. “We also received support there from an alumnus, Simon Barbosa,” Julia Paternoster is pleased to report. Simon Barbosa is a telecommunications technician and Alumni Ambassador for TU Dresden. He offers assistance to TUD students planning a stay abroad in Colombia and supports research collaboration programs with Colombian organizations.

Authentic student marketing

Julia Paternoster is convinced that "being present is how you stay in people's minds." Once or twice a year, students contact her to say: “I’m here now!” Often, their own experience of receiving advice at trade fairs or school events inspires students and future alumni to support TU Dresden in these activities. “Many can still remember exactly who told them about TUD at an information event and what tips they received. And later on, they want to pass it on in an equally authentic way," says Julia Paternoster. It is this authenticity that is so important to student marketing, which is why she is so keen to involve students and alumni in marketing activities as often as possible.

Contact:
TUD Dresden University of Technology
Directorate 7, Unit 7.3 Marketing and Relationship Management
International Student Marketing
Julia Paternoster
01062 Dresden

Tel.: +49 351 463 37806

Email: