Whatever The Direction: Student Clubs Help TUM Students Excel

It’s been almost 100 years since the first student initiative at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) was founded on July 8, 1924. That day saw some 100 students form the academic aviation association “Akademische Fliegergruppe,” or Akaflieg for short, to learn how to pilot aircraft. Today, the university has nearly 180 student clubs dedicated to everything from social issues and sustainability to pioneering technologies and innovative entrepreneurship through to the arts and intercultural dialogue. These clubs are a place to make new friends, build networks with industry partners, and develop a unique skill set to build a career.

Whatever direction students choose – Academic & Education, Business & Entrepreneurship, Culture & the Arts, International & Country-Specific, Networking & Career, Religious & Spiritual, Social & Diversity, Technology & Research, and Sustainability & Health – there’s a student club to help them get there. 

WARR Group

WARR is a scientific working group for rocket technology and space travel, pursuing rocket science for over 60 years. Currently, the students are working on autonomous robots for space missions and developing climber models to advance space elevator technology – they’re even going for the world altitude record for amateur cryogenic rockets. Some of the group’s students are founding members of Elara Aerospace, whose goal is to construct the first rocket to feature a bi-liquid Methalox engine able to reach altitudes of over 100km.

But not everyone is going upward, some are digging deep. TUM Boring has already won Elon Musk’s Not-a-Boring Competition twice, in 2021 and 2023. They prevailed against competitors from all over the globe and built the world’s fastest tunnel-boring machine.

TUM Hyperloop

Meanwhile, others are moving along the horizon. TUM Hyperloop is a research project that emerged from a student initiative and is now one of the world’s leading hyperloop players. Their goal is to transport people from A to B at more than 800km per hour and make convenient and sustainable ultra-high-speed transportation a reality. Last year, they conducted the first passenger run under vacuum conditions in Europe’s first full-scale hyperloop test segment.

ESN TUMi

Initiatives like these bring together students from all disciplines, interests, and cultural backgrounds. With ESN TUMi, there is a Student Club that is particularly committed to promoting international spirit, cultural tolerance, and international understanding. To this end, tutors accompany their fellow students during their stay in Germany. They not only support them in organising their studies and day-to-day life in Munich but also organise numerous events throughout the year to foster a sense of community.

TUM provides student clubs with the best possible support, with counselling services, workshops and training, facilities, and the annual TUM Student Club Fair. Student clubs present unique opportunities to further the skills and mindset that make TUM’s students some of the most sought-after future leaders and researchers worldwide. 

This author is the Senior Vice President Academic & Student Affairs at Technical University of Munich (TUM)