Awards presented to FHV students

Key takeaways 

• The Erwin Gächter Prize and the Christl and Horst Zimmermann Prize were awarded to two committed students on "University Day" at the FHV.
• Doris Pichler received the Erwin Gächter Award for her impressive educational career, her high level of motivation and her social commitment, despite personal challenges.
• Florian Bischof was awarded the Christl-und-Horst-Zimmermann-Förderpreis for his exceptional combination of technical excellence, initiative and social commitment.
• The high number of submissions for both awards shows the great commitment and diversity of exceptional life and educational paths at the FHV.
• Both awards recognize not only academic achievement, but also social responsibility, courage, initiative and personal commitment.

The ceremonial presentation of the Erwin Gächter and Christl and Horst Zimmermann awards took place on "University Day" at the FHV. This year's winners are Doris Pichler and Florian Bischof. They were delighted to receive a grant of 3,300 euros each. "This year there were a particularly large number of submissions for both awards and it was not easy for us to choose. We would like to congratulate both of them and wish them all the best for their future studies, careers and lives," emphasized FHV Rector Regine Kadgien at the award ceremony.

On the right track

The Erwin Gächter Prize was awarded for the ninth time by the founders, the couple Hermine Zass-Gächter and Dr. Engelbert Zass. The award is given to students who have overcome obstacles on the way to their studies with a particularly high level of motivation. Doris Pichler was selected from numerous applications. She is studying for a bachelor's degree programme in International Business Administration at the FHV and has persevered on her path of personal development despite family challenges. "This award means a lot to me. At over 40, I have once again put all my eggs in one basket. The award confirms that I am on the right path. I am one step closer to my dream of helping parents of neurodivergent children and, of course, the children themselves," says the award winner.

"For Doris, education is not an end in itself, but an instrument for combining responsibility, life experience and social impact. This is entirely in keeping with the values that the Erwin Gächter Award stands for. Her experiences as a caring mother, her entrepreneurial thinking with a social focus and her commitment to creating structures that benefit other people in similar life situations based on her own experiences give her educational path a special depth," say the Zass-Gächter couple in unison.

Exceptional combination 

The Christl and Horst Zimmermann Prize was awarded for the third time this year. Florian Bischof, FHV student on the Computer Science - Digital Transformation bachelor's degree, was delighted with the support. With a generous bequest, the Zimmermann couple laid the foundation for the sponsorship award, which supports students in the Department of Engineering and Technology at FHV. "The sponsorship award means a lot to me because it is a recognition of my commitment to date. I am very happy about the opportunity it gives me. By combining my studies and work, I can apply a lot of what I have learned at the FHV directly at Blum and better understand how theory and practice are connected," emphasized the Lauterach native.

"We were particularly impressed by the extraordinary combination of technical excellence, impressive initiative and social commitment. Florian has designed his technical path largely self-taught, while at the same time taking on responsibility in the volunteer fire department and contributing his know-how to internationally relevant open source projects. This demonstrates great maturity, a sense of responsibility and idealism," explains FHV rector Kadgien. His long-standing non-profit project on digital situation management deserves special mention, as it demonstrates in concrete terms how technology can be used for the common good. This has already been used successfully in real-life crisis situations. "Florian thus embodies in a special way the values of innovation, commitment and social responsibility that Christl and DI Horst Zimmermann also stood for," emphasized the FHV rector.

About the Erwin Gächter Award 

The Dornbirn couple Hermine Zass-Gächter and Dr. Engelbert Zass dedicated the prize to their father and father-in-law Erwin Gächter. He was the middle of five children. Due to his family situation, it was not possible for him to complete a Matura or a degree. The Erwin Gächter Prize is awarded to FHV students who have an exceptional CV, are highly motivated and perform very well without being born into it. 

About the Christl and Horst Zimmermann

Prize Horst Zimmermann, who died in 2019, was considered a visionary with a fascination for Engineering and Technology and an entrepreneurial spirit. He was one of the co-founders of ECCON and previously shaped the Liebherr company in Nenzing for many years. His wife Christl was a driving force behind the "Women's self-help after cancer" association founded in Vorarlberg in 1982. For her commitment, she received both the Medal of Merit and the Grand Medal of Merit of the State of Vorarlberg, as well as the Leopold Bischof Ring. Christl Zimmermann died in 2023.