Bachelor’s Information Day: Kostya Hou – From Art History to Artificial Intelligence
2026-10-26 Born in Taiwan, he studied art history and worked as a curator before deciding to pursue his own interests. Today, he is studying economics with a minor in artificial intelligence at Leuphana and is part of the first cohort of the new degree program. At the Bachelor’s Information Day on October 30, prospective students can learn about Leuphana and the degree programs offered by the college.
Kostya Hou had a secret passion for a long time: numbers, data, and balance sheets. “I actually only studied art history because of my parents,” the student reveals. For many generations, his family has run an auction house for art and antiques in France. After completing his studies, Koysta Hou therefore initially worked as a curator at a museum. But his desire to finally do something in the fields of business and computer science remained: In small projects, he developed marketing strategies for the art market and programmed the website for a language school. The 27-year-old wants to become a financial engineer: “That’s simply my dream job.”
That’s why he decided to pursue a second degree: As a child, Koysta Hou lived in Paris. Europe was an obvious choice as a place to study, and not just for that reason. “I like the freedom of the educational system. The lively exchange between students and faculty isn’t common in Taiwan,” he explains.
During his first degree in Art History, Criticism, and Conservation, he had already read many German texts. The culture was not foreign to him. Koysta Hou began traveling: Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg. Then he applied to five German universities; four accepted him. “Leuphana won me over with its academic model. It was important to me to be able to study a broad range of subjects. I like the interdisciplinary approach and the small study groups.” At the same time, Lüneburg won him over with its history spanning over 1,000 years and its proximity to Hamburg.
At Leuphana, Kostya Hou is majoring in Economics and minoring in Artificial Intelligence. As a student in the first cohort, he also participated in the first AI Minor Conference. Students discussed issues related to artificial intelligence and shared their experiences in the program. One of his own projects also demonstrates how economics can be combined with artificial intelligence: Together with his fellow student Azizbek Yuldashev, Kostya Hou developed the AI-based tool “Headline Sentiment Reader” for the conference. It analyzes financial news and its impact on companies. “I’ve been interested in risk management for a long time,” says the student.
By combining economics and artificial intelligence, Kostya Hou is getting closer to his dream job as a financial engineer. His once-secret love for numbers, data, and balance sheets is now set to become a career. And art? That remains a hobby and a close connection to his family.
Which degree program is right for me? And how can I combine different interests? Answers to these and other questions are available at Leuphana’s Bachelor’s Information Day. Selected degree programs will be presented digitally as early as October 29. On October 30, Leuphana invites prospective students to the campus. Prospective students can expect information on the academic model, the application and admissions process, as well as campus tours, sample lectures, and the opportunity to talk one-on-one with students, student councils, and the academic advising office.