A group of international students attended a summer school at the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM) from July 18 to August 15. The program, which began in June with preparatory online lectures, combined four weeks of intensive learning with excursions and cultural activities.

The courses offered by the Department Mechanical and Energy Engineering on the Giessen campus were diverse: “Applied AI in Mechanical Engineering” (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Strelow), “Motorboat Design Week” (Susanne Schiffke), “Hydrogen and Electrical Safety” (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Sven Pohl), and “Vehicle Dynamics” (Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dirk Meyer). The Summer School thus provided participants from Canada, the USA, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ghana, and Germany with the opportunity to deepen their engineering expertise in various fields – always in English and with a practical focus.

A highlight was the visit to the Bender Group in Grünberg. The group traveled by CO₂-neutral city bus and was welcomed with a diverse program. After an introduction to hydrogen technologies and electrical safety, the focus shifted to modern monitoring concepts. In workshops, the students directly applied their knowledge – for example, on insulation and fault current monitoring in the context of hydrogen research and electrolyzers. This was expertly guided by Roman Schmattloch, responsible for university collaborations at Bender, and his team. A tour of the production facility illustrated how theory and practice intertwine.

In addition to the academic content, cultural exchange and getting to know Germany were also key aspects of the program. Joint excursions took the group to places such as Frankfurt, Marburg, and the Moselle Valley. The program concluded with a barbecue on campus.

The response was overwhelmingly positive: Many students inquired about further opportunities to return to THM – be it for a semester abroad, an internship, a thesis, or even a master's degree. One participant from Vancouver summed it up particularly clearly: He wanted to move to Germany after graduation to launch his career here.

The Department ME's Summer School was first held in 2024. Due to the high level of interest and positive feedback, it has been extended this year to four weeks with four modules.