“Definitely do it!” With this appeal, Florian Scholz and Jacob Stark concluded their presentation at THM Applied Sciences about their study period in Romania. The two business administration students had completed the 2022/23 winter semester at Babeș-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca.
Her account was part of the "Go-Out Week" programme, which informed students at the Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen about the opportunities and procedures for studying abroad. In Giessen and Friedberg, THM presented its enrolled students with a package of offers to spark their interest in cross-border studies and provide concrete guidance for making their decision.
"How to Start" was the title of a key event in Giessen where Stefanie Müller-Eibich and Berit Pfeiffer from the International Office (IO) of THM presented "Paths Abroad" to around 60 students. Topics included the advantages of studying abroad, how to approach the process, and which study locations are part of THM 's international partner network. EU mobility programmes and the associated funding opportunities were also discussed
To give the audience insights from a student perspective, Florian Scholz and Jacob Stark were invited to review their semester in Romania, which was funded by the Erasmus+ programme. They chose Romania because they were interested in a place "where not everyone goes." They cited the trilingual curriculum (Romanian, Hungarian, German) and the international atmosphere of the University of Cluj-Napoca as advantages. The recognition of their academic credits there for their business administration studies at THM Applied Sciences was straightforward, and they also found the balance between studying and leisure time to be just right. "We didn't let anything slide and still had enough time to explore the country," was a key point of their very positive overall assessment. Finally, the pair answered a number of questions from the audience, which mainly concerned the funding programme, finding accommodation, selecting suitable courses, and integrating into university life.
Those unable to attend this lecture had alternative opportunities to learn more about international studies at THM during Go-Out Week. In Friedberg, Patrick Schmeling spoke about his Erasmus+ semester in Finland, and Anne Rückert discussed her Erasmus+-funded internship in the Netherlands. At both university locations, International Office (IO) teams were available at information booths to provide interested individuals with written information, as well as answer questions and offer personal consultations. The services of the placement agency "College Contact" were also the subject of a separate event, as was the "Study Abroad Funding with Promos + HAW.international," a collaboration between universities and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).