For the third year running, Students from the University of Tohoku, Japan, attended the Summer School in “IT Management” at the University of Paderborn.
The three-week long event covers topics in the fields of Business Computing, Management, and Economics. The Summer School is subsidised by the Japanese Government under a highly competitive national scheme promoting internationalization. The Paderborn University was one of a handful of Higher Education partner institutions of the University of Tohoku in Europe to have been successful in its application to the program. This year’s Summer School concluded with a visit to SC Paderborn football club.
The Faculty’s Dean, Prof. Dr. Martin Schneider, summarized this year’s School: “With events on culture and language, subject-specific courses in IT-Management relating to studies in Business Computing, Management, and Economics, as well as visits to companies dSPACE and FUJITSU, the Japanese students were able to experience a varied and challenging three weeks at the University of Paderborn in addition to homework and presentations, which they successfully managed with a combination of ‘brains’ and skills - just as in the football match they witnessed.”
Prof. Dr. Stefan Jungblut, the coordinator of the Summer School in “IT-Management”, was particularly pleased that, for the first time this year, German students were among the Summer School participants: “In this way German and Japanese students got to work together right from the start. This concept proved most effective in promoting team work, cultural exchanges and the formation of an international network.”
At a “Japanese Evening” students demonstrated not only their knowledge but also considerable dexterity in demonstrating samples of Japanese culture and Economy, such as traditional delicacies or Origami models, which they had made themselves. Among the 70 participants could be seen not only students, the Summer School’s program coordinator and the Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics, but also members from across the Faculty, former and future exchange students, and a representative of the University’s International Office. Other attendees included representatives of dSPACE und FUJITSU, the two businesses that had opened their doors to the students for informative company visits.
The students’ exertions of the past three weeks were rewarded with a visit to the Benteler Arena, last Saturday. Local Club SC Paderborn secured a 2:0 win over Karlsruhe SC, which created the perfect ambience for the conclusion of this year’s Summer School. Students were even given signed autographs by the winning players.
So it was only fitting that the students returned to Frankfurt Airport in the SCP’s Team Coach in which they had travelled up to Paderborn three weeks ago.
