Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) International House officially welcomed recently arrived students from partner universities in Germany, who’ve come to Invercargill through the Study Abroad programme.
SIT’s international team has been actively reconnecting with and rekindling international links with partner universities since the pandemic shutdown of international student exchanges; one such partner institute for more than a decade, is Flensburg University of Applied Sciences in Northern Germany.
“The welcome mat is out at SIT as we reignite these exchange relationships,” said Whitney Irwin, SIT International Marketing and Partnerships. “Students who study at SIT for a semester are rewarded with our world-class facilities and a wonderful cultural experience. Invercargill is perfect for our international students. It’s friendly, not too large, and students really get to connect with our community.”
The Study Abroad students who arrived in mid-February were welcomed by SIT International Manager, Teri McClelland and Ms Irwin with a lunch at Kahu Ariki café on March 7th.
Study Abroad student, Sidney Krause, said it was a good decision coming to New Zealand with two friends from his university; they bought a car when they arrived in Christchurch on February 7th, and have been able to travel around easily. “The landscape in New Zealand is just wonderful,” and his first impressions of Invercargill were good ones. “I really liked the city; it’s small but it has all you need…” He’d also discovered Southland weather could put on four seasons in one day, but it wasn’t a complaint. “Overall, it’s really great,” he said. Admitting he’s “a huge fan of hiking”, Mr Krause had recently visited Fiordland and walked the Kepler Track, rating it “a clear 10 out of 10”.
The locals had made him feel welcome too. “The people are very friendly, I’m used to dealing with grumpy Germans,” he joked, and enjoyed how welcoming and open-minded everybody is. “I like that about people here in general,” he said, adding “The campus is very nice, the people I’ve met, the tutors – all have made a good impression.”
Mr Krause is studying three papers while at SIT: Data Management, Fundamentals of Project Management, and Introduction to Accounting and Taxation, which align with his German degree, Information Systems. “It’s a mix of computer science and business administration,” he explained. All of SIT’s material was straightforward to find online. “[They’re] clear and easy to understand, it’s all been comfortable.” At the end of the semester (late June), Mr Krause will return home and continue his studies at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW) Heilbronn campus.
Joint Programme Manager for Screen Arts, James Wilkinson, says the Study Abroad students are a welcome addition to his cinematography classes. “[They] add a great breadth of different ideas, bringing international perspectives and experiences to our local students – and that is invaluable to both experiences. We look forward to more Study Abroad students coming to attend classes in second semester.”
Head of School of Business and Management, Robyn Valentine, also acknowledged the Study Abroad students brought an extra dimension to the classroom environment, creating a more diverse learning experience for other students, and they were highly motivated to do well in their study. “This is balanced by a desire to get out and about within the region to do and see as much as possible while they are here,” she said. “Tutors often comment on their good work ethic and enthusiasm to make the most of their time with us.”
Ms Valentine, along with Joint Programme Manager for Screen Arts, Rachel Mann, will be traveling to Germany later in the year to visit with SIT partner Universities of Applied Sciences – Ludwigshafen, Mittweida, Offenburg, Nuertingen-Geislingen, and Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University - where they will work on initiatives for the Study Abroad students, including double degrees and degree articulations.