Me, master degree student Ms. Janika Reunanen from Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (SAMK) had an amazing January 2018 in the FH Aachen, Germany.
Background
Right now, I’m studying my final part for the Master of Business Management: the thesis work is going on for my workplace SATAEDU, Satakunta Educational Federation, which gives vocational education. I work as International coordinator in SATAEDU and organize about 70–80 ERASMUS + mobility periods for vocational students with our international contact persons every year.
First, I would like to thank Ms. Satu Schrey, International Relations Coordinator at SAMK. She gave to me tips and ideas where to go! We started to plan my exchange in May 2017. I chose FH Aachen, University of Applied Sciences, which has every over 13,000 students and about 120–130 of them as exchange students abroad every academic year. Moreover, there are about 100 incoming students in the faculties. The city of Aachen is located very nicely if you want to travel there by car from Finland and take your lovely family (husband and two kids) with you as I did…
The city of Aachen is located very nicely if you want to travel there by car from Finland and take your lovely family with you
In FH Aachen
In FH Aachen Ms. Linda Weller organized a great program for me. She works with supporting of exchange students. She also gives consultation on exchange programs in Europe and on scholarships. Furthermore, I could meet all the wonderful members of the department of International Affairs. They organized even a lovely family day for us. Ms. Sabine Brinker invited us to her home for a brunch. After that we had a pony riding in the woods with our kids. I am so grateful for everything that you did – Thank you!
I will develop mobility periods for vocational students in Sataedu.
For my thesis, I had a very interesting meeting with Ms. Nathalie Kazma, the Head of the Department of International Affairs and ERASMUS+ University Coordinator. She was one of my interviewees, and I was very impressed about her work. I had, of course, a pre-made interview document that I used. In my thesis I will develop mobility periods for vocational students in Sataedu. (I got excellent tips for interviews from my thesis supervisor, lecturer Mr. Kimmo Kallama at SAMK). With the interview document I could have versatile and interesting discussions also with other experts: with Ms. Linda Weller from the Campus Aachen, Ms. Jennifer Janas from the Business faculty and with Ms. Britta Ritzal from Campus Jülich.
I made interviews, and, I could have even a day with the mobility tool “MoveOn”! It is the electronic system which FH Aachen uses to run their incoming and outgoing exchange students. On the last days of my exchange, I could benchmark also the ERASMUS + outgoing financial support in the FH Aachen.
I summarize my exchange with these marvelous photos from Germany… I really had a great month in FH Aachen and I recommend for every Master degree students to go abroad!
I recommend for every Master degree students to go abroad!
Text by: Janika Reunanen (on the right), Master degree student, SAMK, Pori, Finland
PS. Special thanks for all the advice goes to information service assistant Elina Laineenoja at SAMK!