Returning to Germany after an unforgettable time abroad

We’ve left an exchange trimester full of new experiences behind us. It was exciting, impressive and the time just flew by – particularly towards the end of our time abroad. With mixed emotions – but certainly with many amazing experiences and impressions – we finally set off on our return trip to Germany. Most of us had gone back to Germany before Christmas. But some of us decided to remain abroad over Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Elias, who spent his exchange trimester at Tongji University, decided to celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with some fellow students in Shanghai. One of the absolute highlights was celebrating New Year’s Eve together with 40 other students on the 32th floor of the Grand Hyatt - directly at The Bund, with an incredible view of Pudong.

In retrospect, both of us have returned to Germany with great impressions and unforgettable memories. Ultimately, it was the new, cross-cultural friendships that made this exchange trimester so unique and special for us.

Fifth trimester begins on the new university campus

At the beginning of January, we started our fifth – and last – on-campus trimester with lectures. Rich in new experiences, adventures, and impressions from our time abroad, we were looking forward to seeing our fellow students again on the new campus.

Having grown together as one group during the course of last year, we all were very happy to be reunited in Hamburg. It was fascinating to learn how everyone else spent their exchange trimester abroad and especially, to hear what they experienced during that time. With over 20 partner universities all over the world, from Reykjavik (Iceland) in the North, Windhoek (Namibia) in the South, Monterrey (Mexico) in the West and Shanghai (China) in the East, you can imagine how diverse these experiences were. Overall, we were all very satisfied with our choice of partner university.

Many of us took advantage of our stay abroad to tour the respective country. For example, Elias and his fellow students traveled to Suzhou (famous for its classical Chinese gardens and water canals), Hangzhou, which is one of the most renowned and prosperous cities in China, and Beijing during their stay in China. One of the highlights was the trip to the Great Wall and the Yellow Mountains. The beauty and uniqueness of these mountains was the basis for the well-known movie “Avatar.” They also visited Hong Kong and Macao, known as the Las Vegas of the East.

As we already mentioned, we were also very curious to see the new KLU campus. Located next to the headquarters of Kühne + Nagel and very close to the harbor, the new campus features a location in the heart of Hamburg. It provides a professional, intimate learning environment. One floor is dedicated solely to students, with sufficient space for studying and learning. There is also a student lounge that offers enough options for students who just want to relax. The highlight of this new building is definitely the new auditorium in the foyer: it is shaped like a big, golden egg!

Integration Project II

This trimester, the emphasis is on the “Integration Project II” class, whose main focus is entrepreneurship. In small groups, we will have to develop a business idea, starting from the ideation process and culminating in the creation of a detailed business plan. The course comprises different input sessions on the topics of market research methods and design, writing a business plan, and financial planning. There will also be regular tutorials featuring the hands-on introduction of different tools: for example, Unipark. And group work sessions and different presentations are planned, including a final investor presentation at the end of the trimester.

In addition to “Integration Project II”, we have “Leadership in Organizations” as an additional mandatory class. And we could choose one of the four following elective leadership courses:

• Business Communications
• Analysis & Decision Science
• Time & Project Management
• Global Values & Ethics

Excursion to Cologne

Besides the regular lectures on campus, we will have another excursion this trimester. From February 19-20, we will be taking a two-day trip to Cologne. There, we will have the opportunity to visit a dm distribution center and take a guided tour of a hospital that will focus on hospital logistics. We are also going to visit the DHL Innovation Center in Bonn.

We are looking forward to our last lecture weeks at KLU very much!

Ole & Elias

Master in Management 2012-2013
Kuehne Logistics University