Author: Anke Finger

First “Germany on Campus” Symposium + Company Expo a Success

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Germany on Campus Promotion
Poster for Germany on Campus Symposium + Expo

On November 14th, 2024, EUROBIZ and EUROTECH were featured in the first “Germany on Campus” event, supported with a grant from the German Embassy in Washington D.C. and the CLAS, BUSN and ENGR schools and college. Since Connecticut is home to over 100 German companies (with New England hosting over 800) and Germany is Connecticut’s #1 economic partner, it was a great moment to start this initiative to connect students and potential employers. The event will take place every other year and brings together a closely connected group of stakeholders: the dual degree programs, EUROBIZ and EUROTECH, Experiential Global Learning who represent the long-standing Connecticut/Baden-Württemberg exchange program, career development at UConn, AdvanceCT, the German Research and Innovation Institute in New York City and a growing cluster of German companies from across the state.

UCONN Today highlights the recruiting of Dual Degree Majors for German companies:

“Companies Look to UConn to Help Fill Global Workforce Shortage

Sarah Worden is the senior director of human resources at ebm-papst, a high-tech German company that designs fans, refrigerator systems, and other air ventilation devices for large companies, including Amazon, Meta, Trane and Lennox. The company has facilities in Farmington. Worden says she had only recently learned about the UConn programs, and was attending the event in search of talent and connections.

‘Having exposure to German companies and German life absolutely would set someone apart as a job candidate, and would add tremendous benefit to our organization,’ she says. ‘We’re very happy to be here.’’

Ted Fisher, senior director of business development and advanced manufacturing at AdvanceCT, noted that there is a global workforce shortage, and that smart UConn students are very much in demand not only nationally but around the world. Precision manufacturing remains a strength in the state of Connecticut, he says.”

For more information, read the entire article here.

Governor Lamont visits Connecticut’s #1 Economic Partner: Germany

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7/12/2024

(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced that from July 15 through July 19, 2024, he will be leading a delegation of officials from Connecticut on an economic development mission in Germany, where they will meet with the leadership of several German-based companies to discuss expanding their businesses in Connecticut.

“We have more than 100 German companies with operations in Connecticut,” (John) Bourdeaux said. “Last year, we announced four German expansions and new operations in Connecticut that created more than 300 new jobs, $87 million in capital expenditures, and more than 309,000 square feet of new facilities. Germany is a key market for us, and German companies are the third highest source of foreign employment in our state, representing more than 12,400 jobs. This visit will cultivate the relationships with our existing companies to keep them while developing new opportunities for our state.”

Find out more on this page about the goals for this delegation!

Read more about the visit in the CTMirror here.

Listen to WSHU here.

Germany ranks 3rd in List of World’s Top Valuable Brands

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In international reports, Germany is ranked 3rd, following the USA and China, with its list of most valuable companies in 2024. Deutsche Telekom is leading the group, and together the value of the German top 8 amounts to $347.1B. The full report is available from Brand Finance, and the information presented is visualized by Visual Capitalist. 

Guerlina Philogène (EUROBIZ) wins Thomas R. Pickering Fellowship

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As she is about to graduate, Guerlina Philogène, freshly returned from her intership in Germany, receives the prestigious Thomas R. Pickering fellowship for graduate study:

“The Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, administered by Howard University, that attracts and prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State.  The Pickering Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to promote positive change in the world.  Upon successful completion of a two-year master’s degree program and fulfillment of Foreign Service entry requirements, fellows have the opportunity to work as Foreign Service Officers in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy, serving in Washington, DC and at a U.S. embassy, consulate, or diplomatic mission around the globe.”

Guerlina spent the last years soaring in the EUROBIZ dual degree program and receiving great honors already before going abroad by being named a Gilman Scholar for 2022-23. She has now shared her goals within a longer article published in UConn Today:

“I have always tried to be a peacemaker and interested in conflict resolution, and I think that is why I am interested in foreign diplomacy,” says Philogene. “I want to hear both sides of an issue and I can’t make a decision until then. I want to hear a lot of information before I make a concise opinion that will hopefully help both sides.”

CONGRATULATIONS – we are so proud of your many accomplishments!

Visit the uconngerman news blog to learn more about the German Studies side of EUROBIZ

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The German Studies news blog is a great resource to learn more about what is going on in German Studies. Since 2018, it features events, student and faculty accomplishments, internship experiences and portraits of alums – and much more! At almost 10,000 hits, it has become an important resource about the German Studies program at UConn. Feel free to contact anke.finger@uconn.edu for more information.

Germany eases citizenship laws

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The history of German citizenship is complex, and following numerous changes to its laws in the last two decades, the so-called “Ampel Coalition” is updating the rules for citizenship to fit today’s German cultures and societies:

The government plans to make people eligible for citizenship after five years in Germany, or three in case of “special integration accomplishments,” rather than eight or six years at present. German-born children would automatically become citizens if one parent has been a legal resident for five years, down from eight years now.

Restrictions on holding dual citizenship will also be dropped. In principle, most people from countries other than European Union members and Switzerland now have to give up their previous nationality when they gain German citizenship, though there are some exemptions.

Read the full article here. More information is available at DW.

Success with Interships in Germany 2023: Quentin Walliser

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As the EUROBIZ program grows, we are featuring short portraits of EUROBIZ students who are currently in Germany and have successfully secured their internships for the second half of their stay. Our fourth portrait presents Quentin Walliser who is working for Mahle. Here’s what he reports back:

“My name is Quentin, I spent my first semester in Germany studying at the University of Tübingen, which I would greatly recommend both for the location and culture, but also for the education. The foreign language courses especially were amazing. Now I am continuing my time abroad with an internship at Mahle in Stuttgart. Mahle is one of the biggest companies in the area earning over 1 billion Euros in sales per month and it is a leading international development partner and supplier to the automotive industry, as well as a pioneer for the mobility of the future. I am an intern in the Corporate Controlling Reporting department, and my main responsibilities are to develop new reporting dashboards using SAP systems. Getting knowledge in the use of SAP, the leader in business applications, is a great opportunity. The atmosphere in the company is also great, and we have very flexible working hours, a great cafeteria, and I am working directly next to the Stuttgart Zoo, the Wilhelma. I was able to get a season pass for only 42 Euros, and we can even hear the monkeys from the office, it makes for a great way to relax with a walk before going home. I started on March 1st and will be working until August 25th.”

Success with Internships in Germany 2023: Eric Modica

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As the EUROBIZ program grows, we are featuring short portraits of EUROBIZ students who are currently in Germany and have successfully secured their internships for the second half of their stay. Our third portrait presents Eric Modica who is working for Mercedes-Benz. Here’s what he reports back:

Hello everyone, my name is Eric Modica. I am a EuroBiz student at UCONN. I study Accounting along with German, and I am currently living in Tübingen. For my internship, I was able to obtain employment in Stuttgart with Mercedes-Benz Group AG as a marketing intern. Officially, the project is called “Retail of the Future”. My position there is basically geared towards assisting in the rollout of a new sales model, known as Model D, in our overseas markets. We are a very international team that works with markets all over the world. Some examples are Mexico, Turkey, Thailand, and more. I will be working until mid-August, and I am quite excited to learn more about business practices here in Germany.

Success with Internships in Germany 2023: Michelle Buerkler

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As the EUROBIZ program grows, we are featuring short portraits of EUROBIZ students who are currently in Germany and have successfully secured their internships for the second half of their stay. Our second portrait presents Michelle Buerkler who is working for Trumpf. Here’s what she reports back:

After studying at the University of Tübingen, I will be continuing my year abroad in Ditzingen, Germany, at the TRUMPF headquarters. I am working in the Corporate Marketing Trade Shows department which is responsible for the organization and planning of TRUMPF’s trade fairs. I have loved learning how this process takes place and was able to jump right in with TRUMPF’s INTECH trade show taking place my second week. I look forward to the next 5 months here at TRUMPF and am grateful for this opportunity and the support the Eurobiz program has provided through this experience.

EUROBIZ students visit Legrand Company in West Hartford

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On Friday, February 17th, a group of EUROBIZ students, accompanied by Prof. Gerlinde Berger-Walliser, the Co-Director of the program, visited Legrand in West Hartford. The excursion offered not only an exploration of the company, but also a wonderful opportunity to meet a variety of managers and employees and to glimpse career opportunities for the future. The visit was expertly arranged by Kelly W. Kennedy who summarized the visit as follows on her LinkedIn account:

The University of Connecticut School of Business is grateful for our strong partnership with Wiremold in West Hartford, Connecticut (Legrand North America). Their team spent a fantastic day with our Eurobiz students last week. The program was designed to educate our fluent German-speaking students on global business and demonstrate the critical work done in this industry. This was a very hands-on experience, where students could view the manufacturing operation on the plant floor and their tech and power solutions in the Wiremold Experience Center. We are incredibly grateful for the team that put together the day that exceeded our expectations. Legrand prides itself on” transforming the spaces where people live, work and meet, with innovative and sustainable electrical and digital infrastructures.” Thank you- The Wiremold Company Legrand Judy Travers Adonica Walker Lawrence Gerlinde Berger-Walliser Anke K. FingerRobert Sauer, M.S.#urobiz #uconnbusiness #careerdevelopment #manufacturingindustry #connecticutjobs

The EUROBIZ program will regularly organize company visits in the future.