The University of Tulsa’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE) promises to “connect the world to TU and TU to the world.” The CGE’s latest addition to its diverse array of international connections is a partnership with the Technical University of Dortmund (TU Dortmund), which is located in the former “steel city” of Dortmund, Germany.
The partnership between TU and TU Dortmund is a student exchange. Students from TU will study at TU Dortmund, while TU Dortmund will send students to learn at TU. The students who take part in this exchange will already be sufficiently proficient in German and English so that they can take regular courses in any discipline they choose.
TU Dortmund has approximately 33,440 students who study in 17 departments, from science and engineering to social sciences and cultural studies. The institution is strongly focused on research, and its faculty are well regarded both in Germany and internationally in disciplines such as mechanical engineering, physics, biochemical and chemical engineering, statistics, computer science and education. TU Dortmund also has partnerships with universities around the world, including, in the United States, Lehigh and Carnegie Mellon.
A premier education in German – in Germany
Laura Semenow, director of the CGE, is very excited about this new partnership: “TU Dortmund offers our students a free 4-week German intensive course prior to the start of the semester, a ‘buddy program’ with TU Dortmund students, academic and housing support, and an introduction to the city of Dortmund, which is an attractive place in the middle of the Ruhr area and also the second greenest city in Germany. Students from Tulsa will receive a premier education in Germany, improve their German language and meet people from all over the world. Both TUs have a lot in common and I am confident students will benefit greatly from this partnership.”
It is expected that the main TU students who go to TU Dortmund will be pursuing a dual degree in international engineering/science and language. These individuals are enrolled in the five-year dual degree program that combines a major in German and a major in engineering or science. The first student set to head to TU Dortmund will depart in fall 2021.
TU Associate Professor of German and Comparative Literature Victor Udwin was instrumental in bringing about this transatlantic alliance. “We entered into this partnership because TU Dortmund offers a world-class education in engineering,” Udwin explained. “Not only does the university have a fantastic faculty and well-equipped facilities, but it is surrounded by engineering companies, which means valuable internships are available to qualified students. Our students will be able to prove themselves in an international setting while also bringing their German up to a professional competency level.”
One of the other strengths of TU Dortmund is its Foreign Students Office. According to Udwin, “that office is run by a professor of English who takes a strong interest in international students and their success.”
Does living and learning in Germany – or an array of other countries – sound like a plan you could get behind? Then reach out to the friendly, helpful staff in TU’s Center for Global Engagement to get your international adventure underway.