Tech partners with German university for student exchange program | News

By Annie Tsang

Staff Writer

Virginia Tech and Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany recently agreed to exchange students and faculty through the Partners for the Advancement of Collaborative Engineering Education program.Mechanical engineering students can enroll at TU Darmstadt for their senior year and graduate at Tech with a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering. In addition to attending TU Darmstadt, students will have an option to intern in Germany for three months prior to the academic year, which begins in October, said mechanical engineering professor Jan Helge B?hn.?Full immersion is what creates a difference here (compared to other programs),? said B?hn, who initiated the program. B?hn applied for Tech to become a member of PACE and in February 2002 Tech received membership. TU Darmstadt joined PACE in February of 2003 and approached Tech to set up the exchange program, B?hn said. Matt Mallory, a junior electrical engineering major, will attend TU Darmstadt for the 2004-2005 academic year. ?I studied last summer at the University of Stuttgart (in Germany), which helped me know that spending a year in Germany was something that I wanted to do before I graduated,? Mallory said. After TU Darmstadt, Mallory intends to come back to Tech to finish with classes.The program, although currently designed for mechanical engineering students, is open to other engineering majors. B?hn is working to expand the program for electrical, computer, civil and environmental engineering. He is also looking to further the program to graduate level, B?hn said.Curriculum at TU Darmstadt includes required engineering courses, technical electives and a capstone design project. TU Darmstadt offers similar courses to Tech as well as a much wider selection of engineering courses, he said.TU Darmstadt also offers a German language and culture class during the summer. At the end of the five-week program, there is an optional two-week engineering internship. The unpaid internship will offer opportunities at their research centers and other institutions, according to the mechanical engineering website. Students from Germany are expected to come to Tech fall semester, B?hn said. The exchange program is agreed to continue for five years.Those attending TU Darmstadt will be eligible for stipends and scholarships from TU Darmstadt and the College of Engineering. Tech and TU Darmstadt want to work together with the student to make a complete package for the student, B?hn said.To participate in the program, students must go through an application process and be proficient in German. Tech offers a sequence of six German courses for those with no experience with German, according to mechanical engineering website.The application deadline is the first day of the spring semester of junior year. Applications can be found on the mechanical engineering website at www.me.vt.edu.