UW adds Germany to exchange programs

The UW System Board of Regents plans to sign a deal establishing a far-reaching student exchange program between UW System and German universities.

The formal signing planned Thursday, June 7, coincides with the 25th anniversary of the sister state relationship between the governments of Wisconsin and Hesse.

This exchange program, which has been active at UW-Milwaukee for several years, will be expanded to include students from campuses throughout the UW System and from all 14 participating institutions in Hesse.

Several aspects set this program apart from most other student exchange agreements, says Terence Miller, director of overseas programs at UWM’s Center for International Education. The program allows for nontraditional forms of international educational experiences, including internships and work experiences, short-term immersion programs, and options for professional-school students whose priorities may not be language development, such as engineering students.

Professor Stephan Hormuth, president of Justus Liebig University in Giessen and Frank E. Portz, vice-minister of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Art, will attend the Board of Regents meeting in Milwaukee to detail the unique program.

“With the Hessen agreement, we’ve sent a much more diverse group of students to Germany,” Miller says. Traditional programs last for a full semester and sometimes a full year. The exchange program with Hesse also will offer options for students who are limited by obligations or resources and cannot be away for long periods.

In the last year, UW campuses have sent 24 students to study in Germany, and 12 Hessen students have studied throughout the UW System, exhibiting the early commitment both partners have to this exchange agreement. UWM’s Center for International Education coordinates this student exchange for the UW System.