Trips to Germany give language students the edge

Students of German at the University of Queensland are being given more opportunities than ever to sharpen their language skills in Germany.

The German and Russian Studies Department has established several exchange programs and scholarships enabling students to live, study and work in Germany for anything up to a year.

One of the most popular courses to date is Business German, now in its sixth year, which provides students with three months specialist training and work experience in Europe.

The University of Queensland is the only university in the country offering the four-semester Business German course which has proved popular with students doing double degrees combining German with subjects such as law, economics or commerce.

Since the scheme started in 1993 about a dozen students have made the trip to Germany each year spending December, January and February working for various private and public companies.

Program co-ordinator at the University Dr Sabine Horst said this year's 13 students began by spending a month together in Cologne before scattering across Germany to take up positions in business, legal and cultural institutions.

They were not usually paid for their work but the costs of the exchange were eased by a total subsidy of about $22,000 from the German Government plus a grant of around $350 per student from other educational institutions and industry.

Dr Horst said the program was very successful. Returning students had even better language skills and a greater understanding of the German people, their traditions, business and culture.

The Business German course was also opening up employment opportunities: for example, one exchange student had landed a traineeship with a German law firm in Brussels while another was working in BHP's export department.

During the course students have the chance to gain three internationally recognised certificates - German as a foreign language, German for vocational purposes, and the International Certificate Business German, conducted by visiting examiners from Germany.

Another avenue of exchange for St Lucia Business German students was formally implemented only last July when an agreement was signed with Germany's University of Jena.

Under the scheme the German Academic Exchange Service will finance three or four students to study at Jena for anything from one semester to one year.

The first student to take advantage of the co-operation is Mary Hurwood who has gone to Jena for 12 months postgraduate studies. From next year onwards it is likely the reciprocal arrangement will see some students from Germany coming to study here.

For further information, contact Dr Sabine Horst (telephone 3365 3114).