In the winter semester 1949/50, the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Stuttgart set up the first ever student exchange program between the United States and Germany. Sixty years later, it is still one of the most desirable exchange programs between our two countries.

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(© Universität Stuttgart)

Max Bächer was the first German exchange student who came to Georgia Tech in 1949. Not quite sure what to expect, he soon learned how important the enriching cultural exchange and the linguistic and academic experiences would be for his personal development and for his later professional career. "I found here a wonderful atmosphere of friendship, understanding, hospitality and helpfulness," Bächer told the student newspaper "The Technique".

Over the past six decades, more than 200 German students have spent an academic year at Georgia Tech. Most have studied engineering and architecture and many have used the opportunity to achieve a master's degree to improve their future job opportunities.

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Richard Bormann (left) and Marcus Schrade at GA Tech

(© German Consulate General)

In 2009, two students from the University of Stuttgart are the latest addition to the program. Marcus Schrade (25) studies Aerospace Engineering and Richard Bormann (24) focuses on Computer Science.

They are both "first timers" here in the US and arrived with quite a bit of curiosity and excitement. Expecting an urban university full of concrete and high-rise buildings, they were surprised by the beautiful green campus and the accessibility of all student facilities at Georgia Tech.

Richard and Marcus – like most applicants - chose Georgia Tech for the great variety of lectures and courses in their field. In addition to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the California Institute of Technology and the University of California at Berkeley, Georgia Tech is one of the top universities for engineering in the US. "I was thrilled when I got the news that I was chosen for the program," Marcus says. The German candidates had to pass a strict selection procedure and had to be among the top 5% in their class.

When we met Marcus and Richard after the first few weeks, they were happy to report that the experience had been mostly positive. "Georgia Tech is a modern and friendly campus," Marcus notes. "I have been pleasantly surprised by the service orientation of the university, from convenient online registration for classes to extended opening hours of the library and the stunning sports and recreation facilities."

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(© German Consulate General)

With about 19,000 students, the University of Stuttgart and Georgia Tech are of equal size. But different from a European university, an American campus is comprised of so much more than class rooms and libraries. Over here students usually live on campus and get more socially involved. As a result, the campus of Georgia Tech has a lot to offer: restaurants, shops, social clubs, a postal office, and even a barber shop.

American universities are also in a much better position in regard to funding for student projects. "Last year, students in my professor's class received 200,000 Dollars to build a robot," Richard tells us in amazement.

There is also a notable difference in the teaching style. "Here the students are taught with many practical examples and they receive extensive homework assignments," Richard explains. "Frequent graded tests and a large amount of required reading demand continued learning. There is not much free time during the semester if you want to keep up with it all." In Germany, the final grade for a class is often the result of one written assignment, due after the break, and maybe one practical project. "But there is no better or worse," Richard adds. "I like that in the US after all the hard work, the breaks are truly for taking time off."

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(© German Consulate General)

The student exchange is supported by the World Student Fund (WSF), the only organization in the United States that is managed solely by students. Since 1949, the WSF has brought more than 200 students from 36 countries to Georgia Tech. The program's success can be seen in the enthusiastic support it receives from the students who raise the money and select recipients for the scholarships. It has grown from two participants in 1949, to more than twenty foreign students at Georgia Tech and eight Tech students in Europe today.

Marcus and Richard are both grateful to the WSF which makes it possible for them to waive the high out-of-state tuition and only pay the tuition a local Georgia student would have to pay. They are very happy and grateful for the chance to study one year at Georgia Tech, to experience the academic enrichments and to get to know a foreign country, its culture, language and its people.

60 years after the first German student from Stuttgart came to Georgia Tech, the exchange program between both universities is still an example for many other programs and cooperations between schools, universities and communities. It is now an inherent component of German-American friendship.