Experience Reports

Neele Jacob from Faculty H at the IPS Setúbal, Portugal (winter semester 2023/24)

"My four-month stay at the Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal (IPS) in Portugal was an enriching and unforgettable experience. During this time, I studied in English and gained numerous new insights of both an academic and personal nature.

The IPS campus is located outside the city, but is easily accessible by bus. There are several canteens on campus where you can find a wide selection of lunches, snacks and much more at reasonable prices.

The lecturers at IPS were extremely helpful and approachable. The relaxed and informal communication with them contributed significantly to a positive learning environment. Instead of traditional exams, the focus of the course was on presentations and assignments. The content of the modules was quite similar to those offered in Suderburg. However, the modules in Portugal were much more limited in scope. This made it possible to concentrate more intensively on certain topics and to understand the course content thoroughly. On the other hand, the knowledge you took with you at the end of the semester abroad was not quite as extensive as here in Germany. There were larger presentations at the end of the semester, while we had to prepare smaller presentations during the semester. Presenting in English was particularly challenging for me, but it was also a valuable opportunity to improve my language skills and gain confidence in my presentation skills.

A particular highlight of my stay was the opportunity to travel around the country a lot. Portugal has a fascinating culture and breathtaking landscapes, which I was able to explore extensively. The people are very friendly and helpful, even if you often had to use your hands and feet to communicate, as English was not always spoken.

During my stay, I met many people from all over the world and made some wonderful friends. The international atmosphere at IPS made it easy to make contacts and settle in quickly. The shared experiences, both on campus and on our excursions, made my stay in Setúbal special.

In summary, my stay at IPS Setúbal was a valuable experience that was both academically and personally enriching. The helpfulness of the lecturers, the friendly and international student community and the opportunity to explore Portugal made this time a special and formative phase of my life."

Neele Jacob at a beach bar in Setúbal. Picture shot by a fellow student from Warsaw. 

Luis Barros from the Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal in winter semester 2022/23 and summer semester 2023 at the Ostfalia Suderburg campus

In summer 2022, Luis Barros came to us as a Portuguese student at Faculty H of Ostfalia University to spend the mobility phase in Germany as part of his Bachelor's degree in Logistics at IPS Setúbal. Due to the many positive experiences at the Suderburg campus, Mr. Barros is now toying with the idea of staying in Germany after completing his studies in order to work as a research assistant at Ostfalia University and later pursue a career in research and teaching.

The good connections to companies, the proximity to Hamburg and its port, the quality of the professors and scientific teams and also the rather quiet location of Suderburg were convincing arguments for choosing the Ostfalia University location Suderburg for his studies in the mobility phase.

Luis Barros and Prof. Dr. Jürgen Böse at the Logistics Panel 2023 (Ostfalia Campus Suderburg). 

Mr. Barros is currently taking part in various lectures as an ERASMUS student in the Commerce and Logistics course at Faculty H and has already passed his first exams with great success. At the same time, Mr Barros is working as a student assistant in the team of the Internationalization Officer, Professor Böse, where he is carrying out both teaching assistant activities and research projects with great commitment. Until Luis Barros completes his logistics degree in summer 2023, he will also be working as a student trainee at Rheinmetall in Unterlüß, gaining practical operational experience as a logistician and managing his own small projects.

Luis Barros: "It was a very good decision to come to the Suderburg campus and I recommend everyone to spend their time abroad here!"

Max Stade from Faculty H of Ostfalia in winter semester 2022/23 at the campus of the University of Applied Sciences Burgenland (Austria)

Through the stay abroad at the  FH Burgenland I was able to develop myself personally. The experience of leaving my daily comfort zone and studying at a foreign university with previously unknown fellow students for a semester has shown me completely new sides for my studies and also privately.

On the one hand, it was interesting to see how people study in another country and what differences there are in everyday study life.
On the other hand, it was extremely exciting to get to know the many other exchange students at the FH Burgenland. We were about 20 students from 9 countries, which allowed us to learn a lot about other cultures and their lives.

However, the best experience during my stay at our partner university in Burgenland were the countless evenings and excursions together with the other fellow students. This allowed me to make good friends across national borders, which would have been difficult without the support of the Erasmus program.

  Max Stade with his fellow students at dinner on the campus of the  Burgenland University of Applied Sciences.