Networking event of the dual Bachelor's degree programs "International Business Administration (IBA)" and "International Business Administration and Information Technology (IBAIT)" on their experiences abroad.
Over the past few months, students on the Bachelor's degree courses "International Business Administration (IBA)" and "International Business Administration and Information Technology (IBAIT)" have been traveling throughout Europe and the USA as part of their dual study program, gaining exciting experiences during their semester or internship abroad. They recorded their experiences in keynote speeches and short films, which they presented at a major networking event on Monday, December 4, 2023, under the motto "Global Minds" in the form of the specially created "HWG Ludwigshafen Film Festival". Alexander Schweitzer, Minister of Labour, Social Affairs, Transformation and Digitalization of Rhineland-Palatinate, delivered the state government's greeting on behalf of Minister President Malu Dreyer:
"Rhineland-Palatinate lies at the heart of Europe and our universities have a long tradition of cooperation across state borders, with countries inside and outside the EU. The internationalization of universities is an important element for our state in positioning itself in global competition. In addition, cooperation between universities and companies in the region contributes to recruiting and securing skilled workers," said Schweitzer.
In his welcoming address, University President Prof. Dr. Gunther Piller also emphasized the importance of regional roots on the one hand and international networking and orientation on the other for HWG LU. The dual degree programs "International Business Administration (IBA)" and "International Business Administration and Information Technology (IBAIT)" are two "jewels in the university's international portfolio" with international experience firmly anchored in the curriculum from the outset in the form of a semester abroad or internship abroad.
The IBA and IBAIT students of the 5th semester then reported on these rich eleven weeks of experience abroad in Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom, Hungary and the USA in an entertaining way in words and (moving) pictures over popcorn and soft drinks in the darkened auditorium of the university. The first event was the presentation of the semester abroad at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, USA. The conclusion of the IBAIT students: "It was simply perfect!"
Interspersed with the international short film spectacle, the panel discussion on the topic of "Beyond Borders" was another highlight of the event: alongside Minister Alexander Schweitzer, students Panagiota Thanakou (IBA, BASF) and Yannik Hahn (IBAIT, SAP) and course director Prof. Dr. Gerhard Raab, three company representatives from the dual degree programs answered questions from moderator Maurice Fuchs: Daniela Kalweit, Head of Trainee Recruitment, Commercial or IT Training at BASF SE; Dr. Klaus Friedrich Schmiedgen, Head of Training DACH at SAP SE and Silke Schlichtmann, People & Culture Operations Director at JTI. As different as the roles on the podium were, the participants agreed on one thing: international experience and intercultural competence are an enrichment - for the individual as well as for the university and the companies and ultimately also for the country: "Investing in training means investing in the future; intercultural competence and cosmopolitanism are central to this," Silke Schlichtmann summed it up.
Background information:
The Bachelor's degree programs "International Business Administration (IBA)" and "International Business Administration and Information Technology (IBAIT)" were developed and continuously developed by HWG LU in cooperation with companies from the metropolitan area Rhine-Neckar (e.g. BASF SE and SAP SE). The two degree programs are based on the diploma program "International Business Administration in Practice" (BIP), which was established in 1995 as the first dual degree program in Rhineland-Palatinate in cooperation with BASF. Since 2008, the two degree programs have been operating under the name "Business and International Programs" (BIP).
An integral part of the BIP degree programs has been the semester or internship abroad from the very beginning.
The first international exchange of experience took place back in 1998 and has been organized every year since then - with the exception of the Covid19 years 2020 and 2021. In 2023, the internships took place in Belgium, Denmark, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, the United Kingdom and Hungary; the students completed their semester abroad at the University of West Florida in Pensacola, USA.
Further information on the two dual degree programs IBA and IBAIT can be found at:
https://www.hwg-lu.de/iba orhttps://www.hwg-lu.de/ibait
Professional contact:
Ludwigshafen University of Business and Society
Department of Marketing and Human Resource Management
Kathrin Paul (MBA/USA)
Managing Director BIP I Associate Director Transatlantic Institute
Tel. 0621/5203-440
Email: Kathrin.Paul@ 8< SPAM protection, please remove >8 hwg-lu.de
