Engineering's Global Outreach
Efforts Extend to Germany
From Dateline (November
6, 2003)
|
German mechanical engineerings students,
from left, Marcus Frey, Matthias Brautschek, Gorg Weschenfelder
and Konrad Henes recently toured the physics/engineering
machine shop, where Dave Parsons, center, demonstrated
a metal-turning lathe. The tour was part of the students’
visit to the College of Engineering and Computer Science. |
|
|
The College of Engineering and Computer Science
recently hosted a delegation of 16 mechanical engineering students
and two faculty members from Germany, as part of the university’s
continuing efforts to extend its global outreach.
The three-day visit by students and faculty from
Fachhochschule Karlsruhe, University of Applied Sciences –
one of the foremost technical institutions of higher learning in
Europe – is the latest development in an educational partnership
between the two institutions.
During their stay, German engineering professors
Manfred Gottschalk and Wolfgang Hoheisel met with members of the
engineering faculty, including Jesa H. Kreiner, chair of the Division
of Engineering and professor of mechanical engineering; Sundaram
Krishnamurthy, acting department head and professor of mechanical
engineering; and Hossein Moini, professor of mechanical engineering.
Also in attendance were Raman Unnikrishnan, dean
of ECS; Dorota Huizinga, acting associate dean of ECS; Keith Boyum,
associate vice president for academic programs and professor of
political science; and Chaim Gutfinger, a visiting professor from
Israel.
The group explored ways to implement student exchange
programs and to facilitate the transfer of credits and possible
collaborative projects.
“We seek and cherish international ties,”
said Boyum. “Cal State Fullerton has international goals that
can benefit all parties concerned.” The university has established
international agreements with more than 40 institutions of higher
learning, Boyum noted.
Kreiner said the university has a strong relationship
with Fachhochschule Karlsruhe and wants to explore ways to expand
the partnership.
Three years ago, Cal State Fullerton hosted two Fachhochschule
Karlsruhe students, who attested to the rewarding academic experience
they had in Fullerton. Their experience prompted the 16 German students
to visit Cal State Fullerton instead of an institution in Brazil,
the other place considered for this trip, said Kreiner.
During their visit, Fachhochschule Karlsruhe students
were able to meet
with Fullerton students, said Kreiner. “They ate pizza, played
pool and exchanged stories about their favorite and not-so-favorite
professors. They also discussed the capstone projects at both institutions,
and were favorably impressed with the Fullerton projects, particularly
the mini Baja vehicle.”
The visitors toured Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Universal
Studios and the Customer Technology Application Center of Southern
California Edison.
Last year, Kreiner gave a seminar at Fachhochschule Karlsruhe, located
near the Black Forest in Baden-Wurttemberg. He arranged for Krishnamurthy
to spend the spring semester at the German institution, where Krishnamurthy
taught computer-aided design as a visiting professor and interacted
with Fullerton students via the Internet.
Students from the German institution are expected
to spend the academic year at Fullerton as part of a future exchange.
Alex Naber, a Cal State Fullerton mechanical engineering major,
is currently spending the year at Fachhochschule Karlsruhe.
« back to University News
|