January 30, 2013

Getting to know Bonn and the Eifel


Bonn. The Academy for International Education (AIB) is offering american students a semester abroad in Bonn for 20 years. Mayoress Angelica Maria Kappel recently welcomed 123 young students from the US at the Old City Hall.
“An exchange like that is formative for young people”, Kappel told the General Anzeiger. “Taking the experiences of their stay back home, these students become ambassadors of Bonn”, she believes. She is convinced, that studying abroad has its influences on any vocational future, which is quite an important aspect for the international federal city Bonn. Kappel invited the students to officially welcome them in Bonn and to introduce them to the history of the city.
The participants of the AIB program actually attend the Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, the Penn State University in Pennsylvania and the Texas A&M University, about 90 miles from Houston. Now they are studying subjects like Landscape Architecture, Biology or Theater for four month at the AIB facilities. They get full credits for their studies in Bonn. “The framework program will lead them to a lot of regional destinations in Bonn or in the Eifel”, declares program coordinator Nils-Holger Glomme. But even Berlin, Barcelona and Madrid are scheduled excursions.
The students are housed in host families all over Bonn. “They act as ties between lecture halls and social life”, says Glomme. Local companies get involved in the program too, for example by welcoming participants of economic courses. “In this regard, Bonn is the ideal place such a semester abroad”, depicts Glomme, because natural scientific and cultural courses do not miss out either. Furthermore Bonn is the perfect starting point for traveling Europe.
An aspect that has been important for Kirstie (20) and Megan (22). “I heard how beautiful Germany is and I am looking forward to meeting the people here”, says Kirstie, who studies Biomedicine. Megan, a prospective landscape architect, feels comfortable in her host family and beyond, too. She says that she likes the aware handling of ecological aspects within her study course the most. In May, on the occasion of semesters ending Theater students will perform their own rehearsed play, as well as the AIB will host a big jubilee event.