IUB Open House a Great Success

Question: What is the hottest new university in Northern Germany, where students from more than 80 countries study, live, and learn together in an exciting, small campus atmosphere supported by 90 world-class faculty members?

Answer: International University Bremen!

[ Jun 13, 2005] On June 10th and 11th, more than 120 university-bound students, their parents, and teachers from high schools all over Germany and from as far away as New Zealand and Zimbabwe joined IUB students, faculty, and staff to learn about IUB’s academic and student life, scholarship and financial aid possibilities, career services, study abroad options, and more.

"This is extremely exciting. As a non-German I am really enjoying meeting German students looking to come to IUB. While they are coming from all over Germany and have different perspectives, one thing they all have in common is their curiosity about IUB." commented 2nd year student Gergana Mladencheva.

Friday’s program began with a walking tour of historic downtown Bremen, lead by IUB students. In the evening, campus activities included dinner in College III, a special session of the IUB Quiz Show, moderated by IUB student Monsurat Nurudeen (Nigeria), pick-up basketball, a screening of “L’Auberge Espangol” in the cinema. Later that evening, thanks to the efforts of The OtherSide student staff, all had a chance to relax and get to know each other a bit better in IUB’s student-run café/bar.

Peter Dorthe, Assistant Director of Admission and Student Marketing at IUB was quoted as saying, "We were very pleased that with the support of our students, faculty and staff, we could offer high school students a glimpse of life at IUB. This was the optimal time for guests to stay in an IUB college, explore the campus and Bremen, and learn about IUB's academic and social life from our best representatives, IUB's students and faculty. The response from workshop participants has been very positive, and we are looking forward to hosting other such events to introduce curious students here in Germany to IUB."

Saturday morning, the visitors enjoyed a full program, including a lively panel discussion about what life is really like on campus and in a research university, hosted by both current IUB students and recent graduates: Trimita Chakma (Bangladesh), Tino Kreutzer (Germany), Henrik Maedler (Germany), Gergana Mladencheva (Bulgaria), Artur Palacz (Poland), Brighton Samatanga (Zimbabwe), and Bilyana Tsvetkova (Bulgaria). Professors Hartmut Wessler of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences and Sebastian Springer of the School of Engineering and Science gave an overview of IUB’s 16 transdisciplinary programs and the philosophy behind them as well as the wealth of exciting research, graduate school and career possibilities available to IUB students and graduates.

The morning concluded with IUB student-lead tours of the campus, its high-tech laboratories, the Information Resource Center, classroom buildings and residence halls. During lunch, interested students were able to talk with Professors Goetz Pfander (Mathematics), Michael Kohlhase (Engineering and Computer Science), and Ryan Richards (Chemistry) about the opportunities offered by these majors.

Noted one visiting student over breakfast Saturday, "I have already applied to IUB and so came with a rather critical eye. My first impressions, gained from visiting the IUB website, were confirmed and I gained a good impression from my tours and from the students of what campus life and studying at IUB is all about."

Saturday afternoon’s participants attended a series of workshops in three half-hour sessions each, including:

Internships, careers, and study abroad experiences

A closer look at IUB’s School of Engineering and Science

A closer look at IUB’s School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Beyond Academics: clubs, sports and more…

Everday life on a college campus

What are the new bachelor’s/master’s degrees?

Admission, scholarships, and financial aid

OceanLab: a special tour and group discussion

Finally, to ensure that our guests understood that IUB is not all work and no play, on Saturday evening our students treated our guests to a sampling of Bremen nightlife, hitting the clubs for some dancing, relaxation, and a last chance to discover what makes IUB such an exceptional place to be – the IUB students themselves.

Jon Ikram, Director of IUB Admissions added, "Truly the best recruitment event we hosted on campus ever. The prospective students were wonderful and loved what IUB had to offer. A big thank you to everyone involved."

Questions relating to Admissions or the recent Open House can be addressed to Christine Souders or by visiting the Admission webpage.