Experience Port Logistics Up Close

Anyone who applied for a spot in the Transport, Business, and Logistics degree program (formerly: Transportation/Logistics) for the upcoming semester had the opportunity to take part in a special excursion recently. As part of the applicant management process, they were invited on a tour aboard the HafenBus, giving them a first-hand look at logistics operations in the port of the city.

The Bremerhaven HafenBus takes its passengers to areas that are normally strictly off-limits. That’s why these tours aren’t just interesting for tourists. The Transport, Business, and Logistics (TWL) program at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences came up with the idea of inviting its applicants on such a tour so they could get a behind-the-scenes look at global logistics even before starting their studies. “Our goal was to show prospective students what a port—as an interface for logistics networks—looks like and how it works in principle. When you’ve seen things in real life, you understand a lot of things much better than just in theory. Even the sheer scale of the container cranes is truly impressive,” explains program director Prof. Dr. Carsten Dorn.

Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences also offers events for prospective students who have applied for a spot but haven’t yet enrolled in other degree programs as well. As an admissions manager, Sonja Puncken-Kassen organizes, among other things, digital information sessions and the “Meet Your Prof” event, where applicants have lunch with their future professors and then tour the labs. The HafenBus tour was offered for the first time this year. Participants included not only applicants and their companions but also students and faculty. The special bus tour took them from the Havenwelten directly to the city’s overseas ports. There, among other things, they were able to observe how containers were scanned for suspicious contents using a special X-ray machine. “The participants really enjoyed the tour and found what they saw very interesting,” said Prof. Dorn.

The seven-semester bachelor’s program in Transport, Business, and Logistics trains its students to become versatile logistics generalists. In the process, they gain insights into the numerous facets of logistics—from operational aspects to management perspectives. The program consists of roughly one-third each of natural sciences and engineering, economics, and applied computer science, law, hazardous materials management, and languages. This technical and engineering-oriented focus of the program is unique in the field of logistics. Close collaboration with industry as well as retail and service companies enables students to get to know future employers while they are still in school. For more information, visit www.hs-bremerhaven.de/twl.