Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences informs potential students at German schools in Egypt

Career and study guidance often takes place at large information events in the exhibition halls of major German cities. But students abroad are also asking themselves what they want to do after leaving school. An opportunity for German universities to compete for new students? Student counsellor Natalie Stellmacher recently moved her workplace to Egypt for a few days. At two study information days at German schools in Alexandria and Cairo, she presented Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences as an attractive place to study to around 700 interested pupils and parents. The engineering degree programme in particular met with great interest. 

Natalie Stellmacher has been a student counsellor at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences since 2018. She gives talks and answers questions about studying in Bremerhaven at trade fairs and digital and analogue information events. She also advises prospective students at individually arranged appointments. She was delighted to have the opportunity to travel to Egypt and present the university there. "We were invited directly by the student counselling service of the New German School Alexandria to their first study information day. Two days later, the DAAD Cairo office held its big information day, so we were also able to take part. The event was attended by students from all seven German schools abroad in Egypt," says Natalie Stellmacher. 

There are 135 German schools abroad that are recognised by the Federal Republic of Germany. These are public schools that are supervised by the Federal Foreign Office. Pupils are taught in several languages and can obtain German school-leaving qualifications as well as national qualifications. This makes it easier for them to study at German universities. "Around 90% of pupils at German schools in Egypt would like to study in Germany. There is a particularly high level of interest in engineering subjects. My presentations on the engineering degree programme were very well attended," says Stellmacher. There was also a great deal of interest in the opportunity to study food technology/food management on a dual work-study programme and thus earn an income while studying. By contrast, study programmes that are popular in Germany, such as business administration and social work, tend to be less attractive to students from schools abroad.

In addition to lectures, the programme of events also included an information fair. Here, Natalie Stellmacher was able to answer individual questions from students and parents. "It was often about how the application process works. Depending on the degree, there can be different procedures. In general, the students were well prepared and asked very thoughtful questions. And the parents were also very interested and took information material for their children," concludes the student advisor. 
The application phase for the 2024 summer semester runs until 15 February. In addition to the Master's degree programmes, the Bachelor's degree programmes in Transport/Logistics, Engineering, Biotechnology of Marine Resources, Business Administration (practice-integrated dual) and Foundation, Innovation, Leadership are also accepting new students.

Further information can be found at www.hs-bremerhaven.de.