From all corners of the world, across all faculties

Whatever the season may feel like this week: it’s the summer term at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences (HSMW), and lectures began on 17 March. The students are back on campus following the short semester break. But there are also plenty of new faces. On the morning of the first day of lectures, the university welcomed its ‘freshers’ at the matriculation ceremony in the Ludwig-Hilmer Building. There are around 250 of them this semester. Among them are 113 who have started their Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, either full-time or extra occupational.

Many international students have also recently arrived in Mittweida. Over the past few months, 31 of them have been preparing for their studies at the HSMW’s preparatory college in Chemnitz, where they learnt German and acquired the basic knowledge required for their chosen subject and, consequently, gained entry to the university. They are now embarking on their degree programmes in Global Communication in Business and Culture, Social Work, Biotechnology, Business Engineer, Electrical Engineering – Automation, Media Management, Applied Computer Science, and Audio and Acoustical Engineering – across all five faculties of the university.

A further thirty or so ‘incoming students’ are at the university for their semester abroad – hailing from almost every continent on Earth. During the week before lectures began, they took part in their Orientation Week, getting to know one another – and, together with staff from the International Office and fellow students from the Cosmopolitan Club, they also explored the campus, local culture and the surrounding area of Mittweida. In addition, they refreshed their German language skills and were introduced to the academic culture at German universities.

By the time the enrolment ceremony began on 17 March, the freshers had already enjoyed breakfast together. And with the ceremony itself, the university and the town demonstrated that being welcomed into the Mittweida University of Applied Sciences family is more than just an administrative formality. Under the heading ‘Mittweida is a family affair’, Leon Matschkewitz, deputy chair of the Students’ Council, therefore set the tone for his new fellow students’ academic journey.

Before Rector Professor Volker Tolkmitt symbolically enrolled the new students, Mittweida’s Lord Mayor Ralf Schreiber and student chaplain Nina-Maria Mixtacki also welcomed the freshers.

At the HSMW’s preparatory college in Chemnitz, 267 young people are currently preparing for their degree courses. There, prospective international students take a course to prepare for the so-called ‘Feststellungsprüfung’ (entry examination) and sit this exam after one academic year. This exam is the equivalent of the German Abitur; therefore, alongside German as a foreign language, the curriculum includes subjects such as mathematics, physics, chemistry, English, social studies, history, geography, economics, business studies, computer science and technical drawing. At the end of the course, the students receive their official university entrance qualification. The majority of them will then go on to study at the HSMW.