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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Jhon Pereira from Nicaragua is one of the first students in the new English-taught bachelor’s degree programme Industrial Engineering on HSBI’s Gütersloh Campus. The 20-year-old has already completed an internship with the agricultural machinery manufacturer CLAAS in Harsewinkel.
“It had long been my dream to study at HSBI,” Jhon Pereira admits. His cousin had been an ERASMUS student at HSBI some years ago and had spoken very highly of the university. Originally, Jhon, too, wanted to spend a semester in Bielefeld as an ERASMUS exchange student – “but life had better plans for me,” he says and chuckles. In 2023, he had the opportunity to spend a year as an exchange student at Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, where he improved his German skills, attended first courses and got to know German university life. He took this as a starting point to orient himself towards HSBI. It was a stroke of good fortune, then, that two new English-taught bachelor’s degree programmes started on Gütersloh Campus in 2024 and he was able to apply for a place in the Industrial Engineering programme. “I was very happy about the acceptance,” Jhon remembers. He was now one step closer towards realising his dream.
Sixteen nationalities – one study programme, one objective
In the meantime, he has already completed his first semester in Gütersloh: “It went really well!” Thanks to his prior Industrial Engineering studies at Universidad Tecnológica La Salle (ULSA) in León, Nicaragua, from 2020 to 2023, he is mostly familiar with the programme contents. He is also getting along fine with the courses being taught in English. In addition, he has been learning German for two years. Sixteen nationalities are represented in his study programme: “Working together with people from different cultures is a very enriching and fascinating experience: We share ideas, give each other new impulse and push each other. This also means that we learn a lot from each other, as everyone contributes their own approach. And in this collaboration, there is hardly any friction. At least, I have not encountered any intercultural barriers yet. After all, we have a shared objective: we want to learn, work on projects and support each other as team players.” Since October 2024, he has been living in a shared flat in Bielefeld together with two master’s students who support him in all things relating to studies and everyday life. “Living together with Germans helps me integrate better and improve my language skills.”
From a farm in Nicaragua to CLAAS
In his home country, Jhon had already completed technical training as a microcomputer operator and worked in logistics, with DHL for example, before he started his studies there. However, his family background is characterised by agriculture: his father exports roots and tubers; his grandfather had cultivated maize, cotton and millet in his agricultural business. During school holidays, Jhon often helped on the farm. This connection with agriculture was one of the reasons why he applied for an internship with CLAAS: “I am absolutely thrilled that I have the opportunity to get an insight into an innovative working atmosphere and to apply my experience to a real work environment in a company that is so renowned in agriculture,” says Jhon. “Comparing different welding technologies, I was able to independently conduct tensile tests, evaluate the results, present them to the team and conduct a test series to improve corrosion protection. The internship provided me with two months full of interesting tasks and a deep insight into production.” For CLAAS, too, the study programme is a real asset: “Within our global matrix organisation, we were able to quickly place Jhon in an international team that is close to production,” says Hannah Lohrmann, HR Manager at CLAAS. The selection and recruitment process with HSBI went smoothly and we can absolutely recommend the cooperation with this study programme,” she adds. “We were delighted about the students’ interest in internship opportunities and jobs in our company.”
The welcome package includes a Gütersloh city rally
The programme director Professor Dr. Mariam Dopslaf, too, has a positive first impression of the programme: “The new study programme went off to a great start thanks to my colleague Dr. Maria Kobert, who, supported by the International Office team, had planned everything to the last detail. The three weeks leading up to the start of the semester – our ‘Welcome Weeks’ – were filled with an online intensive German course, several information sessions and tours of the campuses in Bielefeld and Gütersloh. However, the highlight was a city rally in Gütersloh organised by a local escape room team.”
Professor Dopslaf goes on to say that the biggest challenge was an administrative one: students’ visa issues. In their home countries, they had to wait for appointments at the German consulates for weeks or months. The close support that is typical of universities of applied sciences, lies particularly close to her heart: “In the first semester, I teach two courses, which gives me the opportunity to stay in touch with the students and answer their questions or provide information.” For the next semesters, Professor Dopslaf plans to establish a ‘Buddy scheme’ to make the start of studies even more comfortable for the next generations. This scheme intends to introduce new students to the inner workings of HSBI with the help of more experienced students. Jhon Pereira may soon be one of these ‘buddies’ – he would be happy to share his experience: “That would be a great honour!”
More Info
The English-taught bachelor's degree programme Industrial Engineering started on Gütersloh Campus in the winter semester 2024/25. In the winter semester 2025/26, Mechatronics and Automation will follow. Both programmes are offered as full-time and work-integrated studies. In the work-integrated version, students are employed by a company throughout their studies and receive a salary. Work terms spanning several weeks alternate with academic terms on Gütersloh Campus. Being part of the company from the very beginning equips students not only with academic training but also with professional practice. Theoretical knowledge is put into practice and vice versa. Students become familiar with their respective company’s culture and achieve a high degree of efficiency in their job. They can also start as full-time students and switch to the work-integrated version as soon as they have a cooperation agreement with a suitable company. The admission requirements are Abitur, Fachhochschulreife or an equivalent school leaving certificate or educational background that qualifies for higher education plus English skills at B2 level.
Another programme starting in the winter semester 2024/25 is the English-taught master's degree programme Data Science on Gütersloh Campus.
Prospective students can apply for a place in one of the programmes between 1 June and 15 July each year.
https://www.hsbi.de/presse/pressemitteilungen/aus-nicaragua-zum-englischsprachig... Press release on www.hsbi.de
Jhon Pereira is one of the first students on the English-taught Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engi ...
P. Pollmeier/HSBI
The trainee also carried out a series of tests to improve corrosion protection.
P. Pollmeier/HSBI
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Maschinenbau, Werkstoffwissenschaften
überregional
Kooperationen, Studium und Lehre
Englisch
Jhon Pereira is one of the first students on the English-taught Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engi ...
P. Pollmeier/HSBI
The trainee also carried out a series of tests to improve corrosion protection.
P. Pollmeier/HSBI
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