International Cooperation Office

If my Erasmus+ experiences were flowers, I could make a beautiful garland out of it. I was always told that every country in Europe is very different from one another. It was hard for me to believe that, but my experience proved me wrong.

I am Sree Sharan, a student from Hochschule Mittweida, Germany and study Global Communication in Business and Culture. I am originally from India which purely makes me run behind the adventures of cultural diversity. When most of my friends chose to fly far apart from Germany to have different experiences, I decided to learn how different can the culture be in the neighboring country. Nysa, Poland did not fail me in showing its beautiful culture off. And choosing the University of Applied Sciences in Nysa, which is known for its excellence in education and international collaboration was one of the best decision I took.

The university and its staffs greeted me and all my Erasmus friends with open arms. Starting with my semester abroad, I chose to study English philology, and the professors and lecturers played an important role in helping us get along with the local students in their classes. I also had beautiful opportunities to present about my country to the students in the local schools in the city as a part of my studies. It felt positively different to sit inside a class with new friends and listen to the lectures in a different language from the home university. Throughout the semester, I got opportunities to meet many professors and make new friends from different countries as a part of the University’s special international collaboration programs. To reflect upon my internship in Nysa, I feel grateful to have taken this opportunity. The aim of the internship was to provide me with hands-on experience in the field of international cooperation within a university setting. I was also responsible for marketing the upcoming programs and attract new participants from different countries. The wonderful staffs from the international Office of UAS in Nysa provided me a beautiful environment to work, learn and helped me adapt myself to their environment.

I was able to apply my theoretical knowledge into real-world situations and develop skills in different contexts such as:

• International Collaboration – to bring a healthy cooperation and partnership between the home university and the foreign university by studying about their origin and the culture to know the best way of approaching.
• Cross-Culture Communication – My Cross-Culture communication abilities have been greatly improved by building positive relationships with individuals from different cultures which was essential for personal and professional growth. It also helped me enhance cultural sensitivity.
• Project management skills – Helped me in developing essential skills for delivering successful projects, achieve their goals, minimize risks and adapt to changing environment.
• Networking skills – It was a valuable tool to expand the knowledge about the opportunities, solve problems and develop a support system.

Few International Collaboration programs I took part as a student and helped as in intern were:

• Blended Intensive Program (BIP) - “Economic Issues: Global & European Perspective”, in collaboration with University of Applied Sciences in Mittweida, Germany and Dunaujvaros Egyetem, University of Dunaujvaros.
• International Immersion Program - “Broadening Horizons for Global Business Management” in collaboration with University of Ahmedabad.
• UAS in Nysa International Summer Program 2023

Some of the challenges I faced during my Internship were:

• Language – it was indeed a wonderful opportunity to learn a language during the stay in abroad but when it came to the part of work, I was able to focus only on thr international cooperation and couldn’t work on things happening in the locals.
• Time – The internship period was for three months which made it harder for me to analyse the working methods being used and to take in various skills at once.

My internship experience in Nysa has been a valuable and transformative journey. Throughout this period, I have gained practical insights in the field of International Cooperation within a university setting and had the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse team of individuals from various parts of the world. I am grateful for the guidance and the mentorship from my superiors and colleagues which has contributed significantly to my personal and professional growth. This internship has been an invaluable chapter in my academic life and I am excited to carry these lessons and methods forward as I step on the next phase of my career.

Sree Sharan Suresh Babu
Hochschule Mittweida