International Summer University

Learning objectives:

• Develop an understanding of the function and importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Sustainability
• Understand critical thinking and analysis against historical developments and paradigmatic financial and economic thought
• Understand basic theories of how many of our business practices work counterproductively to a sustainable environment
• Appreciate the diverse institutional and societal responses to CSR and Sustainability in the EU and the USA
• Understand the current societal design of the consumer economy and its limited future
• Develop a mindset of solutions as opposed to disaster
• Development of communication, self-management and group working skills

The module fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Reading and comprehension skills of academic literature
• Communication skills
• Problem-solving skills
• Team work in international groups
• Critical thinking skills

The complete  course description.

Course instructor is Prof. Dr. Bruce Kibler from Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Participant's testimonial (ISU 2019)

Students who successfully complete this module will be able to:

• can define the term culture and can discuss some of the comparative ways of differentiating cultures.
• can describe the concept of cultural values, and relate some of the international differences, similarities and changes occurring in terms of both work and managerial values.
• can define exactly what is meant by organizational culture and discuss the interaction between national and MNC culture.
• can identify and apply the major models of organizational cultures.
• can understand different sources of growth in different markets.
• can understand different strategic choices to be taken for success.
• can understand the dynamics of different markets.

The module fosters the following soft skills competencies:

• review examples of verbal communication styles and explain the importance of message interpretation
• analyze the common downward and upward communication flows used in international communication
• examine the language, perception, culture, and nonverbal barriers to effective international communications.

The complete course description

Course insctructor is Ravinder Kaur-Lahrmann from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences

 At the end of the module students should:

• be able to understand the differences in physiotherapy between different countries regarding autonomy, education, political and intercultural aspects and clinical practice
• be able to understand differences in health care systems between different countries
• have gained enhanced practical skills and clinical knowledge in the assessment and management of patients with neuro-musculoskeletal pain discorders
• be able to demonstrate improved diagnostic skills for daily routine
• have deepened their knowledge in the application of research methods in musculoskeletal physiotherapy

The module fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Team working skill in internationale groups
• Reading, writing and comprehension skills
• Communication skills (e.g. presentations, written communication)
• Critical thinking and problem solving skills

Course Instructor is Prof. Dr. Brigitte Tampin from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

The complete course description.

Please take a look at a short video which physiotherapy students made during ISU 2018.

Participant's testimonial (ISU 2019)

At the end of the module students should be able to:

• understand how various hospitals systems and healthcare organizations provide services to their patients
• understand the different levels of administration within health insurance
• be able to compare and contrast different models of leadership in healthcare and provide strengths and weaknesses of each type of health insurance

The module fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Leadership development
• Communication skills (e.g. reading, discussion, written communication)
• Strategic planning and problem-solving skills
• Analytical thinking and evidence-based research

Course instructor is La Don Jones from the National University San Diego

The complete  course description.

Learning objectives:

• Evaluate different types of conventional food processing and new alternative technologies on the base of the latest findings
• Learn from valuable expert insights into latest developments in food engineering and food innovation
• Classify and describe special technologies of selected specialization areas
• Use the special terminology of the selected specialization areas
• Evaluate strategies/processes of product development
• Demonstrate capability of teamwork
• Show experience in procedures for professional problem solving in a research and industrial environment.
• Development of communication, self-management and group working skills
• Develop critical thinking skills and the ability to formulate critical ideas
• Develop the ability to understand academic literature.

The module fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Analytical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Reading and comprehension skills of academic literature
• Communication skills (e.g. class discussion, presentations, and course paper)
• Teamwork in international groups

The complete course description

Details on International Summer Lab - Special Food Technologies

At the end of the course, students should be able to:

• summarize the main concepts of artificial intelligence (AI) focusing on artificial neural network (ANN)
• describe the implementation pipeline from data sets to applied ANNs via training of the ANNs
• implement ANNs for classification tasks, time-series perdition, and continues learning
• create datasets (from real data) fitting the needs of AI
• know the challenges and limitations of ANNs
• understand the potential effects of AI on everyday life
• understand evaluations figures of AI
• distinguish whether or not the use of AI might outperform classical methods
• grasp issues based on unbalanced data set design, overfitting, underfitting as well as overgeneralization
• debate the future of AI in the context of computing power, privacy, application domains, and ethical aspects

The course fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• reading and comprehension skills of AI-related papers and textbooks
• prototypical implementation of ANN incl. training as well as evaluation of these networks
• communication skills (e.g., class discussion, presentation of AI concepts incl. code snippets)
• summarizing coding and results in paper-like documents or scientific note pads
• teamwork in international groups

The complete course description.

Course instructor is Prof. Dr. Julius Schöning

German Language

Learning and deepening the German language knowledge of the corresponding level.

The course fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Speaking and comprehension skills
• Communication skills: Everyday life language
• Problem-solving skills
• Team working skills in international groups

Course Instructor: N.N.

The German language training is not available for students who choose ""Special Food Technologies. They will get English language training as mentioned below.

Workshop: Intercultural Competence

At the end of the workshop students should be able to:

• give examples of ways in which culture shapes thinking, feelings and actions.
• name the main differences between individualist and collectivist cultures.
• define the concept “critical incident”.
• apply multiple perspectives and generate and test hypotheses about human interaction in intercultural encounters.

The workshop fosters the following core competencies:

• analyzing problems and generating solutions as a member of an intercultural team.
• using theoretical constructs to analyze interpersonal dynamics in intercultural contexts.
• using theoretical constructs to reflect about one’s personal views and conduct in intercultural settings.

Workshop instructor is Dr. Debbie Coetzee-Lachmann from Smart Communication Training

Lecture: Facts about Germany and Osnabrück

This is a Team-Challenge. Participants will get an introduction to the topic at Welcome Session and an overview how to research and discover the main topics:   

• Facts and figures about Osnabrück/Germany  
• Current topics in Osnabrück/Germany  
• Historical topics in Osnabrück/Germany  
• Economy in Osnabrück   

Task: Groups collect facts and figures about Osnabrück and Germany independently during the program period.  

Presentation and evaluation of results including determining the winning team at Farewell Session 

The lecture fosters the following soft skill competencies: 

• Reading and comprehension skills 
• Independent research skills
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills as well as team working skills in international groups

Course Instructor: Prof. Dr. Kathrin Loer

Study Tip to Berlin

3 day trip to Berlin: Learn more about Germany's culture, history and politics by exploring the capital and taking part in, for instance, a guided city tour and a visit of the Building of the German Parliament.

At the end of the study trip the students should be able to:

• Know the main geography of Berlin
• Be familiar with the key historic sights of the city
• Get an insight into the the role of Berlin in the recent history of Germany‘s division and reunification
• Visit of the Jewish Museum Berlin

The lecture fosters the following soft skill competencies:

• Critical thinking and reflecting in international groups
• Sensitivity to democratic values in society 

Course: Using English correctly and appropriately in academic presentations

This course offer is only valid for students of the course “Special Food Technologies”. It replaces the German language training for them.

The aim of the course is to support students in preparing the presentations they will be giving in the context of the summer university.

Students will learn and practice:

• general academic vocabulary typically used in presentations.
• strategies used to communicate complex content in a clear way.
• strategies used to capture and keep the audience’s attention.

The course Instructor is Dr. Debbie Coetzee-Lachmann from Smart Communication Training.

International students taking one of the courses on-site as a study abroad option will receive 5 ECTS credit points. Osnabrück students will receive 5 ECTS credits points according to the provisions of their degree program.

Together with the ECTS credits students receive a Certificate of Attendance. The International Summer University will provide you with a transcript of records so the course taken in Osnabrück can be recognized by your home university.

During the three weeks there will be graded presentations, term papers or team work assignments. At the end there will be final exams.

Attendance and successful completion of the program are requirements for receiving ECTS credits and the Certificate of Attendance.

The International Summer University is a three week intensive program taught in English. It offers several courses in the field of International Business, Economics, Physiotherapy, Healthcare Management and Food Technology.

The International Summer University is open for international students from all around the world and for students of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences. Gaining intercultural experience by working together with international students in small groups is one of the benefits of ISU. Moreover, it is a good opportunity for students who consider going abroad for a study term to get in touch and network with international students. Last but not least, you will receive ECTS credits for taking part in ISU.

Courses and academic recognition

You have the choice between the following courses, please pick one:

at Bachelor's level:

• Corporate Social Responsibility & Sustainability
• Organisational Culture and Behaviour
• Applied AI for Non-Programmers
• Clinical Perspectives in Physiotherapy
• Food Lab - Special Food Technologies

at Master's level:

• Global Healthcare Management

Your choice is combined with a obligatory lecture on ‘Facts about Germany and Osnabrück’ and 'Intercultural and Interdisciplinary Competence'. The German language part is irrelevant for German speaking students.

Your participation in the ISU can be recognized towards your degree provided that the chosen ISU course corresponds to a module in the curriculum of your degree program

*If you wish recognition for another module of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, please contact us by email. We will then clarify internally the possibilities.

If you choose to take the ISU course as an "Zusatzfach" it will not appear on your transcript, but you will receive a ISU Certificate. Please talk to the coordinator of your degree program about it.

In order to have the ISU course recognized towards your degree, a learning agreement has to be signed. For that purpose, we will send you the respective form after you registered for participation in ISU. You are then required to fill it in, have it signed and return it to us by May 31.

Attendance is compulsory for the entire programme.

Registration

Please register online by March31. In your application you will indicate the course you would like to take, giving us your 1st, 2nd and 3rd choice. Depending on your study profile and on the number of applications for each course we will try to offer you a place in the course of your first choice. Please note that a course will not be offered if fewer than 15 students apply.

Places are limited for Osnabrück students. In case the number of applicants exceeds the number of places, the applications will be evaluated in the order in which they were received. Applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notified if a spot becomes available.

Fees

The program fee for all students of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences is 100 Euro. This amount covers extra curricular activities. Participating in the ISU without paying the lump sum is not possible. Tuition fee for taking part in the courses will not be charged.

By participating in the extra curricular program the team spirit will be fostered and the cooperation of Osnabrück and international students will be strengthened.

The obligatory extra curricular activities include:

• welcome session
• team building event
• one ISU joint program on current topics
• farewell session

Furthermore Osnabrück students choose 2 of 5 activites to participate. With the acceptence the students will be asked to select them:

• Campus tour with international students
• guided city tour in Osnabrück
• workshop in Botanical garden (e.g. from cocoa to chocolate)
• swimming
• university sports (e.g. Beach Volleyball or Yoga)

We will arrange accommodation for you either in the International Guest House of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences or in a flat shared with other students. Most of the rooms are single rooms with a shared kitchen and bathroom. There is also the possibility to do laundry on the premises (card/coin-operated washing machine and dryer). We will inform you about your accommodation prior to your departure to Osnabrück (address, equipment etc.)

Meals can be prepared in the kitchen of the International Guest House. In case you have a room in a shared student flat, you can use the kitchen there. Lunch is available in the student refectory. In order to eat there at student rates (approx. 3.00 euros per meal), you need to present an International Student Identity Card (ISIC)! If you do not have an ISIC, you will have to pay guest prices which are higher. You can obtain an ISIC in your home country.

Snacks are on offer in the student cafeterias. Both the cafeteria and the student refectory are open from Monday to Friday. During weekends you can either use the kitchen or you can also eat out in the city center at quite reasonable prices.

Osnabrück is referred to as the city of short distances. It is simple and convenient to get around in Osnabrück, be it a trip into the downtown area or your way to the university. Everything can be reached either by foot, bike or by public busses.

As an International Summer Program participant you will be provided with a log-in name and password which allows you to access the computers at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences, using the internet as well as the E-Learning platform.

Additionally, students will be able to use the wifi-network for free. Also you can use the access to the internet in your classroom. So please bring your laptop with you. Also, in the various student residences there is access to the internet.

Do not forget to have an ISIC (International Student Identity Card) issued to you by your home university. Many museums, cinemas and theatres offer reduced student rates and you will need it in the student refectory in order to benefit from the student rates there.

The number of students per course is limited. Please note that a course will not be offered if fewer than 15 students apply. Applications are accepted until March 31, 2024. To register for the International Summer University, students must complete the online registration form.

You will receive the Letter of Acceptance by April 12, 2024 at the latest.

The following documents will have to be uploaded by March 31, 2024 in our application portal after your online registration:

• a short CV
• transcript of records
• proof of English competence (only for students whose mother tongue is not English and who do not study in an English taught program at their home university, for details please see below)

All documents should be:

• in English
• file size: maximal 5 MB
• file format: PDF

Participants receive an invoice from Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences directly with their notice of acceptance. Only participants from certain partner universities pay their program fee to their home university.

Program fee: 1950 €

Invoices received by participants or partner universities are to be paid by the date indicated therein (usually 14 days from issue) to

• Recipient: Hochschule Osnabrueck
• Bank: Sparkasse Osnabrück, Wittekindstrasse 17-19, D-49074 Osnabrück
• BIC: NOLADE22XXX
• IBAN: DE52265501050000615690
• Reference: [student or university name], ISU 2024, KST 70010034

Please keep in mind that banks may charge service fees for international money transfers and these must be covered in full by the participant. Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences will not assume any charges for the money transfers of participants and the Summer School fee must be received in full.

Cancellations of reserved places will attract the following cancellation fee:

Program fee for ISU on campus
If you cancel your registration or your reserved place before May 1, you will not be required to pay the program fee.  If you cancel your reserved place on/after May 1 and before June 14, only 50% of the program fee is refundable.
If you cancel your reserved place on/after June 15 no program fee is refundable.

You must be enrolled either at a university abroad or at Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

Please note that the ISU program is limited to three weeks and that acceptance does not imply admission to any other program of Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences.

Students apply for the entire program of the International Summer University. The number of participants is limited. The applications will be evaluated according to their study profile and in the order in which they are received. In case the maximum number of participants is exceeded, applicants will be placed on a waiting list and notified if a place becomes available.

Students whose mother tongue is not English and who do not study in an English taught program at their home university will have to submit proof of English proficiency.

Attendance is compulsory for the entire programme.

As all courses, except the German language courses, will be taught in English. A proof of the ability to study in English must be submitted by all those students whose mother tongue is not English and who do not study in an English taught program at their home university.

In that case one of the following certificates is required:

• At least level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages
• Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL – at least 87 points) http://www.ets.org/toefl
• Test of English for International Communication (TOEIC – at least 750 points) http://www.toeic.com
• Cambridge Proficiency (CPE – minimum grade: C)
• Cambridge Advanced (CAE – minimum grade: B)
• International English Language Testing System (IELTS – minimum grade: 6.0) http://www.ielts.org
• Business English Certificate (BEC 3 – minimum grade: B)

Osnabrück is situated at the junction of important North-South and East-West connections. Cities like Hanover, Hamburg, Amsterdam or Berlin can be reached within a few hours by train or car. It takes only 30 minutes by car to reach the Airport Münster-Osnabrück (FMO). The most popular means of transport in Osnabrück is the bicycle. The town, however, also offers an excellent bus networktudents can use free of charge. At weekends the night buses ensure a safe journey home even late in the evening.

Osnabrück is proud of its long history and you can experience the special atmosphere of the historical downtown area which dates back more than 1,200 years.

Osnabrück offers everything that makes a student‘s life enjoyable: More than 400 pubs, clubs and restaurants cater for all tastes and ensure that you will always find a destination for going out. Cultural events play an important role in this city on the river ”Hase”: Several theatres stage dramas, operas and ballets, various museums offer changing art exhibitions and a variety of festivals range from modern (European Media Art Festival) to traditional (”Mai-Woche”). Very popular among students is the ”Lagerhalle”, an old warehouse which now serves as a meeting place with cafeteria, bar, tearoom and a stage for live music and theatre. The zoo and the planetarium, cinemas and sports facilities offer the approx. 26,000 students who live in Osnabrück opportunities to take well-earned breaks from their studies.

The surrounding area of Osnabrück is covered with appealing landscape ideal for activities such as horseback riding, bicycling, rock climbing and other outdoor activities.

It was discovered, after conducting a nationwide survey that the happiest people in Germany live in Osnabrück. This shows through the friendly and open nature of the citizens in Osnabrück.

Come and share this experience with us! We are excited to have you here!

Supermarkets offer a large range of products at reasonable prices. Each city district has a supermarket. When shopping, you should make a habit of looking at the various items and comparing prices. They often have special offers. You can buy particularly reasonably-priced food in the discount markets. They neither offer a large range of products nor brand names but the quality is nevertheless good. Supermarkets do not generally accept credit cards but most of them Eurocheque Cards (EC= electronic cash). The least expensive supermarkets in Osnabrück usually are ALDI, NETTO and LIDL

Weekly markets
Do you really like and value fresh fruit and vegetables? Then you will find everything to suit your taste at the weekly markets. In most cases, farmers set up there stalls in the town centre on the market square or around churches. They sell farm produce from the region, as well as imported goods, such as exotic fruits. Markets are held on one or several days a week. In Osnabrück the biggest weekly market takes place each Saturday morning in front of the cathedral. Further markets are held on Tuesday afternoons in front of the St. Johann Church ("Johanniskirche") and Thursday morning at the "Ledenhof", opposite to the castle of Osnabrück.

International Shops
Perhaps you are planning to cook a specialty from your home country for your fellow students and cannot find everything you need in the supermarket. A wealth of international food shops stock imported goods from all parts of the world. A Turkish vegetable grocer who also offers numerous oriental products will be found in every German city. In addition, you can find Asia shops with special fish products and spices or African shops in which you can buy manioc, for example.

Health-food shops
Shops selling particularly wholefood products and organically grown vegetables and fruit go by the name of "Bio Supermarkt" or "Reformhaus" in Germany. Also in supermarkets or discount markets you will find a variety of wholefood products. You can recognise these products by a green, octagonal bio seal awarded in accordance with the EEC Council Regulation on Organic Agricultural Produce. 

Germany has a shop closing act which precisely governs when goods may be offered. These regulations may vary in the different federal states of Germany though. In principle, from Monday to Saturday most shops have to remain closed from 8 p.m. until 6.00 a.m. next morning. They remain closed on Sundays and on public holidays.
In the downtown area of Osnabrück many shops are open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Supermarkets may have longer opening hours (from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. or even longer). Some bakeries are open on Sunday mornings.
If shops are closed and you are in urgent need of something, petrol stations, railway kiosks or shops at airports as well as snack bars are the only places that will be able to help out. You can buy food, drinks, small items and newspapers outside of normal opening hours, although at an excessively high price.

Cash/traveller's cheques

You pay for your bread rolls from the baker or the magazine from the kiosk in cash, although "plastic money" is increasingly being accepted. You can change the cash from your home country into Euros around the clock at some cash machines, mostly to be found in the main branches of the banks. You can also go to the bank counters to do this, of course, and you can also cash in traveller's checks there, but only at the official opening times. In major tourist centres, you will also find exchange counters where you can cash in cheques or change money.

Electronic cash (EC/Maestro) with Eurocheque cards

If you come from a country which itself issues Eurocheque cards (not to be confused with the "Eurocard" credit card), then you should make sure that you obtain such a card. You can use it to pay by card easily and almost everywhere. Just look for the EC/Maestro sign on the cash register. Then you can pay by card and signature or with your PIN and the sum is immediately debited from your account. A large number of cash dispensers/ATMs are also available where you can use your Eurocheque card to draw out Euro. However, you will often be charged foreign fees for using this service, if you use your card from home.

Credit cards

Of course, you can pay larger sums worldwide with all well-known credit cards. The door of the shop in question will have a sticker showing which credit cards are accepted. You can also draw cash with your credit card from cash dispensers/ATMs, if you have a PIN. But you will have to pay high charges for this service.

Deutsche Bahn, the German Railway, and a number of private railways provide excellent connections from Hamburg/Bremen, the Ruhr- and the Rhine-Main region, Berlin/Hanover and from Amsterdam to Osnabrück. The central train station is "Osnabrück Hauptbahnhof" (central station). For train connections please check: bahn.de.

The nearest airport is FMO (Flughafen Münster/Osnabrück), which is situated about 30 km to the south of Osnabrück. From there it is easy to reach Osnabrück by public transport. Several shuttle services (e. g. express bus line X150) operate directly between the central city of Osnabrück and the airport.

The second closest airports are Bremen and Hanover Airport, which are situated about 130 km away from Osnabrück. Further airports that can be accessed conveniently are Frankfurt, Düsseldorf and Amsterdam. Osnabrück can be reached best from these destinations by train. 

If you travel by plane, please inform yourself about the latest packing and security regulations of the airline you are traveling with, e. g. check if your luggage adheres to the rules (number of suitcases, weight and size). We recommend that you put your name and address inside of each piece of luggage, in addition to the visible tags on the outside.

Never pack the following items in your luggage: money, travellers' cheques, medicines, important papers (e. g. your passport or original certificates), computer software/disks, memory sticks, name, address and phone numbers of your buddy, the address of your accommodation in Osnabrück, or anything else that is irreplaceable or of sentimental value. Pack these things into your carry-on baggage.

The A1, A30 and A33 motorways (Autobahn) lead to the Osnabrück region. Further important routes include the A roads 51, 68, 214 und 218.
To find your way to Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences take a look at the map of the campus.

Depending on the bilateral agreement your country has with Germany, you may or may not need a visa to enter Germany. Students from EU-countries do not require a visa. For all non-EU-students, the safest way to determine whether you need a visa is by means of the German Federal Foreign Office’s website. 

Also, there are different kinds of visa for different purposes. If you are participating in a short program of less than 90 days (e.g. a summer university or a German language course), you can apply for a “Schengen Visa” which allows you to travel in all the “Schengen Countries”. However, after 90 days you must leave the country. Therefore, if you are going to spend a semester or an entire study program with us, please make sure you apply for a “National Visa” which is valid for more than 90 days. For more information, please get in touch with the German embassy or German consulate in your country of residence. You can find the addresses on the website of the German Federal Foreign Office. 

Please make sure that you allow enough time for the application procedure. It may take about 8 weeks.

We require you to inform yourself in detail before your departure about your insurance coverage abroad and, if required, to take out the relevant insurances (health insurance, accidence insurance and liability insurance). Please be aware that participants of the International Summer University / the International Summer Lab are not insured by Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences and the university does not assume any liability. Thus, participants are responsible for their own health, accident and liability insurance.

Due to COVID-19 we recommend to take out an appropriate travel cancellation insurance.

EU students must bring evidence of their health insurance. Please ask your health insurance company at home if your complete stay in Germany is covered by them. Usually you do not have to take on an additional health insurance policy, but you can obtain a "European Health Insurance Card" (EHIC) or equivalent from your insurer.