Internationalisation @ Home

German Day 2012: My Germany - My Passion

The iconic swanky red Volkswagen Beetle stationed at the central forum on Wednesday, 31st October attracted the attention of many passers-by and formed the backdrop for German Day 2012: My Germany – My Passion!

The event jointly organised by the German Academic Exchange Service – DAAD, Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Singapore, Goethe Institute Singapore and National University of Singapore (NUS) – International Relations Office, provided an opportunity for the NUS community to be immersed in all things German.

The crowd was not disappointed with the many activities lined up for them from the football wall evoking the German passion for soccer, a session on learning the German language in 30 minutes, to an exploration of the research and exchange opportunities available in Germany for NUS students. Students, faculty members and guests also braved the rain to get their ‘fix’ of pretzels and berlingers which were given out at the event. The best of German innovation was also featured through the booth displays of German companies Rohde & Schwarz, Bosch, Infineon, Siemens, Fraunhofer Institute and German Institute of Science and Technology – TUM Asia.

In his welcome address, Mr Hans-Dieter Bott, Member of the NUS Board of Trustees emphasized the strong relations between Singapore and Germany and the increasing interest of NUS students in exchange and other language programmes to Germany.  He urged students who have not been to Germany to use German Day as a platform to find out more about Germany and plan their journeys ahead beyond their classrooms. Her Excellency Ms Angelika Viets, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Singapore who also addressed the audience, encouraged students to embrace German culture and language so as to be competitive in today’s global work environment.

NUS and the related Institutions will continue to work together to bring similar programmes and events under the umbrella of Internationalisation @ Home, which aim to expose NUS students to foreign cultures and enhance their global awareness on campus.

Guests and Students at the opening ceremony of German Day

The guests enjoying German snacks and drinks

NUS Students visiting the various booths at the forum

[L-R] Dr. Zeno Kerschbaumer, Managing Director, Volkswagen Group Singapore, Mr and Mrs Hans Dieter Bott, H.E Ms Angelika Viets and A/Prof Anne Pakir, Director, NUS IRO with the Volkswagen Beetle at the NUS Central Forum