Ruhr-Fellowship 2013 1. Vorwort / Foreword 4 2. Summer School 6 3. Anisa Li berichtet / Anisa Li reports 12 4. Übersicht der Teilnehmer / Overview of Participants 50 5. Resümees aus Übersee / Résumés from Overseas 52 6. Partner 90 7. Initiativkreis Ruhr 94 Inhalt / Content 3 Vorwort Foreword Im Sommer 2013 waren wieder talentierte und engagierte Studierende als Ruhr Fel- In summer 2013, talented and dedicated students once again came to our region lows in unserer Region. Ende Mai reisten die 14 diesjährigen Stipendiaten des von as Ruhr Fellows. The 14 students who took part in this year’s Ruhr-Fellowship Pro- der Initiativkreis Ruhr GmbH und der Universitätsallianz Metropole Ruhr (UAMR) gram, funded by the Initiativkreis Ruhr GmbH and the University Alliance Metro- getragenen Ruhr-Fellowship-Programms an. Sie starteten damit in die zweite Aufla- polis Ruhr, arrived at the end of May. With their arrival they started off the second ge dieses im Vorjahr sehr erfolgreich initiierten Programms. round of this program which was successfully launched in the previous year. Ziel des Programms Aim of the program Ziel des Programms ist es, das Image der Metropole Ruhr zu verbessern und Anreize The aim of the program is to improve the image of the Ruhr Area and make it zu schaffen, junge begabte Menschen von außerhalb für das Leben und Wirken in attractive to talented young people from outside Germany in order to raise their der Region zu interessieren. Unsere Vorstellung ist es, dass die Kontakte, die sich interest in living and working in the region. It is our vision to use the contacts aus dem Studierendenaustausch entwickelt haben, für langfristige Forschungs- und that have been developed during the student exchange for long-term research and Wirtschaftskooperationen zwischen dem Ruhrgebiet und den beteiligten amerikani- economic collaborations between the Ruhr Area and the participating American schen Eliteuniversitäten genutzt werden. Auch eine spätere Beschäftigung in einem Ivy League universities. We would also be glad to see some of the students taking der Unternehmen dieser Region wäre aus unserer Sicht sehr willkommen. Genau up employment in one of the companies in this region at a later date. We are going wie die zehn Ruhr Fellows aus dem Jahr 2012 werden wir die vierzehn Ruhr Fellows to involve the fourteen Ruhr Fellows from 2013 in the Alumni Program of the des Jahres 2013 nach ihrer Rückkehr in die Vereinigten Staaten eng in das Alumni- UAMR Liaison Office in New York after their return to the United States, just like Programm des UAMR-Liaison Office in New York einbinden. Sie sollen somit als Bot- we did with the ten Ruhr Fellows from 2012. They should act as ambassadors for schafter den Forschungs- und Wirtschaftsstandort Ruhrgebiet an ihren Universitäten the Ruhr Area to raise its profile in their universities in North America as a location in Nordamerika bekannt machen und zukünftige Generationen von Ruhr Fellows of science and business and encourage future generations to take part in the Ruhr für dieses einzigartige Programm gewinnen. Fellowship Program. Ruhrgebiet: Look and see Ruhr Area: look and see Auch in diesem Jahr erwartete die Ruhr Fellows wieder ein in zwei Phasen aufgeteil- This year the Ruhr Fellowship Program was also split into two phases: In the first tes Programm: In den ersten vier Wochen besuchten die Stipendiaten eine Summer four weeks the fellows visited a summer school. This year the academic program School. Das akademische Programm organisierte in diesem Jahr die Ruhr-Univer- was organised by Ruhr-Universität Bochum. The Ruhr Fellows gained an insight sität Bochum. Die Ruhr Fellows erhielten hierbei intensive Einblicke in die Lehre into teaching and research at the three UAMR universities Ruhr-Universität und Forschung der drei UAMR-Universitäten Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Bochum, the University of Duisburg-Essen and TU Dortmund University. In the Duisburg-Essen und Technische Universität Dortmund. In den zweiten vier Wochen remain ing four weeks the eight female and six male students completed internships konnten die acht Studentinnen und sechs Studenten ein Praktikum bei Unterneh- with companies of the Initiativkreis Ruhr. This year’s internships and supervision men des Initiativkreises Ruhr absolvieren. Die diesjährigen Praktikumsplätze mit of the fellows were provided by Evonik Industries, Vaillant Group, Siemens, BP Eu- einer intensive Betreuung der Stipendiaten wurden von Evonik Industries, Vaillant ropa, HOCHTIEF, SMS group, Deutsche Bank, ista, TRIMET ALUMINIUM and RAG. Group, Siemens, BP Europa, HOCHTIEF, SMS group, Deutsche Bank, ista, TRIMET The exchange program again included excursions to institutions and places which ALUMINIUM und der RAG zur Verfügung gestellt. enable the Ruhr Fellows to see how attractive and diverse the Ruhr Area is. The Das Austauschprogramm beinhaltete wieder Exkursionen zu Einrichtungen und language course proved useful for their stay. Orten, die den Ruhr Fellows Einblicke in die Attraktivität und Vielfalt der Region The program is especially aimed at students of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Ruhr ermöglichten. Der Sprachkurs diente hierbei als hilfreiche und willkommene The program for 2014 is already planned, and the summer school is being hosted Vorbereitung. by the UAMR partner university Duisburg-Essen. Another 10-15 students from the Die Fortführung ist bereits für das Jahr 2014 geplant, dann mit der Summer School USA will get to know and come to value the Ruhr Area as a location of business and beim UAMR-Partner, der Universität Duisburg-Essen. Auch dann sollen wieder 10- science. 15 Studierende aus den USA die Unternehmens- und Wissenschaftslandschaft des Ruhrgebiets kennen- und schätzen lernen. With best regards and Glückauf! Mit einem herzlichen Glückauf! Jan-Peter Nissen – Geschäftsführer der Initiativkreis Ruhr GmbH / Managing Director Prof. Dr. Elmar W. Weiler of the Initiativkreis Ruhr GmbH – – Rektor der Ruhr-Universität Bochum / Rector of Ruhr-Universität Bochum – 4 Vorwort / Foreword 5 Phase 1 Summer School The Ruhr Fellows spent the month of June in a summer school organised UNESCO World Heritage. After a dinner of Currywurst, the group was treated by Ruhr-Universität Bochum. During those four weeks the students got to a performance of the Ruhr Piano Festival at the Philharmonic Hall in Essen. to know the Ruhr Area, the three UAMR (University Alliance Metropolis Ruhr) universities, some of the supporting companies of the Initiativ- The summer, however, was not only beneficial in terms of getting to know the kreis Ruhr and cultural sites in the region. An intensive German langua- Ruhr Area and gaining practical professional skills. It also enabled an intercul- ge course introduced them to the German language. While visiting the tural exchange with German students. For this purpose, the Ruhr Fellows were engineering departments of Ruhr-Universität Bochum, the University matched with German students, so-called “Buddies”, who assisted them in their of Duisburg-Essen and TU Dortmund University, the Ruhr Fellows got a everyday lives and helped plan free-time activities. feeling for what it must be like to study and research in the Ruhr Area. During visits to companies, the students learned more about some of the most important companies located in the region. At ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe AG they experienced first hand how steel is being produced, heated up and later formed. Evonik introduced itself with a tour through the ChemSite in Marl, the chemical and plastics cluster in the Ruhr Area and the central point of contact for all issues and topics concerning chemistry and its value chains. Week 1 · June 1, 2013 – June 2, 2013 Three employees, who are currently completing a special trainee program for young professionals at Siemens Mülheim, led the group of students through the production halls of the company and presented some of the huge turbines that are manufactured there. The highlight of the program was the visit to the RAG mines Auguste Victoria and Prosper Haniel. More than 1,000 meters below the earth the students could experience what it feels like to work “unter Tage” (underground). As coal mines in Germany are set to close by 2018, the Ruhr Fellows learned about RAG’s plans for renewable energy and sustainable uses for former mining areas. Arrival - Pick-Up Service from DUS International The summer school also included a cultural program. The students visited to dorms in Bochum Germany’s biggest soccer stadium, the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, home of SATURDAY Borussia Dortmund, one of Germany’s most successful soccer clubs. They ente- red the changing rooms where the players gather before and after a match and were even allowed to sit down on the coach's bench on the sideline of the field. In a series of three cultural seminars given by experts of Ruhr-Universität Bo- chum, the Ruhr Fellows were introduced to the history and societal foundations Lunch Bochum Tour of the Ruhr Area and German international relations. The history of the Ruhr at Altes Brauhaus Rietkötter Area was also presented to the students when visiting Zeche Zollverein at the SUNDAY “Meeting of the Minds”. Together with 40 other students from abroad comple- ting research internships at the UAMR, they toured this former coal mine and 6 Summer School 7 Week 2 · June 3, 2013 – June 9, 2013 Week 3 · June 10, 2013 – June 16, 2013 Mine Visit to Bergwerk Welcome at German Course RUB campus German Course Prosper Haniel in Bottrop Initiativkreis Ruhr (Group