working in an architecture office and also to gain experience in the area. It was a great year in Munich and at TUM, an enriching experience that I will never forget. Catarina Queirós, Universidade do Porto, Portugal ______________________________________________ “Leaving 1 year outside my hometown was a great experience. Munich was the perfect choice. Even though i only spent 12 months it felt like i spent at TUM a big part of my life. The academic life is interesting, self-challenging and with a very high academic level, and the staff and other students make this experience even better. Also Munich was perfect for me because of the scale, its an almost perfect city, were people are nice and interesting; the cultural offer is amazing. Living in Bavaria also gives a big plus for someone living in Germany, the mountains, the tradition and the food makes this a complete experience. I seriously consider to come back for more studies or work!” David Haber, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico _______________________________________________ “My experience at TUM was amazing, I had the chance to visit many places. Specifically, with the design studio I was able to visit Venice for the Architecture Biennale in which the professor in charge was the designer for the German pavilion. During the second semester of my stay, I went to an alpine hut for the design studio of Clima design, it was really beautiful being there in touch with nature and the mountains. Also, in the second semester for the Watercolour class we were able to go to Como lake in Italy, and it was incredible, I was there for 4 days and I would love to go back. In Munich I made a lot of international friends, that I will definitely continue be in touch with. I liked the university a lot, because it has a lot of extra activities that makes university life more complete and integral. I’m really happy with what I have accomplished being there, it really changed my life.” Carolina Sepúlveda, UTFSM, Valparaiso, Chile ________________________________________________ Germany is well known for her innovation in engineering and science and this was one of the main motivations. What fascinate me about TUM is the wealth of books in the library and the history behind the structures. Despite the great culture shock i experienced as a person of color i still think its been a great experience. The challenge has been how to identify and make the best use of the immense resources at my disposal. Joel Kofi Asiedu (PhD Researcher), Ghana ________________________________________________ Munich has a good reputation concerning learning standards and I heard only positive notes from a former student who did his Erasmus in TUM as well. The hardest thing in Munich was to get a room but overall I enjoyed staying and learning at TUM. Specifically the way of teaching in the diplo design studio Krucker Bates. I learned more than I did at home in Antwerp (Belgium) just because of the intensity of the classes and the pressure they put on their students. I will certain-
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Internationales Internationalization
ly come back to Munich, as well for the city as for the people I met at TUM. It may sound typical but the experience itself opened a new world of interests and options. Thanks again for the enjoyable stay. Hadewych Gielen, Artesis, Antwerpen, Belgien ________________________________________________ This experience was the best in my life, I learned about architecture with a different point of view, great professors and classmates from all over the world. In two words... amazing & unforgetable. Erick Navarrete, UTFSM, Valparaiso, Chile ________________________________________________ For my exchange I chose a country I was familiar with. I didn’t have any language problems and I knew that the level of Universities was generally high. I could have fully concentrated on study, so I took Germany. My good friend is doing his PhD. on LMU in Munich so he gave me the idea to come to Munich for studying on TUM. What I regret is that the stay was a bit short. I stayed for only one semester and I think it would worth staying for a full year. I enjoyed the opportunities of the University, for example wide range of courses, superb lectors, excursion, workrooms, computer and plotter room, library, etc. to that I only sniffed to. My favorite course was Experimental design. It wasn’t about doing architecture, but encouraged me in creativity, team work, presentation of ideas, translating an abstract topic to a product. I learned more how to develop a idea to a concrete work, how to work in an international group and in a team more efficient.For example what I learned and what interested me the most was how to develop my own font for writing. This stay made me hungrier for internships and exchanges.I think when there is an opportunity i will surly come back! Jan Zeal, Slovenská Technická Univerzita v Bratislave, Slowakei ________________________________________________ My year in Brazil is a milestone in my life. My eyes were opened to other cultures and realities. I met many interesting people, learned to understand and appreciate the warmth and openness of the Brazilians. I traveled a lot and I fully enjoyed living in the metropolis Sao Paulo. Sao Paulo is a Megalapolis, with many layers and levels, people from all backgrounds and an unmanageably large offer of cultural activities - Sao Paulo can almost never be fully understood or encompassed. At FAU, I found a very different approach to architecture. I became more acquainted with the fields of urban planning, design and architecture theory. The working process is fundamentally different to the approach at TU Munich. It helped me gain new insights and different perspectives. As Intercambistas, we could always count on the help of professors and fellow students. Deep friendships have been formed in the course of this year, I wouldn’t want to miss these not my time spent in Sao Paulo. Barbara Trojer, FAU, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Brasilien