NEW in Baden-Württemberg by local global GmbH

a local global publication

J A N UA R Y 2 0 1 8 | 5 , 0 0 €

NEW IN Baden-Württemberg A GUIDE FOR TALENTS AND CORPORATES

Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut:

"Places for Ideas"

Communities How they came and why they stayed

WORKING IN BW How global players attract talents

NEW IN BW

PREVIEW EDITION

edubiz @ GlobalConnect

20 - 21 JUNE 2018 Landesmesse Stuttgart

TALENTS & CAPACITIES WORLDWIDE

NEW RESOURCES, NEW PERSPECTIVES edubiz - the place to discuss global HR strategies and to find partners and talents for international projects. The meeting point for globally active companies, the education sector and talents. - Symposium: Global HR and education strategies, European challenges, Best Practice. - Matchmaking: Meet new partners for R&D, corporate education projects. - Recruiting: Meet the international communities of students and young professionals. - On-site-visits: See corporate flagship projects in Stuttgart region.

WELCOME One topic addressing three diﬀerent target groups

The third target group are organisations,

- is that even possible? It works - at least that’s what

networks and companies involved in the

the young and international team who developed

integration and qualification of young talents.

the project "New in Baden-Württemberg” believes.

They collect and combine goodwill, a long experience and know-how worth sharing. This

First of all, our topic: the new migration. It is an

enables an exchange: With those who are new

unambiguous and familiar issue, but has many

in Baden-Württemberg. And with the compa-

facets. Baden-Württemberg has become one of the

nies that create new opportunities for diversity

most attractive destinations for talents in Europe

and internationalisation.

and are urgently needed here. All these three different target groups are the pillars The first target group are thus students and

of the global success story called Baden-Württem-

young professionals from abroad. Here in

berg. How can we initiate a further and personal

Germany's most internationalised economic

dialogue between them all?

region they can discover their own opportunities. The success stories of their compatriots as

We have a suggestion for that: Global Connect. At

well as the practical tips in this magazine are all

this event of Messe Stuttgart on the 20th and 21st of

addressing this target group.

June 2018, international companies will discuss the strategies for HR and corporate education worldwi-

The second target group are the companies

de. edubiz is our forum to which we invite talents,

in Baden-Württemberg. They are looking for

companies and networks. We want to continue to

new employees to continue their worldwide

learn from each other and from our different cultu-

growth. And they not only want to find interna-

res, personal backgrounds and professional ambi-

tional talents, but also to retain and train them.

tions. We are happy to see everyone in Stuttgart!

The young people who spoke with us make many suggestions. Listening to them is worth

IMPRINT

THE TEAM

it, not only in the job interview!

Ariadne Dimakou-Bertels

Carolin Harscher

Cristina Sánchez Esteban

Publisher

Editors

Authors

Cover Image by

local global GmbH Marienstr. 5 70178 Stuttgart www.localglobal.com

Ariadne Dimakou-Bertels Cristina Sánchez Esteban Carolin Harscher

Ariadne Dimakou-Bertels (AD) Carolin Harscher (CH) Cristina Sánchez Esteban (CS) Ana-Maria Mihut (AMM) Valeria Truschinski (VT) Sadri Okumus (SO) Ziyi Wang (ZW)

Mark Jörns

Print wirmachendruck.de, Backnang

Layout Julia Steiner

In Baden-Württemberg 6 8

16 20 22

Facts & Figures “In Baden-Württemberg, you can lead your ideas to economic success" Interview with Economy Minister of Baden-Württemberg Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut

“Humbleness is something I learned in Swabia” From a village in East Turkey to the heart of Baden-Württemberg: An interview with Parliament President Muhterem Aras

The different and the new A curiosity for foreign cultures brought Katerina Tsiati from her hometown Levadia, Greece, to Stuttgart

“R&D, innovation, economy eﬃciency”: We asked Economy Minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut to represent her Federal State in a pitch. Read more on page 8

“People here value you for what you do” When thinking about his professional development, Sergio Carvajal looks ahead rather than back to Spain

Mobility and migration in its DNA Baden-Württemberg has faced many waves of immigration

The Welcome Centers of Baden-Württemberg A nationwide approach to the integration of international specialists

The Communities 26

30 34 38

What makes a successful political career? Parliament President Muhterem Aras talks about the importance of education and persistent work on page 10

43 47

"Our welcome culture needs appropriate support facilities" Kerim Arpad from German-Turkish Forum Stuttgart introduces the goals of his citizens’ initiative

Greece - The exodus A devastated local economy and young people who go abroad for better life and working conditions. What to do?

Por que te vas? Since 2008, more than 47.000 young Spaniards have immigrated to Germany in search of work

“You don’t really look like a Kazakh” Our author’s effort to explain why she is German, speaks Russian, but comes from Kazakhstan. A life story

Romania - The unspoken reality “Hard work and good payment gives back best quality” and that’s only one truth about Romanians

Leave or Stay? This question arises among the Chinese students of BadenWürttemberg. Cliches make life challenging

ifa Academy: The joy of cultural encounters

Initiatives 48 50 53 56 58

Life quality, sustainability and capacity for innovation The city of Freiburg introduces methods to bind its international students

Dual studies: A different training-on-the-job A key to employability

“Our university is an ecosystem for innovation” Arnold van Zyl, President of DHBW, on the attractiveness of Duale Hochschule for talents and corporates

bw-i: Great perspectives in the German Southwest Daimler AG: Contributing to global success With their initiative “Leadership 2020”, Daimler is actively shaping cultural change within the company

Bosch: A wide range of career opportunities

Creating perspectives for refugees

66 68

Training and promotion bring back best performance

Freiburg's Dr. Dallmann: "Our cities will have to rely on the capacity for innovation"

A joint initiative of the corporate sector for the integration

Preview edubiz@ GlobalConnect 2018 International HR strategies, recruitment, skills development and the binding of talents to Germany’s companies

The start-up ecosystem Stuttgart

CONTENTS After Work 72

Baden-Württemberg: A land of diversity and beautiful landscapes Need some travel inspiration? Explore our picks for the top ten spots in BW

Editor's pick: Top 5 Swabian Foods

“Work comes before pleasure”, goes a German saying Baden-Württemberg offers both! Explore the top 10 places we recommend to you on the pages 70-79

Everything you need to know about "Spätzle", "Maultaschen" and authentic swabian potato salad

In Baden-Württemberg

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG:

FACTS & FIGURES

AREA AND POPULATION • Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany and among the third largest both in area and population. • Area: 35,751 square kilometres • Population: 10,880,000 inhabitants • Population density: 304/km2 • Population in proportion to Germany: 13,1%

ADMINISTRATION • Founded on 25 April 1952

• Government: Minister president Winfried Kretschmann (Greens)

• Parliamentary Elections results of

• Baden-Württemberg is divided in 35 districts (Landkreise) and nine inde-

the 13th of March 2016

pendent cities (Stadtkreise). Both of them are grouped into the four administrative districts: Freiburg, Karlsruhe, Stuttgart, Tübingen

(Percent/Seats):

• Neighbour countries: Switzerland, France, Austria

Greens (30.3/47)

• Neighbour States: Bavaria, Rheinland-Palatinate, Hessia

CDU (27/42) AfD (15.1/23) SPD (12.7/16)

EDUCATION

FDP (8.3/12)

• Universities: Heidelberg, Mannheim, Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Konstanz, Tübingen, FDP

Ulm, Stuttgart, Stuttgart-Hohenheim, and twelve DHBW-locations

• Seven out of 34 nominated German elite universities listed in the national

SPD

Greens

Competition of Excellence 2017 are located in Baden-Württemberg: AlbertLudwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität

AFD

Heidelberg, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT), Universität Ulm, Universität Konstanz, Universität Stuttgart, Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen CDU

• College and university students in Baden-Württemberg: 2017/2018: 363.572

2005: 243.000

In Baden-Württemberg

ECONOMY

BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG IN THE WORLD

• GDP: 476,760 million Euros (2016); in the manufacturing industry precisely the Federal State has a total turnover of 349.553 million Euros (domestic turnover: 157,117 million Euros and Foreign Turnover 192.435 million Euros)

• Baden-Württemberg is proud of supporting a number of well-known enterprises in the state, for example Daimler AG, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche, Robert Bosch GmbH, Carl Zeiss AG, SAP AG

• Growth rate of GDP (2016): 2,2 %

A global success story Baden-Württemberg’s Internationalisation: The Last 30 Years

FOREIGN TRADE Export

195.988 Milion Euro

GDP

460.687 Million Euro

Export Quota

42,5 %

Export per Habitant

18.185 Euro

DESTINATIONS FOR EXPORTS (IN 2016): EU 28

99,686 Mio €

USA

23,409 Mio €

France

14,345 Mio €

SCIENCE, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Switzerland

14,054 Mio €

China

13,911 Mio

• Baden-Württemberg is at the unchallenged

Netherlands

13,254 Mio €

12,174 Mio

€

Italy

8,581 Mio

€

European forefront in research. In the years 2015 to 2016 the State’s expenditures for research purposes were 4,661 Mio Euros - around 1.000 Mio euros more than in 2010.

• R&D intensity in 2016: 4,9% • Baden-Württemberg makes 26% of the total investments enjoyed by R&D in Germany

• Research & development activities of the Federal

TOP TEN OF EXPORT DESTINATIONS

State in 2013: 4.8% of GDP (Germany: 2.8%)

• Domestic applications for a patent (in numbers): 14.374 (highest in Germany)

• The numbers show that Baden-Württemberg is the innovation region No.1 in Europe

INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE IN 2016 • • • • •

Manufacturing of vehicles (motor vehicles, trailers etc.): 30% Manufacturing of machinery and equipment: 21% Manufacturing of other fabricated metal products besides machinery: 7% Manufacturing of electrical equipment: 6,6% Manufacture of computer, electronic and optical products: 4,3%

Sources: Statistisches Landesamt BW https://www.statistik-bw.de/, Wikipedia, local global

In Baden-Württemberg

“IN BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, YOU CAN LEAD YOUR IDEAS TO ECONOMIC SUCCESS” Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut is Baden-Württemberg’s Minister of Economy, Labour and Housing. She was elected to office in Mai 2016. Earlier in the same year, the entrepreneur from Albstadt became a member of the Landtag - the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg.

In Baden-Württemberg Finding skilled personnel is

spectives in Baden-Würt-

we are offering even better

one of the greatest challen-

temberg. How would you

conditions to better bundle

ges for the further growth

build up your 3-minute

and market our strengths and

of the companies and the

lecture?

thereby achieve a top international level as a start-up

economy of Baden-Württemberg. What initiatives

I would start with the fact that

does the country take on this

innovation lays in our genes.

issue - both domestically and

As a resource-poor area, Ba-

I would finish my contribu-

abroad?

den-Württemberg has always

tion with the quality of life

been focusing on a knowled-

here: open-minded cosmo-

The lack of skilled workers is

ge-based economy. Many of

politan people, high leisure

increasingly hampering our

today's global players such

value from Lake Constance to

innovation activities. This

as Daimler, Porsche, Bosch,

Hohenlohe, great cities. Ba-

means that the securing and

Stihl, Trumpf, Würth and

den-Württemberg is a home

safeguarding of the staff who

SAP have started small and

for creative, clever people

already work in our compa-

have built today internatio-

who can lead their ideas to

nies is at the top of the agen-

nally significant companies,

economic success.

da, both for the employers

investing passion, courage,

and for the policy makers. On

openness and endurance in

What role do you think start-

the one hand, we must make

their corporate development.

ups play in the development

even better use of domestic

Together with our middle

of new growth areas for the

potentials, we have to attract

class, the numerous hid-

classical industries in the

more women as professionals,

den champions, we are thus

country?

strengthen STEM occupa-

highly competitive, broadly

tions and develop the skills of

connected internationally and

Our economy is facing major

the most innovative region in

challenges, including digiti-

Europe.

sation, which affects virtually

senior workers better. And we

„

also need the immigration of qualified and required specialists from abroad.

WE NEED THE IMMIGRATION OF QUALIFIED SPECIALISTS FROM ABROAD

„

WE ARE THE MOST INNOVATIVE REGION IN EUROPE

location.

every industry. In this upheaval we need new ideas to secure our economy in the future. That is why I want to promote start-ups better financially but also with better infrastructure, so that founders are faster on the market with their ideas. The latter are often more agile to develop,

Furthermore, we have an

test and introduce new bu-

excellent university and re-

siness models on the market

search landscape with many

in comparison to bigger and

Imagine you would have to

start-up and technology

noted companies. In coopera-

participate in a "pitch" where

centers - the best conditions

tion to our large companies,

you have to convince young

for start-ups to settle and de-

start-ups often ensure that

talents, university graduates

velop. Networks are crucial in

new growth areas are rapidly

and potential founders from

times of digitisation. With our

developed within the establis-

abroad to try out their per-

new campaign 'Start-up BW'

hed corporations.

■ AD 9

In Baden-Württemberg

A CONVERSATION WITH MUHTEREM ARAS:

"HUMBLENESS IS SOMETHING I LEARNED IN SWABIA"

uhterem Aras is the

emigrated to Germany, how

How did that decision take

first woman and the

she worked hard for her stellar

place and how did you feel

first politician with a

political career and what role

about it?

migrant background who beca-

education, open-mindedness

me elected president of the

and humbleness played in all of

The decision was made by

Landtag in Baden-Württemberg.

this.

my parents, we didn’t have

Originally, she comes from a

a say in that and we weren’t

small Anatolian village in the

What are your memories

asked. My father decided to

East of Turkey. In our conversati-

of your family’s emigration

emigrate to Germany as a

on, she recounts how her family

from Turkey to Germany?

guest worker (“Gastarbeiter”),

In Baden-Württemberg even though our economic

that we grew together as a

society likewise was accepting

situation was not very bad.

family. The big family in Tur-

and inclusive. It accepted us

Our family was farming cattle

key was nice too, but when

the way we were.

and had a good reputation.

40 people become seven all

We were well off in the setup

of the sudden, it’s different. I

What role did education play

of our village.

remember that we didn’t even

in your personal develop-

have enough cutlery back

ment?

Our clan was hierarchically

home at that time. And here

well-structured and patriar-

in Germany we also had to

A defining one, certainly. First

chal. My mother had prob-

live economically, since our

of all, I wouldn’t have been

lems with that, even though

financial situation wasn’t very

able to pursue my school

she was from the same regi-

bright. It was still different

career without the German

on. She wanted to get out of

though. We’ve never had run-

language, without the school

that structure, but my father

ning water or electricity be-

career I couldn’t have secu-

would have never turned his

fore. I remember very clearly

red my existence, lived my

back on his family. He was

the first thing that impressed

self-paced life later on and

caught in the middle, on the

me deeply: I saw women dri-

become financially indepen-

ving cars for the first time in

dent. I needed that in order to

my life, I had never seen that

get into politics.

one hand the big family and the tradition, on the other hand his wife. His escape was Germany. Having been accepted as a guest worker after his application, he first went to Germany on his own. After my mother had become sick, he brought her to Germany for medical treatment. Their five children, my siblings and I, we stayed with the rest of the family in our village in

„

before.

GERMAN SOCIETY WAS INCLUSIVE AND ACCEPTED US THE WAY WE WERE

I have utmost respect for what my parents have done for me. It’s mostly thanks to their hard work that I am where I am today. As they didn’t have the opportunity of a proper education themselves, they wanted to support us as good as possible. My mother always told me that education is one the most

Turkey. After one year, my mother returned for vacation

Of course, I had days where

important aspects in life, only

to Turkey. She then said that

I felt homesick. I missed my

second to health. In order for

she’d only go back to Ger-

village and the big family, I

us to have the chance to be

many on condition that her

missed those liberties I had

in a different position in this

children would come along

as a child growing up in the

country one day, they inves-

with her. This way my mother

nature, without cars or paved

ted in the education of their

forced my father to get us to

roads. The only threats I had

children, since this country

Germany as well. That’s how

come to know as a child were

offered us chances our former

we came to Germany. It was

snakes, we had plenty of tho-

homeland did not.

in August of 1978.

se in the village. Otherwise, I liked it very much here in

Your political career began

It felt lovely to have our

Germany because we were ac-

in the local community, you

father back, since we only

cepted. My parents were very

did a lot for the people in

knew him from his vacations

open-minded about the Ger-

Stuttgart. Now you’re one of

in Turkey until then. I felt

man society, and the German

the most successful politi-

In Baden-Württemberg cians of the green party in

learned especially in Swabia.

By laying emphasis on the

Germany. What is the reason

One is humble, regardless of

open-mindedness and di-

for your success and how

what one has or where one

versity of the State as a

did this acceptance establish

stands. Regardless of social

strength, politicians could

itself?

status, it’s common not to

contribute to this matter.

brag about it but to stay mo-

It’s a matter of attitude. We

I believe it is crucial to work

dest. I truly appreciate this.

live in an open-minded and

on an issue continuously.

Not all cultures have this. In

liberal country. All doors are

Local politics are wonderful,

some cultures you get treated

open for everybody here. My

since one has to deal with

differently just because of

position as the first woman

everyday problems, with

your social status. The human

elected as Head of Parliament

concerns of the people. Waste

being stands in the foreg-

in Baden-Württemberg, even

fees, street cleaning, kinder-

round here and I think this is

with a migrant background, is

garten fees and even entrance

very nice.

a good example for that. You

fees of swimming pools, these

can’t find this in every other

are the topics that affect us all.

Integration is still a big

country. So, if the open-min-

The beauty of the local coun-

and relevant topic in Ba-

dedness is there from both

cil also lies in the necessity of

den-Württemberg. There

sides, I don’t worry about the

having to work together with

is a high number of young

integration of young profes-

other parties.

professionals and academics

I have always worked hard

coming from abroad who

and I still do so with pleasure.

have found their way here.

As a politician, I have always

Which measures are taken

had the mentality that it’s

in your opinion to make our

important what I do in bet-

State more attractive to these

ween the electoral campaigns.

people?

The campaigns are restricted

„

sionals and academics who come here.

DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND CULTURES STRENGTHEN THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STATE

to a certain period of time,

Young professionals and

everybody wants to distribute

academics come here with an

flyers and draw attention all

entirely different perspective

of a sudden. But I think that

than the people immigra-

it is important to lend an ear

ting under very difficult

to the people at all times.

circumstances, which is a big

Approaching the people is

difference. The encounters

Another characteristic trait of

crucial. Moreover, authenti-

in daily life, the communica-

our diversity is not having to

city and honesty have always

tion in the neighbourhood,

give up your language and

been important principles

for example, or at work are

culture in order to integrate.

for me, meaning that I won’t

very important. And those

Different languages and

sugarcoat important issues. If

encounters we have to create

cultures strengthen the

I ever have to make decisions

quickly, so nobody gets the

diversity of our State. After

that differ from what some

feeling of being alone. Espe-

all, we are competing for

people would have wanted,

cially the young professionals

professionals in an internati-

I have to be able to explain

and academics who come

onal field, our corporations

myself and tell them honestly

here consciously are already

are connected globally and, in

how and why I did so.

able to speak and understand

that context, diversity is a

Humbleness is something I

English, if not even German.

very important trait.

■ SO

In Baden-Württemberg

A CONVERSATION ON

THE DIFFERENT AND THE NEW Katerina is 23 years old and comes from Levadia, a town 90 km northwest of Athens, Greece. After finishing high school, she decided to leave her hometown and go abroad to discover new cultures and different human mentalities. Why it turned out to be Baden-Württemberg she is telling us in the following interview. She now counts four years in the Federal State. Two years ago, she started her studies of pedagogy in Karlsruhe and is parallel working as a store manager.

What encouraged you to take

to see new things, to meet

am really happy that I could

this brave step: to come to a

foreign cultures and different

make this dream come true.

completely foreign country

mentalities. Germany was

at such a young age?

- for reasons I can’t explain

Do you remember the day

logically - my dream since I

you arrived here, in Ba-

After I graduated from high

was a child. I had no personal

den-Württemberg? Do you

school, I decided that I want

bonds to this country. And I

remember the feelings you

In Baden-Württemberg had at your arrival and what

came to understand that this

During the first phase of my

your first impression of the

decision was the best for me -

studies, all students had to

country was?

especially my parents.

absolve an internship in a school. There, I could see

Like it was yesterday… I first

You have been living in

myself that the children are

came to Stuttgart with my

Germany for four years now.

taught to be responsible and

father. I was very excited

You began your studies and

independent at a very young

but at the same time a little

started working part-time.

age. I believe this is very

scared and anxious. It was a

How do you like Germany?

important for their further

really big step I was taking.

Has your impression about

development and their ability

We landed in a country where

this country changed in

to function in society.

we didn't know anyone - we

comparison to the impressi-

didn't even speak the langu-

on you had the first period of

Why did you choose Baden-

age.

acclimation here?

Württemberg?

How did your family and

My views about this country

This is a question I cannot re-

friends react to your decision

remain the same. Germany

ally answer, even not to my-

to leave for Germany? How

offers you a lot of possibili-

self. Baden-Württemberg is a

do they treat you today?

ties and gives you chances.

developed federal state with

But you have to work hard.

a strong economy and many

At first, everyone was skep-

Germany is a very well orga-

opportunities. I also assumed

tical. I had always been a

nised country in every sector

that the Southwest of most

person who likes to face

- among those sectors is also

countries is more welcoming

challenges and tackle them.

the education sector. I perso-

considering the climate and

But something so big like

nally believe that the educati-

it shows a greater hospitality

deciding to leave my home

onal system here teaches the

and even familiarity to peop-

and go try my luck at a com-

citizens the discipline they

le coming from even further

pletely foreign country, well,

are applying later in their

South like me from Greece.

it hadn’t happened before.

everyday life.

So, I came to the Southwest

„

I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN A PERSON WHO LIKES TO FACE CHALLENGES So, obviously, everyone was a little hesitant and questioned if I was certain about my decision. But, as time went by, my parents and my friends

of Germany because this regiI want to become a teacher

on was more attractive to me.

for elementary school someday and I started my studies

What does the term integra-

in Karlsruhe two years ago.

tion mean to you, Katerina?

In Baden-Württemberg First of all, it is important for

There were quite a lot of chal-

my parents down in Levadia,

the newcomer to a foreign

lenges and I am certain there

and other people I met. But

country to understand the

are almost as many as the past

let’s keep in mind that, due

local culture and the laws this

ones to come in the future.

to its organisation, Germany

country is applying. This is

Life is full of challenges. The

offers its citizens as well as the

very important, so one can

greatest challenge for me was

newcomers the information

join the society. That doesn't

maybe to learn German in

and the help they need to get

mean, of course, that you

such a short period of time

along in this country.

forget your own culture, but

like I did. I came to Germany

that you accept and respect

with very little knowledge of

Where would you like to be

something new and you adapt

the language.

in three to five years from

„

to the new situation you live in.

IT IS IMPORTANT FOR A NEWCOMER TO UNDERSTAND THE LOCAL CULTURE What is also very important is to learn the language of this country. The language is important not only for the everyday dialogue with the locals but also for the comprehensive understanding of all I mentioned above. In my opinion, you need willpower, hard work and, above all, you have to love the different and the new in order to be able to integrate yourself in a new country, a new society, a new life.

now? Of course, when I arrived here I was well-organised.

Here, continuing the hard

Almost immediately after my

work on implementing my

arrival and settling down, I

goals and following my

contacted the Goethe-Insti-

dreams.

tut here in Stuttgart. There I have been visiting my courses

Have you thought about

very diligently while working

going back to Greece at some

simultaneously as a promoter

time in the future?

to earn my income. I managed to reach the level B2 wit-

I haven't asked myself this

hin a time frame of 6 months.

question yet. It is certain that

After this achievement, I was

Greece is an integral part of

finally able to apply for uni-

me. I was born and raised

versity.

there, I went to school and

„

GERMANY OFFERS ITS CITIZENS AND ITS NEWCOMERS THE HELP AND INFORMATION THEY NEED TO GET ALONG

graduated high school there, my parents and my friends are living in Greece. Still, I will try to put my career and my personal happiness to the foreground. And both are related to my residence in Germany. As I mentioned further above, I started my studies of pedagogy two years ago in Karlsruhe and I still have a few semesters to go. What comes afterwards, I cannot say yet. But I will work hard to stay here in Baden-Württemberg, for even longer than

What, do you think, was the

In general, I can say that I am

the also above mentioned five

greatest challenge you have

very thankful for the sup-

years.

faced so far?

port I am receiving - from

■ AD

In Baden-Württemberg

“PEOPLE HERE ARE VALUED FOR WHAT THEY DO” Sergio Carvajal is a Senior Engineer at Porsche Stuttgart and has been a proud members of this emblematic firm for several years. Sergio studied Industrial Engineering in a double degree program between the Polytechnic University of Madrid and the University of Munich. After his graduation and six years of professional experience, he returned to Germany in 2006 when he was given the opportunity to be part of Porsche’s Stuttgart team. He has been in the Brake Department ever since he started working for the company fourteen years ago.

About what makes one stay in Germany despite the cold weather

in setting agreements with companies. They do not even consider that possibility.”

“I´ve never worked in Spain but in Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany. What is outstanding here in Germany are the labor security,

If you stay in Spain, you lose in terms of a job career

the wage and the respect for the working hours - those are 40 per week. Furthermore, there is

“The biggest challenge of living in Germany

the field of Innovation and Development (I&D).

was for me to establish myself and be indepen-

In Germany you have a lot of financing. Porsche

dent. Six months after arriving here I didn’t

provides a great budget for investigation here:

have to ask my parents for money because I

we finance PhDs and there are interns devo-

worked in two university Chairs and there was

ted to R&D projects in collaboration with the

always some job. But the truth is that a student’s

University of Stuttgart. This is an advantage for

life in Germany is not expensive.

companies as you have first level professionals

in charge of the investigation that your com-

The alternative for me back then would be to

pany will implement later. That doesn’t exist

stay in Madrid and see what will happen. What

in Spain. I remember one day I called a doctor

is always difficult is to be far away from your

from Carlos III University in Madrid and he

family and friends, especially when a loved one

answered that the university was not interested

gets ill. But otherwise, the world is here for you

In Baden-Württemberg to enjoy. The most intolerant people I know are

les, people would walk around cluelessly, becau-

people who have never left Spain, regardless of

se what they are lacking here is the creativity

their title and how many languages they know.

and the ability to improvise. In Spain it is the other way around. It is much harder, though, to

In the end, the important thing is not prepara-

plan if you do not have an established process.

tion nor money, but the personal growth that

"In Porsche, everything works along fixed pro-

brings you out and opens your mind.”

cesses. A working day lasts eight hours and if you decide to leave earlier then no one tells you anything. In fact, it is not allowed to work more

From the arrival in the country to the first job interview: Tips for professional newcomers

„

than 10 hours and if you do so Human Resources will ask your boss for an explanation. Free time is sacred. When you have children, as it is my case, there are advantages everywhere. If

“The most important thing to do once you

you have to pick them up and you are forced to

come to Germany is to learn its language and

leave earlier, you compensate it by coming ear-

culture. Germans are elite-oriented and if you don´t make any effort to integrate yourself, they won´t accept you. In my case it was quite easy because I came from a German College so I knew both language and culture. But some colleagues coming to Porsche without knowing German had a bad time here due to the lack of integration will, even though they were great workers.

lier the same or the next day, without

PEOPLE HERE ARE LACKING CREATIVITY AND THE ABILITY TO IMPROVISE. IN SPAIN, IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND

On the other hand, when

problems. I try to imagine myself in Spain telling my boss that on Tuesdays I leave at one o’clock… Every extra minute you dedicate in Germany to your company can be later compensated for holidays - eight extra hours correspond to one day off work. Not at all like in the sense of Spain´s conception of being tied to the office. But, instead, in Germany it is important to be a good worker. And a productive one. If you try and give your best, you have a good salary and the ability

you come from abroad, having left back your

to own your time in return. Besides, Germans

country, family and friends with the intention

value people not for what they are, but rather

to walk into a business and contribute to its

for what they do. So, you have to give a lot to

growth and success – this is a courageous attitu-

be recognised. However, one thing that annoys

de that HR department values a lot. When you

me a little about the Germans is their love for

leave Spain, one thinks that what you will find

comparisons: work, vacations, cars, house. They

in the new country will compensate you, and

have always been told that they are better, and

that means you will strive for the future and for

sometimes that is a bit of a burden.”

your career.

On what working is like in Germany

On the universities and the academic formation in the country “In industrial degrees, there are several fields

“Work here is very well-thought-out, everyone

of knowledge that in Germany are distributed

has a role and fulfils it. If there were no fixed ro-

and taught in different faculties. Now with the

In Baden-Württemberg new Bologna portfolio, European degrees tend

Every Friday at work I meet with a group of

to be more alike. But if we check for example

young Spaniards who tell me how happy they

a Spanish degree in Industrial Engineering we

are in their departments. People who have

can notice the wide range of multi-disciplinary

taken the step, have moved here, have learned

subjects that it embraces. In Germany, however,

German and in summary, carried out a mini-

degrees are strongly categorised and specified.

mum process of integration and have been re-

So if you would like to work in the automotive

cognised with a good contract. When you have

field it’s better to say you are a Mechanical En-

gathered your experience here and you want

gineer - they will understand you perfectly.

to return to Spain in the near future, you find

At the Spanish universities you have to stu-

work much earlier and with better conditions

dy really hard. I remember that we were 500

than the ones who stayed in Spain. But never-

students in Mechanical Engineering at the UPM

theless, it is a sacrifice. But this is the type of

and there were exams that only 20 of us pas-

people who are making their way. And the pa-

sed. When I arrived in the fifth semester to the

radox is that everyone who has the courage and

University of Munich, I passed my first exam of

initiative to get the economy “up and running”

mechanics with high grades after two or three

in Spain is long gone. And then, who stays?

„

GERMAN UNIVERSITY IS TWO OR THREE LEVELS BELOW THE SPANISH IN TERMS OF KNOWLEDGE

days of study - com-

Well, less ambitious and determined people. I

pared to the months

did a part of my career in Spain with Spanish

I was studying for

grants but there is no return now because I am

the same exam in

working abroad. And that is actually the prob-

Spain. The profes-

lem: People who can contribute a lot have other

sor called me asking

motivations so they are leaving Spain. And that

me for tutoring

leads to a great loss for the country as such.

the other students. And at work, later, you also realise that they do not know a

How to change this situation of brain drain

lot about technical things, but about

“In my opinion, Research and Development is

practice and proces-

fundamental and that is what Germany is expe-

ses. German univer-

riencing at this very moment. As it is an expen-

sity is two or three levels below the Spanish in

sive initiative and its benefits are visible at long

terms of knowledge. I doubt that people who

term, investments are often not made, though.

get a technical career in Germany could get the

There should be a state policy that encourages

same career in Spain. Therefore, it is essential

R&D. For example, companies that invested

to leave back the inferiority complex that most

in development should have tax advantages,

Spaniards have - especially in Germany, where

universities that established projects of colla-

locals do interviews as if they were applying to

boration with companies should receive more

managing director. Meanwhile the Spaniards

funding. If those agreements exist, there will be

are dwarfed, they seem to be waiting for you as-

students able to work and that is a way to retain

king them to do some homework. I say that one

them. That's what works in Germany. Many

must have confidence in oneself. When a Spani-

thesis’ are financed almost only with the rese-

ard comes with a little initiative then he gets it

arch projects that are developed in the com-

all. In Spain there are very good and capable

panies who train the young professionals. This

people, but they lack the spark of saying: “Now

way students have a lot of budget, companies

I'm going to reach the world.”

have very good people working for them and

In Baden-Württemberg do not depend on the State; there are advantages for all. In Spain, this formula does not exist. Moreover, working conditions in Spain are inadmissible: someone with a six-year technical degree on his back, working weekly 60 hours for 800 or 900 euros a month, often with a temporary contract, those are no circumstances. In addition, when you have been on the market for some years and want either to progress in your standard of living or start a family, it seems impossible with such a job instability. In Germany one can feel confident until retirement once a contract is signed. accept them. Here it is valued that employees Another thing that I cannot understand is why a

are happy, motivated while in Spain motivation

sunny country like ours did not become a mar-

is something about to extinct. People will work

ket leader in photovoltaic technology. The same

to get money, nothing more. However, when

happens to desalination technology. In Spain

you feel valued and respected in your company,

we lack water in many areas and through this

you will always try to give your best.

process fields this could be irrigated. And it's a shame because there are qualified people, there

Perhaps it is again that inferiority complex of

are resources, there is social will ... but people

"well, at least I have work, I can manage". It's a

end up leaving rather than standing still before

shame, because in Spain, despite everything,

this political immobility. I would love to work

we live very well and we could have a leading

in Spain, but it does not compensate me.”

industrial fabric, and yet we are at the tail of Europe. In Spain, people who succeed seem to feel guilty of something. You say that you know

So ,why do German companies not export their philosophy to Spain?

languages, that you have relevant international experience and you are a pretentious. C´mon, I have worked to get to this point, it is not that I

Porsche Ibérica workers, except for the General

am smarter than anyone. At the end, the people

Manager, have a Spanish contract with the same

who are doing well seem for Spaniards to be

conditions as in any other Spanish company.

either a delinquent or a corrupt. Which means

I suppose if I arrived there with a better cont-

that for the moment I'm staying here. I would

ract than the rest I would create tensions in the

like to return to Spain, but with those condi-

„

squad. Hiring me would also be much more

tions…? Anyway, on the day that I retire do not

expensive than having another Spaniard who

look for me in Germany, I will go back to Spain

would do it for the half. I believe that in the end

directly. I miss being home, seeing my father

it is certain that, even if Porsche Ibérica offers worse conditions than in Germany, someone will

EVEN IF PORSCHE IBÉRICA OFFERS WORSE CONDITIONS THAN IN GERMANY, SOMEONE WILL ACCEPT THEM

more often or meeting with friends for a few beers after work, because in the end... the whole thing has to work, not just the money has to be right, but also the quality of life.

■ CS 19

In Baden-Württemberg

MOBILITY AND MIGRATION IN ITS DNA BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG HAS FACED MANY WAVES OF IMMIGRATION

Baden-Württemberg: A multicultural society

Recent surveys show that, in addition to its position in the centre of Europe and its abo-

Today, approximately 17.1 million people with a

ve-average economic growth, Baden-Würt-

migration background live in Germany. Ba-

temberg has also other attractive features.

den-Württemberg alone accommodates 2.8

According to the Statistical Office of the Federal

million of them and has, thus, with 25% the

Republic of Germany, the landscape and the

largest migrant share among the other Federal

quality of life attract people across the age span

States of Germany. The motives for immigra-

to relocate to the Federal State. The same study

ting are various. Some people leave their coun-

demonstrates that the cities Stuttgart, Karlsru-

try because of poverty, others are faced with

he, Mannheim, Heilbronn and Pforzheim in the

threats for their lives or for the lives of their

South-West of Baden-Württemberg have beco-

family and seek a safer environment. Others,

me significantly more appealing in recent years.

again, leave because they want to be able to

The reason for this is the greater number of

keep their language or to express their beliefs

job offers on the labour market. Employers like

freely. Between 1950 and 2005 about 16 million

the global players Bosch, Daimler, Hugo Boss,

people were counted to have entered Germany,

Porsche and SAP annually draw the attention of

half of them arriving from foreign countries or

experts from around the globe.

the former DDR (German Third Reich).

In Baden-Württemberg The immigration movements to Germany and to Baden-Württemberg are bringing with them

The immigration process began in the times of the World War II

a great development potential for the economy and the society - especially if one considers the great societal challenges due to globalisation

WW II - 1950: Home-displaced people and refugees

and demographic aging. However, an important prerequisite for the cultivation of this potential

During World War II, German people who lived

is an efficient welcome and recognition culture

by that time outside the geographically defined

as well as a harmonic multicultural coexistence.

German ground were called to attend their

Germany is, according to a study conducted by

war service in the country. After 1945, further

the BBC, very popular in the world as an im-

German citizens moved to Germany. Those

migration country. It demonstrates a consider-

people were formerly living in the areas east of

able performance in the integration of foreign

the rivers Oder and Neiße, and came mainly

residents into society and workplace and, thus,

from Poland. In addition to the Polish people,

plays a pioneering role in integration policy

many German immigrants also came from Eas-

and access to the labour market. Surveys also

tern Europe. They had settled down in Roma-

confirm that the life satisfaction of newcomers

nia, Hungary, Ukraine and Russia in the 20th

from abroad is in line with the one of the peop-

century and started migrating to the Federal

le already living in the country.

Republic of Germany already in the 1960s. Before the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, though,

In Baden-Württemberg, it was Mr Manfred

the immigration from the socialist countries

Rommel, the Mayor of the State capital in 1990,

of the Soviet Union to Germany was associated

who advocated a multicultural society. For him,

with great difficulties and long waiting times.

the term of “multi-culti” was a description of

Frequently, the countries of departure caused

the situation in his city Stuttgart. In a radio

problems to the emigrants, even if the Ger-

interview he said:

man authorities welcomed the reception of the latter.

“Each cultural society is a multicultural society. A society, in which there is only one cultural

Between 1951 and 1987 another immigration

flow and nothing else, is a sterile society. Diver-

wave was observed. At that time, about 1.4 milli-

sity belongs to the culture and to have diversity,

on immigrants were counted in the Federal Re-

one also needs tolerance. If people from dif-

public, most of them originating from Poland

ferent countries meet here in a city, this is an

and Romania. This amount declined, however,

advantage”

soon due to the democratisation processes and the improvement of the situation of the mino-

According to Mayor Rommel, cultural diversity

rities in the respective country. The opening of

is found in all human societies - it was and still

the Eastern Block in 1991 changed the situation

is the driving force behind cultural change.

again. The number of immigrants from Russia

EACH CULTURAL SOCIETY IS A MULTICULTURAL SOCIETY. A SOCIETY IN WHICH THERE IS ONLY ONE CULTURAL FLOW IS A STERILE SOCIETY.

and Kazakhstan now rose rapidly. It was this time when the number of incoming people to Germany reached nearly 400,000 and, thus, a peak in history. Since then, the influx of immigrants has been declining steadily.

– Manfred Rommel 21

In Baden-Württemberg

Mid 1950ies - 1979: Germany’s “economy miracle” and the guest workers In the middle of the 1950s, the "economic miracle" of Germany began and with it the immigration of the so-called "guest workers" (in German “Gastarbeiter”) from the Mediterranean area. Germany first signed recruitment contracts for workers from Italy (1955), then with Spain and Greece, Turkey, Morocco, Portugal, Tunisia and Yugoslavia. The guest workers came in hundreds of thousands in the economic centres of the country. It was the time when the economy in Germany boomed. IN 1970, THE PERCENTAGE OF FOREIGNERS IN THE GERMAN POPULATION ROSE TO

4.9%

Gastarbeiter arriving at Stuttgart main station

requested guest workers from the South. At this time, about 2.6 million foreign workers were employed in the Federal Republic. And they began to bring their families as well. Thus, the foreign policy of Germany from 1973 to 1979

The first wave of guest

was primarily characterised by the influx of fa-

workers came to the

mily members of previously employed workers.

South-West of Germany

This phase is referred to as the phase of the

and, among the Federal

consolidation of foreigner employment.

States, also to the German "economic locomoti-

The former Yugoslavia

ve" Baden-Württemberg. In 1970, the state capital Stuttgart welcomed the 500,000 guest

The third phase of immigration began at the end of the 1980s. Migrants with German back-

worker - the Croatian Zvonimir Kanijr - at

ground living in Romania and Poland as well as

Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof. Journalists, represen-

in the former Soviet Union, asylum seekers and

tatives of the German Federal Railroad, the

civil war refugees from the former Yugoslavia

State Labour Office and the City of Stuttgart as

immigrated back to their origin country, Ger-

well as the future employer Daimler-Benz had

many. As a result of the war in Croatia, in par-

gathered to take in the young man. As a welco-

ticular, many Croatians and Bosnians moved to

me gift he received a transistor radio of today's

Stuttgart as well as to other cities of the Federal

well-known brand Grundig.

State. The provisional climax of the immigrant influx was reached between 1988 and 1993. Du-

In the timeframe 1952 to 1973, the country’s

ring these years, the migration balance amoun-

foreign policy was primarily German labour

ted to almost 400,000 people from the former

market policy. The recruitment of workforce

Yugoslavia and reached a high point.

from the Mediterranean area took place in the interest of the economy, which had a growing

For the German employers, the personnel from

demand for labour forces. In the course of this

the countries of the former Yugoslavia was very

recruitment policy, the percentage of foreigners in the German population rose to more than 4.9% in 1970. Around 1973, the first economic crisis broke out in Germany and prompted the Federal Government to terminate the recruitment agreements with the newly

BETWEEN 1988 AND 1993, ALMOST 400,000 PEOPLE ÍMMIGRATED FROM THE FORMER YUGOSLAVIA

In Baden-Württemberg

IN 2015, AROUND 317,000 PEOPLE MOVED TO BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG, WHILE 151,000 PEOPLE MOVED AWAY desired. That was due to the regulated vocatio-

graduates and skilled workers. Furthermore,

nal training system there. In particular, the Yu-

the opinion essay suggested that immigration

goslavs from the northern parts of the country,

would play a decisive role in this process. These

who had - historically seen - the knowledge of

findings confirm what the Innovation Advisory

the German language, were thought to be able

Board of the Baden-Würt-

to familiarise much easier with the working cli-

temberg Regional Go-

mate and society of Germany. At that time, the

vernment had already

Federal Republic was also interested in attrac-

documented in 1996

ting female workers. In 2014, almost 2 million

under the then Pri-

immigrants from the former Yugoslavia were

me Minister Erwin

living in Germany. The naturalisation tendency

Teufel. In order to

is mainly observed among the Croatians. Today,

remain competitive

they are considered to be well integrated, and

as a business locati-

work mainly in the processing and construction

on on the long term,

sectors, the healthcare and the social sector.

the Federal State needs

25,000 IMMIGRANTS PER YEAR ARE NEEDED BY THE FEDERAL STATE TO STAY COMPETETIVE

25,000 immigrants per In Baden-Württemberg, in particular, the

year.

immigration movements from abroad have declined significantly since the mid-1990s and

In this sense, immigration was and is a blessing

during a number of years. Since 2009, howe-

for South-West Germany. Without the specialist

ver, this trend has changed. In 2015, around

competences of the newcomers, entire econo-

317,000 people moved to Baden-Württemberg

mic sectors such as the gastronomy, the auto-

and 151,000 left the Federal State. The resulting

motive industry or the medical sector would

migration balance is as high as in 1952, when

no longer be operational. Furthermore, people

Baden-Württemberg was established.

with a migration background contribute particularly dynamically to the development of the

Forecasts for the future

economy in the South-West. With taking positions in management and as company founders

In the future, Germany, and Baden-Württem-

in modern industries, they not only introduce

berg as an important economic centre in the

their ideas but also provide workplaces.

■ AD

Federal Republic, will continue to be dependent on immigration. An opinion essay of the State Government published in 2010 showed that, by 2020, around 500,000 additional jobs would have to be filled by engineers, other university

In Baden-Württemberg

A NATIONWIDE APPROACH TO THE INTEGRATION OF INTERNATIONAL SPECIALISTS:

THE WELCOME CENTERS OF BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

ince 2014, welcome centers have been

founded. Out of an initially informal exchange

set up in almost all regions of Ba-

quickly formed a strong network that plans and

den-Württemberg. These centers - ten

implements joint activities. The main field of

in their total - were established as part of a state

work of the networked ten Welcome Centers is

program funded by the European Social Fund

to enable a long-term, cross-industry supply of

and function as information, advice and pilo-

skilled workers and to strengthen the culture of

tage authorities at the interface between econo-

welcome in the state of Baden-Württemberg.

mic and labor market actors and immigrants.

Important network partners are here the local

Their aim is to support international specialists

employment agencies and job centers, cham-

in integrating in society and in the labor market

bers of commerce and industry, craft chambers,

of Germany, and to offer support to small and

business development agencies, municipalities,

medium-sized companies looking to hire for-

trade unions, schools, colleges or educational

eign skilled workers. The donors are the Minis-

institutions, associations, country partners, such

try of Economy, Labor and Housing as well as

as the Spanish Embassy or Chambers of Com-

regional donors.

merce abroad, as well as the Alliance for Professionals Baden-Württemberg.

Αn initially informal exchange develops to a strong network

Supporting job- and employee-seekers: The working area of the Welcome Centers

To increase the effectiveness of the work of

the Welcome Centers, the state network of

As already indicated, the support offered by the

the Welcome Center Baden-Württemberg was

Welcome Centers is aimed at small and medi-

In Baden-Württemberg

um-sized companies, international specialists, their family members and international students. Whether it is about the search for a job or a study and vocational training place, the hiring of an international specialist or gaining recognition for a foreign degree - the consultants of the Welcome Centers provide support in all matters relating to life and work and refer to specific institutions, such as the Agency for Employment, recognition agencies or even to the chambers.

gart is integrated into the municipalities and administrative districts of the entire city’s regi-

Due to regional characteristics, the Welcome

on. Through the city of Stuttgart, it is integrated

Centers each have different bearers and so-

into the work groups of the latter and into the

metimes they have different main tasks and

municipal offices and administrative structures.

objectives. The Welcome Center Stuttgart, for example, which has a dual sponsorship, has a

Ultimately, the Welcome Centers also act as a

unique cooperation with a regional business

"mouthpiece" for politics, business and society

development company and the provincial ca-

when it comes to topics in the field of internati-

pital, Stuttgart. Through this collaboration, the

onal skilled workers.

Welcome Center Stuttgart combines experience in the area of integration, immigration law

More information can be found on the websites

and social law with economic and labor market

of the ten Welcome Centers and on the websites

proximity. Through the networks of the Econo-

of the economic development agencies http://

mic Development Region Stuttgart (in German

wirtschaftsfoerderung-sbh.de/welcomecenter/ and

Wirtschaftsförderung Region Stuttgart GmbH,

https://wrs.region-stuttgart.de/ and under https://

abbreviation WRS) - the Welcome Center Stutt-

welcome.region-stuttgart.de. ■

The Communities

“OUR WELCOME CULTURE IS IN NEED OF APPROPRIATE SUPPORT FACILITIES” Deutsch-Türkisches Forum and Kerim Arpad: Opinion leadership in cultural communication

he German-Turkish

and cultural programs, the DTF,

programs and events of the DTF.

Forum Stuttgart - in

together with the civic engage-

We spoke with the Managing

German Deutsch-Türki-

ment of its members, makes

Director Kerim Arpad about the

sches Forum, abbreviation DTF

important contributions to the

projects of the German-Turkish

- was founded in 1999 by Ger-

social participation of Turkish

Forum Stuttgart as well as about

man and Turkish citizens under

immigrants and advocates the

his personal driving force for

the chairmanship of the Mayor of

expansion of their opportunities

their implementation.

Stuttgart Manfred Rommel and

in Germany. With cultural series

with the support of the Robert

in the field of cabaret and music,

Mr. Arpad, why did you start

Bosch Foundation. In recent ye-

with literary and film days as well

working at the German-Tur-

ars, the German-Turkish Citizens'

as exhibitions and discussion

kish Forum?

Initiative has become an import-

forums, the DTF initiates diverse

ant player in promoting cultural

encounters. The extensive event

I originate from a Ger-

encounters, mutual understan-

program aims not only to bring

man-Turkish family, my

ding and cooperation between

together German and Turkish

father is Turkish and my mo-

Germany and Turkey.

citizens but also to build a basic

ther German. My father was

understanding of the cultural

one of the founding members

An important goal of the work

roots of those involved in those

of the DTF in 1999. He and

of the DTF are the equal oppor-

encounters. Only on this basis

several other activists laid the

tunities of the second and third

dialogue and a harmonious co-

foundations for what we are

generation of Turkish people

existence can emerge.

doing today. I myself was a student at the time, and had

here in Germany in the fields

of education, work and society.

Every year, special initiatives

my own club, a German-Tur-

Through educational initiatives

stand out from the diverse

kish student and academics

The Communities club, through which I had

convinced, I can say, that it

that show how difficult it is

already had close ties to the

would be very good for the

for people from low-educa-

DTF. We frequently organi-

DTF and, of course, for me,

ted and low-income groups

sed common events. And, of

if I would consider a profes-

to make advancements in the

course, I have also heard a lot

sional cooperation. Through

education system.

about the DTF at home, from

my parents and my Ger-

my parents.

man-Turkish background, I

We notice this in many ex-

am personally involved in the

amples in our educational

Professionally, however, I

German-Turkish relations

projects. When the obligatory

took a different approach

and would like to work for

primary school recommen-

at first. I worked in the me-

the collaboration and under-

dation still existed, children

dia, then at the Vocational

standing between the Germ-

sometimes received a poorer

Training Center (in German

ans and the Turks. These are

recommendation only becau-

“Berufsbildungswerk”) in

very important topics for me,

se of their background and

Stuttgart, and then came to

which also led me to take over

were, therefore, advised to

the DTF by chance with a

the management position.

visit the Hauptschule (secondary school). The reasons

project from another institution. That was my entry to the

The DTF fights for equal

for those recommendations

DTF. But even before I was

opportunities for the second

were bizarre: "The child

hired, I was asked by the then

and third generation of

already had to learn Turkish.

Chairman of the Board of

Turks in education. Why do

If it has to learn a second or

Trustees Manfred Rommel to

you think that these people

third foreign language now,

join the board. At the time, I

do not have the same oppor-

then it won’t get along in high

already had a strong network

tunities as someone without

school ". And that's why the

in the German-Turkish scene,

a migration background?

child was sent to secondary

and as a young person, I was

school because it only needs

supposed to bring in some

Theoretically, the German

one foreign language there.

fresh ideas. So, I was around

society, including the Ba-

Or it has been thought that

a year in the board of trustees

den-Württemberg educa-

the parents can not adequa-

of the association. Since then,

tion system, offers equal

tely support the child with

however, I am working as a

opportunities for all. And we

the homework, and, therefo-

full-time member of the DTF,

actually have a lot of young

re, the child will not be able

and have resigned from my

German Turks - Turkish

to cope with the high school

duties at the Board of Trus-

people born here - who are

demands. Reasons like those.

tees.

originating from a guest wor-

This shows that the chances

ker family, where the parents

and the future of a child are

When I came to the DTF

sometimes could not even

tied to the origin and possi-

with my project, the then

write or read, and have mana-

bilities of the parents. This

managing director emigrated

ged to study and later found a

should not be the case in a

to the USA, and the Board

great job at a Swabian midd-

school system in the 21st cen-

was looking for someone

le-sized enterprise or in a

tury. Yes, there are structural

new to take over her duties.

large corporation. The system

disadvantages for Turkish and

At that time I was still thin-

works, therefore, on certain

other immigrant children in

king about whether I should

occasions, but it still has we-

the German school system

finish my studies or start

aknesses. There are also many

and we try to mitigate a bit

work full time. I was then

educational studies recently

with our projects - or to give

The Communities impulses, how the school sys-

ant to arrange oneself in the

with the Germans from Rus-

tem could work better.

cultural sector, I think. Wi-

sia and, if you count them to-

thout the festival films, which

gether, with the people from

Do you have another project

the DTF shows here in Stutt-

the former Yugoslavia. That’s

that you have co-directed or

gart and which you would

why it is, I would say, normal

initiated, and that is of parti-

otherwise not see in the local

that the Turkish students

cular importance to you?

cinemas, and without the in-

are a large group among the

vitation of artists and authors

international students. But if

A few years ago, we started

from Turkey, a lot would

you look at the numbers in

a series of discussions cal-

be missing in the Stuttgart

relative terms, that's rather

led BAKIS (“perspective” in

cultural scene. That's why

little. The proportion of

German). For those events

these cultural events are very

students among the Turkish

we invite two personalities,

important to me.

youth is less than 10%. This

one from Germany and one

is immensely unimpressive

from Turkey, and discuss with

Back to the education topic,

them controversial topics. Ac-

now. If you take a look now

companying these public BA-

at the universities of our Fe-

KIS evenings is an discussion

deral State and, specifically,

forum held by a small group

at the statistics considering

of teenagers. They gather in

foreign students, the situati-

a very confidential setting

on looks quite different:The

and exchange ideas about the

number of students from

topic to be discussed later on

Turkey is increasing. What

in the main event. For the

are the reasons for that?

very first time, I understood

„

where about half of a graduate year goes to college.

THE PROPORTION OF STUDENTS AMONG THE TURKISH YOUTH IS LESS THAN 10%

that these debates provide a

First, you have to look care-

way to many young people

fully at the student numbers.

to talk about a controversial

Were those students formerly

issue in German-Turkish rela-

enrolled in German primary

tions and, most importantly,

and high schools or did they

outside the circle of family or

come from Turkey to study

If we really look at the rela-

friends. For example, the im-

at the universities here? After

tions, we will see very strange

portance of nationalism, the

all, about half of the Turkish

proportions. Yes, there are

importance of religion in the

students in Stuttgart came

many students who come

political system, how Turkish

from Turkey to the higher

from Turkey to study in

foreign policy is shaped. The-

education institutions of

Germany. It can also be

se are all topics that are either

Germany. The other half are

observed that their number is

very one-sidedly discussed

the local German Turks, who

steadily increasing: a signal

or not discussed at all in the

have graduated from local

for the quality of our univer-

family circle. We give young

high schools. That's an im-

sities and the high status that

people the opportunity to talk

portant aspect.

German higher education

about such topics in a confidential open forum.

when you look at Germans,

and economy still hold today And then, of course, you

in Turkey. However, the US

have to keep in mind that the

and England are also leaders

Apart from the political dia-

Turks are the largest migrant

in higher education and

logue, it is also very import-

group in Germany together

attract the Turkish youth.

The Communities sharply in the recent years. Fortunately, Germany has noticed at this point that the economy here needs skilled workers. But in order to be able to actually show those people in our society - including those of Turkish origin - that we want and need them here, we have to establish a

„

welcome culture with appro-

So you mean that, compared

Yes, that's true. There is also

to the number of high school

a recent study showing that

graduates, too few decide to

students with a migrant back-

study…

ground who graduated from the secondary school are four

priate support facilities.

THERE IS STILL WORK TO BE DONE TO SHOW THAT 21ST CENTURY GERMANY IS NO LONGER THE GERMANY OF THE 60S

You see, that is related to

times more likely to find a job

the structural disadvantages

compared to a university and

we have just been talking

higher education school gra-

about. Those disadvantages

duate, also having a migrant

make their way through the

background. That means that,

education situation here. For

a graduation with good marks

example, if only one half

from the secondary school is

of a graduate year goes to

more likely to get you a job

high school after elementary

than a university degree, but,

school, and only half of them

of course, not a job of equal

graduate from high school,

value. University studies have

and only half of them decide

become less attractive lately.

to study, then, at some point,

For Turkish students, the dual

we end up with only 10% of

training and the dual studies

students of Turkish origin

can also be an opportunity,

The whole culture is insuffi-

annually at the universities of

on the one hand, to develop

cient, if I have no contact

Baden-Württemberg.

their practical skills more and

point where I can turn for

faster and, on the other hand,

help as a newcomer - be it as

We are currently observing

to enter the labour market

a specialist, as a student or as

the trend of dual training

more easily.

a whole family. Fortunately,

and dual studies here in

again, Germany has made

Germany. This trend doesn’t

What can be done to better

progress in terms of increa-

make the "classical" studies

integrate the Turkish people

sing the recognition of diplo-

themselves that attractive

into the German, the Stutt-

mas from abroad. There is

and appealing to the young

gart, society?

still a lot of work to be done, I

people anymore. Is this de-

think, in order to show the

velopment the explanation

Germany has many im-

immigrants that 21st century

for the low number of Tur-

migrants. The EU internal

Germany is no longer the

kish students at the universi-

migration from Spain, Italy

Germany of the 60s.

ties in this country?

and Greece has increased

■ AD

The Communities

GREECE THE EXODUS HOW TO WIN THE YOUNG TALENTS BACK

nally and walks hand in hand with the citizensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; decreasing trust in their political leaders and the change of the current situation. The background why Greece got into this downward spiral is more or less familiar. Fiscal in-

I 30

discipline, an introverted n its echo, the financial crisis continu-

growth model driven by consumption, a low

es to have harassing implications for the

degree of innovation and a hostile environment

Western world, causing significant welfare

for entrepreneurship are only a few features

losses and troubling some countries more than

that dragged the economy to the ground. The

others. Especially the southern European Union

country lost 25% of its GDP in the past six years.

members carry a heavy burden and among tho-

And despite the fact that structural reforms are

se, Greece is facing maybe the most alarming

underway, there has been no improvement in

existential issues. The collapse of its economy

the economyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s extroversion. In this framework,

provides weak perspectives for a sustainable

the most devastating characteristic of the Greek

economy development intra- and internatio-

financial crisis is the unemployment across

The Communities several important economic sectors and, building upon that, the increasing number of Greek citizens leaving their country. According to experts, those circumstances have caused the fifth most intense migration wave Greece has faced in the past 100 years. Three of those periods, including the accurate one, are related to financial incentives. The other two would be the lost war against the Osman Empire and the related immigration to the USA in the early 20th century, and the guest workers movement towards Germany from 1960 to 1973. Considering the above introduced,

over

it can be said that Greece is historically and traditionally a country with a rich experience of emigration. To this conclusion comes also the Bank

100.000

of Greece with its in 2016 published survey on the human capital flight Greece is dealing with in the years of

Greeks were counted to be leaving their homeland in 2018

the financial crisis. This comparative study focuses precisely on three immigration waves -

youth, even in sectors that managed to retain

from 1903 to 1917, the dictatorship from 1969 to

total employment. Considering this context,

1971 and from 2010 to today - and reveals three

young professionals seek a way out of those

key features. All three migration movements

stuck structures in sectors that are either un-

have a duration of approximately ten years,

derdeveloped - like the social sector is in Gre-

an increased intensity of flow and a delay in

ece - or branches that require skills only they

starting in comparison to the very moment of

have - like ICT. Given those circumstances in

recording the high unemployment rate.

their homeland, it is a logical consequence that young Greeks are emigrating abroad.

Poverty and emigration: Two painful consequences for Greece

According to all indications of the Bank of Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s survey, the phenomenon of immigration

Greece has lost approximately one million jobs

continues with uninterrupted tensions in 2014

throughout the past six years; that is 21% of the

and is further exacerbated in the first half of

total jobs in 2008. The fields of construction,

2015. This process of Greeks leaving for job se-

non-food manufacturing and retail/wholesale

arch and seeking for a higher life quality abroad

alone account for 2/3 of those one million jobs.

is still ongoing, and it does not seem this trend

Those circumstances affect especially the coun-

will end soon.

tryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s youth aged 35plus. What is interesting to note here is that youth unemployment is only

In the EU, Greece holds today the fourth place

partly an outcome of the financial crisis. The

in terms of the mass of immigrant outflow and

other side of the story is the fact that the Greek

its proportion in the labor force of the country

economy structure favours older employees. As

- first come Cyprus, Ireland and Lithuania. In

a result, there is an uncontrolled job loss for the

2013, more than 2% of Greeceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s total workforce

The Communities had left their homeland. Among them, young

Another issue addressed by the Bank of Gre-

people in the most productive age of 25 to 39

ece is the necessity to link higher education

years reach a number of over 50% of all outgo-

to handcraft specialisation. In this framework,

ing workers. This

the adoption of a so-called “dual education”

current flight ten-

as it is observed in Germany and other coun-

Greece comes third after

dency concerns

tries of the North can be a tool to redefine the

Cyprus and Spain as regards

to a great extent

professions. Apprenticeships and internships

young people

shall be supported more competent than so far,

with vocational

in order to equip young adults with a deeper

experience, who

knowledge of the job.

the percentage of young outgoing immigrants:

50% OF ALL OUTGOING WORKERS ARE AGED BETWEEN 25 AND 40

move mainly to Germany, the UK

To the suggestions of the Bank of Greece adapts

and the United

the NGO Endeavour Greece. Observing Greek

Arab Emirates.

immigration in their survey “Creating jobs for

The outcome of

Youth in Greece” (2016), the NGO recommends

this migration is

an extensive change not only in the structure

not only emotio-

but also in the mix of sectors in Greek eco-

nally difficult for

nomy. Specific export-led sectors like agricul-

the immigrating

ture/food retail, tourism, ICT etc. will need to

young adults, but

aggressively grow in order to replace the share

it also affects the local economy. And in this

of activity previously allocated to other sectors

context, the Greek state and economy are chal-

that now deal with unemployment. At the same

lenged to tackle this sad phenomenon efficient-

time, the local workforce will have to move

ly with long-lasting positive results.

between the sectors and develop new skills for positions they formerly weren’t qualified to

How to win the young talents back

work in.

As the report of the Bank of Greece outlines,

Of course, all those recommendations can’t

As the report of the Bank of Greece outlines,

be implemented immediately. To cover the

a shift of economy towards the production

1.000.000 jobs and among those the 600.000

sectors as well as the support of young entre-

youth jobs Greece is lacking at the moment,

preneurship are important for initiating the

about 10.000 new high-growth companies will

change Greece needs at the moment. In this

be needed, each up to 50 employees. Despite

context, the creation of a business-friendly en-

the flourishing growth of startups in the coun-

vironment for startups as well as for those fields

try - the number has increased 9 times since

of economy strongly represented in Greece

2010, the figure is almost doubling every year –

is decisive. According to the World Economic

the numbers don’t add up, that’s for sure.

Forum's competitiveness indicator for 2015 and 2016, Greece is one of the largest caterers of

Given this

scientists and engineers in digital technology. Reducing bureaucracy and insurance contributions, maintaining a state-friendly attitude towards business and lowering taxes until the new venture becomes profitable are, therefore, the crucial elements to build up an entrepreneurial institutional framework.

framework,

A FLOURISHING GROWTH OF STARTUPS - THE NUMBER HAS INCREASED

9 TIMES SINCE 2010 AND ALMOST DOUBLES EVERY YEAR

Endeavour Greece defines the current immigra-

The Communities

tion wave as brain circulation rather than brain

courses are designed to give participants the

drain. It is all about pursuing changes where

necessary laboratory and / or clinical experien-

they are. Moving and working abroad helps

ce they need in order to be able to compete on

building an extrovert mentality within the

the global market and finally get a position in a

Greek economy and provides the young Greeks

hospital or other medical institution abroad.

with skills that their homeland education insti-

Projects like the one described above are not

tutes and the labor market have failed to create

only strengthening the qualifications of the

and provide them with. So, rather than preven-

relocating young professionals but are, further-

ting this “Exodus”, Greece should support its

more, a remarkable contribution to sustain the

relocating young adults to succeed abroad and

links to this new generation of international

simultaneously work on rebuilding the coun-

Greeks. At the same time, it is sad to see that

try’s economy – so the left behind will be able

Greece is more or less forced to let its young

to develop and the gone abroad will return.

potentials go. But the country can only attract its “brains” back by leveraging their develop-

So, what can be done?

ment and success abroad so both, the young professionals and the Greek State, can achie-

To the philosophy of the Bank of Greece and

ve an elevation of the national economy. And

Endeavour Greece adapts the World Hellenic

this is how the interplay between those actors

Biomedical Association that recently announ-

should look like: the government and the

ced its new Research Training Program in Cli-

industries will have to fulfill a shift towards a

nical and Experimental Medicine. The program

favourable and sustainable national economy,

aims to support future doctors and scientists

so that the young immigrants will be able to

graduating from the Greek universities in

bring in their acquired skills from abroad and

acquiring specialty in university hospitals and

contribute significantly to Greece’s economic

medical centres abroad - initially in the USA

growth.

■ AD

and in the future also in other countries. The

The Communities

¿POR QUÉ TE VAS? REASONS AND CONSEQUENCES OF THE SPANISH EXODUS

he concept of migration is linked to Spain’s history since decades. A vari-

“Those who do not remember their past are doomed to repeat it”

ety of cases makes this phenomenon

unique in the country, and that is due to both

During the first decade of the 21st century,

its magnitude and timing. Spain is now once

Spain experienced one of the largest migration

again a sender country with a special - and also

waves in European history relative to its popu-

formerly made - link to Germany.

lation. Until the mid-nineties, Spain had been a country of emigrant population: approximately

In the year 2016 alone there were 2.3 million

3.5 million Spaniards went to Latin American

Spaniards living abroad, from which one third

countries between 1850 and 1950, with a special

were young people under 30. Many of them

emphasis on the post-civil war years. Further

moved to Germany. But in comparison to for-

waves of emigrants left Spain during the sixties

mer migration waves, Spaniards leaving their

and the seventies. Those went towards Euro-

home today are strongly different from the

pean countries, especially Germany, where the

previous generations who left Spain back in the

industrial labor force was highly demanded.

60s. This time, the loss of human capital means

However, shortly after signing the Treaty of

not only a demographic and economic blow for

Adherence to join the European Community

Spain but also a huge risk of social regression,

in 1985, Spain went from being a sender to a

lack of competitiveness, innovation and rising

receiver country. This migration episode was

inequality.

largely concentrated during the first decade of

The Communities the century, peaking in 2007. After the financial crisis the number of foreigners leaving Spain

In this article and in the following interviews

rapidly increased again, while inflows became

with Spaniards, the author is dealing not

weaker. Between 2002 and 2014, Spain received

only with the history but also gives a voice to

a net immigration flow of 4.1 million, becoming

some of the protagonists of these migration

the second-largest recipient of immigrants in

movements. In her soon to be published

absolute terms among OECD countries right

book “Sin limites” she portrays 16 Spaniards

after the United States. The migration waves observed in the XX and XXI centuries are slightly different than the ones Spain had faced before. In the era of globalization and technical improvement and after the adhesion of Spain to the EU, the migrant´s

who emigrated due to the consequences of the economic crisis - many of them to Germany. With their stories from Stuttgart and Berlin - two representative German cities from the technical and creative sector - as well as the story of their return to

profile has significantly changed. In the past

their homeland’s capital Madrid, the young

and current century, the migration movements

Spaniards give our author answers to the

are dominated by youngsters mainly heading to

remaining questions of a sadly-known phe-

Germany.

nomenon: brain drain. More information on the book will be released soon.

The difference between the Spaniards coming to Germany in the sixties and those immigrating now

Thus, the immigration wave in the sixties - with a greater magnitude than the current one - was

After World War II, some of Europe’s de-

composed by young Spaniards without quali-

mocratic countries went through an economic

fication, who moved to Germany as so-called

boom. On the contrary, Francoist Spain was

Gastarbeiter (German description of guest wor-

excluded from the Marshall Plan, and immer-

kers; workers invited to work) and occupied the

sed in a period of economic regression that en-

industrial sector. Neither knowing the language

ded after several years of hard negotiations with

nor integrating themselves into German social

the Federal Republic of Germany. Finally, on

structures, Spaniards were battling the post-

March 29th in 1960, an agreement was signed

war crisis in the years 1960-1973, working in

between the two countries, comprising migra-

order to obtain savings and return home. When

tion, recruitment and placement of Spanish

the recruiting of the Spanish Gastarbeiter was

workers in the Federal Republic of Germany.

terminated by the European governments in

Through this agreement thousands of specia-

the years from 1973 onwards many Spanish

lists had the chance to be immediately sent into

emigrants of the migration wave in the sixties

the German industry.

returned to Spain. A significant part of them stayed, though, attempting to definitively settle

Obviously, Francoist Spain was not interested

in Germany and bring their family with them

in letting its skilled workers leave. Instead, the

- a process that turned out to be successful due

country send away people from rural areas

to family reunification laws and integration will,

and without any training. To this end, not only

especially by the children. Despite the fact that

legislation but also a series of interviews with

integration and language learning was not an

the potential Spanish migrants were carried out

easy task for the Spanish immigrants from the

to verify if they fulfilled the right profile: cheap

sixties, it was not a challenge for their children.

and flexible labor for a temporary employment.

Many of those Spanish emigrants’ children in

The Communities Germany are now an information source and

and better in facing this competitiveness, but

bridge link for the new generation of Spanish

this does not always give results. Following the

emigrants, forming migratory chains to sup-

example of their grandparents, a large number

port newcomers.

of qualified youngsters chose Germany as their destination due to their powerful labor market

2007: After the break-out in the USA, the economic crisis approaches Europe

and attractive social and immigration policies.

Spaniards around the globe Back at home, in Spain, the situation was getting increasingly unstable and insecure due to

Today, Spain’s economy has returned to its

the global economic and financial crisis at the

pre-crisis size. But three-and-a-half years of

beginning of the 21st century. In the year 2007,

GDP growth at one of the Eurozone’s fastest

banks stopped financing and investors stop-

rates mean little to young Spaniards. Many

ped buying debt. In order to try to stabilize the

are angry with the country’s tirelessly corrupt

economy, the interest rates increased again and

politicians, and are unable to pursue rewarding

many indebted companies were unable to meet

careers in their own country. Labor conditions

the debt and pay their employees. Mass lay-

have suffered a retrocession while the govern-

offs began, and companies were sold before the value of their stock could continue falling. As a consequence, over

OVER

a quarter of Spain‘s

25 %

workforce was un-

OF SPAIN‘S WORKFORCE WAS UNEMPLOYED BY

2012

ment should have been unleashing money on infrastructure projects to generate jobs. The unemployment rate remains above 18% and is near 39% for younger workers, which means that 4.25 million people in a nation of 47 million are looking for work. Even in areas of growth,

employed

fraught labor negotiations and frequent strikes

by 2012. These asto-

attest to the insecurity of work and the pain of

nishing levels of un-

diminished wages. Unfortunately, the macroe-

employment, which

conomic figures have not improved mira-

peaked at 26 percent, were a prominent marker of the desperation inflicted by the im-

plosion of Spain’s real estate investment bubble, combined with

culously: strict reforms have been imposed, developing considerable social unrest that has led to political movements against Government and the two-party system. Even though Spanish economy is turning away from the crisis, the duality in the labor market, where temporary

the global financial crisis. At the same time, the

workers are exposed and where others with

Spanish GDP contracted by almost 9% between

permanent contracts have greater protection, is

the years of 2009 and 2013 due to the record

not helping to resolve unemployment in Spain.

trade deficit and the budget austerity imposed

Recent data from Spain’s Ministry of Labor

by European leaders in a wrongheaded effort to

revealed that the number of workers who sign

choke the crisis.

more than ten employment contracts every year increased from 150,000 in 2012 to almost

Those difficult times hit also the youth very

double (270,000) in 2016.

hard. Youth unemployment rate in Spain is still

growing today and achieving a well-paid and

The facts introduced above are justifying the la-

full-time job becomes an increasingly difficult

test data from the Register of Spanish Residents

task, raising competitiveness for employment.

Abroad (PERE), issued by the National Institute

Thus, young Spaniards are becoming better

of Statistics (INE), which certifies that Spaniards

The Communities around the world are 2,406,611 in January 2017.

youngsters think that they will run their own

It is almost a million more than it was eight ye-

business, against the 47% saying so in 2015.

ars ago when the crisis began and it represents an increase of 4.4% compared to the same date

This emergence of more socially-oriented

in 2016.

companies is one indicator of the growing diversity and maturity of Spain´s start-up scene.

The ones left behind: Despair and hope among Spain’s youth

By one measure, life in Barcelona is today 36% cheaper than London, 28% less expensive than Paris, and even 4% cheaper than Berlin, the

As it has been introduced earlier, especially

latter long being a magnet for young people

the youth is affected by Spain’s difficult econo-

looking for European civilization at a discount.

mic situation. Between 2008 and 2015, more

Therefore, young professionals have arrived

than 47,000 Spaniards aged from 18 to 25 years

in Spain from around the world, attracted by

arrived in Germany in search for employment.

an increasingly well-developed support system

However, as the Spanish economy has slowly

that today combines start-up incubators, spe-

begun to lift its head, the number of Spaniards

cialist lawyers and experienced business advi-

who left Germany increased as well from 2,800

sers. Much progress has been made and Spain’s

in 2012 to 4,300 in 2015. In Germany remain

economic reconfiguration is widely hailed as a

currently 148,211 Spaniards, 43.8% more than in

key driver of growth.

2009, only below Argentina, France and Venezuela. This considerably high number can be explained as follows: In some industries, jobs and regions in Germany, there is a shortage of qualified technical workers, such as engineers, IT specialists and health specialists. Therefore,

THE FEATURES OF THIS GENERATION MUST BE RECOGNIZED

in 2013 the government launched a special program aimed at young, unemployed Europeans

A better understanding of a whole generation´s

aged between 18 and 35, covering their travel,

needs and offers increasingly becomes essenti-

language courses and living costs while offering

al for facing up to the economic challenges on

them vocational training in Germany. Many

the way. What is needed now is a re-evaluation

young Spanish talents heard the call of oppor-

of the talent we are letting go: Youngsters who

tunity ringing and, above all, a real commit-

have been formed in Spain - and supported

ment from German companies willing to form

with national and European loans - and who

great professionals.

decide to leave the country in search for new and better opportunities. But, for how long? If

Observing the developments on Spain’s labour

we want the talent back, more effective and ac-

market and the fact that leading enterprises

tive labor market policies must be implemented

in every sector have been unable to absorb

and the depreciation of human capital beque-

the flow of graduates from universities and

athed by the crisis and by long term unemplo-

technical institutes, a new generation of Spani-

yment must stop. Undoubtedly, this can only

sh founders went for other options. A growing

be achieved once we recognize the features of

number of Millennials are now working to turn

a generation full of enthusiasm, with internati-

fresh ideas into commercially-viable busines-

onal experience and new conceptions of wor-

ses in their homeland. According to the Entre-

king life that cannot find a place in the current

preneurship Global Study of Amway and the

Spanish market.

■ CS

Technical University of Munich, 51% of Spanish

The Communities

“YOU DON’T REALLY LOOK LIKE A KAZAKH” Our author’s effort to explain why she is German, speaks Russian, but comes from Kazakhstan. A life story.

really wish I could turn back time, slip into my timid children's skin and explain to this certain teacher that Kazakhstan is definitely not in Russia. Again, for the general understanding: I was born in Kazakhstan in 1991. My mother comes from a German

People confront me with this reaction even

family, my father has both Russian and German

today. Most of the time I don’t even bother to

roots. In short, we are Russian Germans.

explain why I am German, speak Russian, but come from Kazakhstan. It is too complicated,

The common history of the Russian Germans

anyway. Even my primary school teacher in

the third grade couldn’t explain the differen-

The common history of Russian Germans

ce between Russians and Kazakhs. On the first

begins with Katharina the Great. The German

day of school, every child had to introduce the

princess and later empress of Russia was the

origins of its family. "Kazakhstan is in Russia,

one who invited German settlers to Russia in

children," the teacher added to my presentation.

the 18th century. They should farm this vast

Well, almost. But a miss is as good as a mile. I

but man-free land. In exchange, the empress

The Communities promised her fellow countrymen liberation

mainly deported to Kazakhstan, Siberia, or the

from military service, tax exemption, free-

Urals. Families were torn apart, children were

dom of religion and other privileges. Many

separated from their parents. Under the so-cal-

thousands followed her call and settled down

led Kommandantur strict reporting require-

mainly around the Volga and the Black Sea.

ments, exit restrictions and prohibitions were

They founded German villages and built most-

arranged. For many Russian Germans the fa-

ly closed societies, staying among their peers.

mily trees and bloodlines started to blur around

They had their own schools and churches, they

this period. And the worst part

spoke German and celebrated their own tradi-

in their already tragic si-

tions and customs. For the first 30 years it was

tuation was that they

like that, at least. The special status of German

had to build their

settlers changed, however, considerably in the

life from zero

course of time and their self-administration was

again. They

dissolved. Despite all that, the Germans were

built houses,

still living in good conditions, which led not

cultivated

least to an anti-German mood in the country.

fields, bred cattle, re-

When World War I broke out, the situation

construc-

for the Germans in Russia turned drastically.

ted entire

Speaking the German language in public was

villages.

forbidden and so were German newspapers

And as

and books. Although Germans also fought for

time passed

the Russian army, they were seen as an "inner

by, Russi-

enemy". And their situation got worse. In 1917,

ans and other

the October Revolution took place, the Czar

Soviet citizens

empire was destroyed and the Soviet Union was

moved into these

founded. All those incidents were followed by

villages, too.

THE FALL OF THE SOVIET UNION TRIGGERED THE IMMIGRATION TO GERMANY:

ONE MILLION ABOUT

GERMAN REPATRIATES MOVE OUT OF EASTERN EUROPE AND POLAND; AFTER 1990, ANOTHER 2 MILLION EMIGRATE, MOST OF THEM FROM KAZAKHSTAN

civil war, forced labor, a hunger catastrophe, and later by the people’s oppression by Stalin.

“Homecoming”

After the Nazis seized power over Germany and the following German attack on the Soviet Uni-

It was in the sixties when the departure of the

on in the years 1941 to 1945 - the Great Patriotic

Russians from Kazakhstan and the other po-

War as it is called in Russia - the Germans again

pulated regions slowly began.This movement

were described as "fascists", "spies" and "ene-

flexibility they owe to the German Christi-

mies". Thousands of them were suspended from

an-Democratic politician and later Federal

service in the Red Army and were sent to the

Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany

so-called "Trudarmija," the worker army, and

Helmut Kohl. He and his party supported this

forced to work. That happened also to my great

departure, this "homecoming", considerably.

grandfather.

The people who left their homelands in the former Soviet Union during this time, however, didn’t leave because they were living under bad

Shortly after the German attack on the Sovi-

circumstances. Those people left their familiar

et Union, and in a framework of fear that the

locations because they were Germans.

Russians and the Nazi Germany could collaborate, the forced resettlement of the Russians to

A few years later, the situation was quite diffe-

the East began. The immigrating Russians were

rent. In the nineties, life was, according to my

The Communities grandparents, "pure chaos". The Soviet Union

Everything that was built up in the Soviet Uni-

was falling apart, piece by piece, and not just

on was lost. Again, the immigrating Russians

politically. For many, those times were the

had to start from scratch. Many had an acade-

worst in their lives. Prices for basic food such

mic education and high positions as doctors,

as bread and milk increased tenfold from one

engineers and teachers. Suddenly, some of

day to another, corruption and crime were the

them worked on construction sites, in sales, or

order of the day. Whoever had the opportunity

not at all. Not a few families were crushed due

to leave, took advantage of it. So it happened

to those difficult times. Some of the people,

with my family.

mainly the married Russian spouses, who had followed their partners to the German home-

In 1996, we - my parents, the paternal grand-

land, went back.

parents and I - arrived in Germany with just two suitcases. Back in Kazakhstan we had sold

Nevertheless, one can say that the Russian Ger-

and given away everything we had. As relatives

mans, especially in comparison to other ethnic

of my family were already living in Ludwigs-

groups, performed a very good and quick integ-

burg in Baden-Württemberg, we were also sent

ration process. The compulsory German langu-

to this town. Today, almost twenty years later,

age courses were held for up to two years after

my family still lives here and is glad that these

the immigrants’ arrival in Germany. And with

early years are long history. Still, the fact that

the acquisition of German citizenship a work

life in Germany is not necessarily easier, but

permit was granted immediately and automati-

rather much more complicated, my family had

cally. The Russian Germans were, furthermore,

to learn very quickly - and what German bu-

heavily supported. Only later, at the end of the

FOR MOST OF THE RUSSIANS, MOVING TO GERMANY WAS INITIALLY ASSOCIATED WITH A SOCIAL AND SOCIETAL DECLINE

reaucracy means much

90ies, this support was much shortened. Despi-

more quickly. Packed with

te the course of things, though, German Rus-

thick folders including

sians don’t stand out in today’s local German

all the important papers

society.

under our arms, the whole family marched through all the authorities and offices. Back then, only my

When I ask my German great grandparents

mother understood a little

why the integration of us German Russians has

German.

worked out so well, they reply: "Because we are Germans and we have always been Germans. It

The initial enthusiasm

was clear for all of us that this is the last stop.

faded quickly, not only

We will stay here. Here we will live.”

in my family. For most of the Russians, moving to

So, if the next time someone wants to know

Germany was initially as-

why I do not look like a Kazakh, I will refer to

sociated with a social and

this text. Maybe I'll send this article also to the

societal decline. School

above-mentioned primary school teacher.

degrees and diplomas were not recognised. And the knowledge of the Ger-

man language, so diligently cultivated back in the homeland, was in Germany only sufficient for the communication at the bakery.

"We are and have always been Germans"

■ VT

The Communities

ROMANIA

THE UNSPOKEN REALITY Ana-Maria is 24 years old and was born in Bucovina, a region in the North-East of Romania. After the first year of her Master degree in Romania, she decided to come to Germany for one Erasmus semester. One year has passed and she is still in Baden-Württemberg, doing an internship at the Daimler AG. The possibility of returning home exists, but Ana-Maria wants to shape her career in the industrially most developed region of Germany.

omania is often associated with negati-

study harder, the corrupt system, which is in

ve connotations due to many unfortu-

power since so many years, can’t be removed

nate events. Those events were genera-

and is bringing the country to its knees. This

ted partly by individuals who couldn’t find their

is one of the reasons why so many Romanians

place in that land and decided to go abroad

decided to leave their homeland, their homes

and try out their “skills”. As it is the nature of

and families along the decades in order to give

mass media to focus on the negative news, the

their best years to other countries that respect

public was misinformed and the social stigma

them, pay them fair and offer them better living

appeared. People generally don’t seem to know

standards. But this will be further explained in

about Romania’s tumultuous history - a past

the following paragraphs.

which led to an attitude of disappointment towards politics and the population’s desire

Along the history, starting with the impressive

to reach more on its own by studying more,

battles against the Ottoman Empire, followed

working more and by learning continuously.

by the two World Wars and the infamous era of

You are probably asking yourself: “Why isn’t

communism, until today the Romanians only

Romania among the powerful countries when

seek for a way to obtain a better life, most of

its residents have this thirst of becoming better

them choosing the option of emigrating. Cur-

and better?”. The answer is simple: because of

rently, more than 3.5 million Romanians are

the government. Even if the citizens work and

situated abroad, with almost 530,000 in Ger-

The Communities many. The numbers are increasing every year and this is not only in the case of Germany, but

The early relations to Germany: A good and a bad aftertaste

across the entire Europe as well. Italy is still representing the main target for emigration, with

The first contact to Germany originates from

more than 1.1 million Romanians working there

the period 1866 to 1947, when the Kingdom of

in 2016. You can find Romanians in every sec-

Romania was under the rule of the House of

tor, at every corner, starting with collectors of

Hohenzollern. The country adopted then many

fruits and vegetables and gastronomy personnel

german and austrian customs and words, and

to doctors, engineers, programmers and other

it was about that time when a high number of

talented people who believe that their capabili-

Germans migrated to the East European land.

ties wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be wasted abroad.

During World War I, Romania changed sides from neutral to directly involved against the

The Romans, the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburgs, Hungary: Romania in the spotlight

German expansion. The country lined up next to the Triple Entente who ultimately won. Through this strategic move the region of Tran-

The fight against Romaniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political system has

sylvania was taken back by Romania in 1918 - a

its roots in the early history, when the Dacians

victory which lasted merely a couple of years.

were conquered by the Romans in the year 105.

Throughout World War II a series of unfortu-

From here on, Romania became a latin territo-

nate events and governing inability lead Roma-

ry and was forced, like other parts of Western

nia to the loss of Transylvania back to Hungary

Europe, to adopt the latin language and the

and of Basarabia - the Republic of Moldova

christian religion. Therefore, the national lan-

today - and Bucovina to the Soviet Union. For

guage today is very similar to Italian, Spanish,

the next several years, Romania, now smaller,

French and Portuguese.

had to fight against the Allies but mainly against the Soviet Union, taking the side of Germa-

After these drastic transitions from one culture

ny. In 1944, Romania changed sides again and

to the other, many more events took place in

found itself a year later next to the winners.

the land between the Carpathians and the Black

Nevertheless, the country only got Transylvania

Sea. The nearby territories and the New Powers

back, the rest was taken over by Bulgaria and

were always showing an interest in conquering

the Soviet Union.

the newly formed country but the most noteworthy incidents remain to be the disputes between and the war against the Ottoman Empire

The communism and the initiated strong migration wave towards abroad

from 1386 onwards. Romania was never truly

owned by the Ottoman Empire but they were

The loss of the former Romanian grounds was

ruled by a sovereign power, to which Romania

not the final blow for the country. In 1945, the

had to respond and pay annual fees to, up until

communist regime was installed and, in 1967,

1877, the year when Romania declared indepen-

Nicolae Ceausescu became president under the

dence from the Ottoman Empire. But it was not

Soviet umbrella. Obsessed with repaying the

until 1918 when the country as it is known today

national debt Ceausescu ordered a ban on the

was formed. Between the independence decla-

import of any consumer product and comman-

ration and its actual independence, though,

ded the export of all goods produced in Roma-

Romania took up the fight against the Habsburg

nia except minimum food supplies. During this

Empire and Hungary in Transylvania and Buco-

time, severe restrictions of civil rights were im-

vina - the small north-east region of Romania

posed but as the Revolution began in 1989, the

- and had to give up both regions.

entire debt had already been paid off. Romania

The Communities turned out to be the then only country in Euro-

of doctors needed in hospitals and the infe-

pe’s history with no debts. In the same year, the

rior quality of the health system. Many pati-

country ceased the Soviet Alliance and beca-

ents are receiving the wrong diagnostic or are

me a democratic country. During the 1990s,

dying because of malpraxis, many die because

though, many Romanians emigrated, running

of the poor conditions the hospitals offer. No

away from the communist memories and the

investment has been made by the government

new party in power. With Romania joining the

in the last few decades. The machines are old,

NATO in 2004 and with the opening of the

the inventory feels as if it were “post war” and

borders through the country’s adherence to the

nobody can tell for sure how clean or sterile the

EU in 2007, people had the freedom of travel

used tools really are.

and work all around Europe - an opportunity which many took without second thoughts.

This is one of the prices Romania has to pay for its migrating population. Engineers, scien-

Having a glance of Romanian history, it is now

tists, business men and women, IT experts, they

easier to understand why the culture is transi-

all go work for big companies or institutions,

ting to a “nomadic” attitude. Most of my high

standing next to the best employees or willing

school colleagues decided to leave the coun-

to become the best ones themselves. The talent

try and to find a workplace in Europe. I have

of Romania diminishes every year more and

friends who preferred to get married and start

more but countries like Germany or the UK are

a family in Italy or Germany, because these

welcoming them gratefully - and their offer is

countries can offer a better life and education

hard to refuse. I don't consider myself a talent

to their children. Unfortunately, this will also

but I am among those who left home in hope of

cause many uninhabited villages in Romania

a better life. In less than a year I got to see my

and many aspects of the culture will be lost

dream contoured. These migrating professio-

once the parents and grandparents will fade

nals know very well that they can earn money

away. However, the Romanians think and expe-

faster and realize that their salary is correspon-

rience the fact that Europe offers more oppor-

ding to the quality of their work. They are also

tunities and chances than the homeland.

aware of the chance of starting a career in companies with very big names which treat them

So, why are Romania’s talents migrating to Germany, the UK or the USA?

fair and offer them recognition. I am aware of the many black spots on the

The answer lays in the light of fair payments,

Romanians’ origin, on the one hand because of

recognition and the impact of their work. For

locals who aim to make money by every means

example, a fresh graduate doctor in Romania

and on the other hand because of the romas

earns between 300-400€ per month while in

ethnic group, the gypsies, who have no good

Germany the entry salary starts at 3.000€ per

reputation in the world. But - and you know the

month. This huge gap between salary levels

rule that everything placed before “but” isn’t

influences the future de-

A FRESHLY GRADUATED DOCTOR IN ROMANIA EARNS

worth a penny - Romanians are more than just

cisions regarding the

negative news. They are hard workers, they in-

starting place of a

tegrate easily, they show immeasurable respect

career. Another

but, most importantly, they keep their word. Hire or work with a Romanian who has only

300 - 400 €

concerning side of the story is

best intentions and you will see for yourself that

PER MONTH;

the issue with

hard work and good payment give back only

the number

best quality results.

IN GERMANY, THE ENTRY

■ AMM

SALARY STARTS AT

3000 €

The Communities

LEAVE OR STAY CHINESE STUDENTS FACING CLICHES IN BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

here is a group of young people com-

What kind of problems do they encounter in

posing the largest group of foreign stu-

Baden-Württemberg? Do they plan to leave or

dents in Baden-Württemberg. They are

to stay after graduation?

visible on the streets of every university city, but do not receive much attention from the so-

Following footsteps

ciety. They generally do well in their academic studies, but often times find it hard to adjust to

For the 26-year- old Mingze, coming to Ba-

the local lifestyle, especially in terms of food. In

den-Württemberg was scheduled well in advan-

a nutshell, that is the situation of most Chinese

ce. As his father, a professor at the prestigious

students in Baden-Württemberg.

German-rooted Tong ji University in Shanghai, once studied engineering in Stuttgart, it

As much as you know that they come from the

seemed natural that Mingze would follow the

same country, which has the largest popula-

same path. Having arrived in Stuttgart, Mingze

tion in the world, they are different individu-

was dedicated and determined to be among

als having their own dreams and aspirations.

the top tier students in his engineering classes.

Coming from various backgrounds, why did

However, he was surprised by the difficulty of

they all decide to study in Baden-Württemberg?

his studies. Together with one year mandato-

The Communities ry German language courses, completing his

Claire also described herself as “lucky” being

bachelor took six and a half years. Apart from

the only child in the family, as her parents

studying, he also struggled mastering the Ger-

would probably not have the financial means to

man language and bonding with local people.

support her if she had a sibling. Talking about

“Passing the language tests required by the

the recent policy of the Baden-Württemberg

university was absolutely not easy, but taking

government that most of the non-EU students

classes in German is even more challenging.

have to pay tuition fees at the university, “it

The worst scenario is sitting in the big lecture

is a pity”, she said, “we all

hall without understanding a word, and that

know that universities in

was me in the first two

Baden-Württemberg are very

years of studying”, said Mingze. The language barrier also partly led to the result that he has very few local friends. “My German classmates are nice, but we don't have much in common and they don't seem

„

IT IS HARD FOR ME TO FEEL AT HOME IN GERMANY

prestigious ones, but now many students would not choose to come here because the 1500€ extra per semester is really a lot of money”. As a curious, outgoing girl, Claire has a lot of international and German friends, the

interested in me or my

only “big” problem she meets

country. That is why I spend most of the time

in Baden-Württemberg is

with fellow Chinese. It is hard for me to feel at

the food. Like many other

home in Germany.”

Chinese students, Claire does not like local food that much

Accidentally falling in love with Germany

and always misses Chinese food. Sometimes she meets

„

NOW, MANY STUDENTS WILL NOT CHOOSE TO COME HERE. THE 1500€ EXTRA PER SEMESTER IS REALLY A LOT OF MONEY

While many Chinese students come to Germa-

up with other Chinese to

ny after long-term preparation like Mingze, for

cook together, “but that does

the 23-year- old Yuan, who prefers to be called

not last long”, she said, “on

by her international name Claire, coming to

the next day I am worried

Baden-Württemberg seems more accidental:

again about what I could eat. As the Chinese

During her bachelor studies in China, she came

proverb says, westerners eat in order to live

across a chance for an exchange semester in

while Chinese live in order to eat”. As for future

Cologne. Being a big fan of German soccer and

plans, Claire hopes to stay in Germany. “I think

hoping to experience foreign culture, she seized

I would first work for several years, and when

the opportunity to come to Germany, and then,

I have the money, I want to open a Chinese

in her own words, “fell in love with Germany”

café-restaurant. Despite the decent number of

and “totally lost her heart in Heidelberg” during

existing Chinese restaurants in Baden-Würt-

a trip. After finishing her bachelor, she came to

temberg, authentic Chinese food, Chinese

Heidelberg, enrolled as a master student.

breakfast and Chinese desserts are still rare as

Reasons for coming, except from her fascinati-

pandas”, said Claire, laughing again.

on with the city, also include low tuition fees in Germany. “Living in a lovely city, studying at an

Bridging between two cultures

outstanding university while not having to pay extremely high fees and living costs like in the

Other than problems of food or language as

U.S. or the UK, it is like a present”, she laughed.

Mingze and Claire raised, many Chinese stu-

The Communities dents also feel disturbed by stereotypes about

rial and technological fields, it is surprising that

Chinese from the local society. Lulu, 27, has

getting admitted to KIT was not so difficult.”

studied German literature in China. Coming

He also enjoys that the German society is more

from a modest household in rural China, Lulu

open: “As a homosexual, I feel I can have better

now studies her PhD at Heidelberg university

living conditions

thanks to a scholarship offered by the Chinese

here than in China.

government. As a fluent German speaker, she

In Germany, Gay

found out that there are lots of misunderstan-

people can now get

„

I HAVE BEEN ASKED SEVERAL TIMES: DO YOU EAT CATS AND DOGS?

dings towards Chinese

married and adopt

and China while talking

children.”

to local people. She rai-

AS A HOMOSEXUAL, I FEEL I HAVE BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS HERE THAN IN CHINA

sed different examples of

Upon graduation,

stereotypes people often

Yilin hopes to find

have in mind, “I have

employment within

been asked several times:

the German indus-

Do you eat cats and dogs?

trial sector. While

Why do Chinese always

viewing industrious chances in Germany very

sit in groups by themsel-

positively, he is a little worried about finding

ves? Are you part of the

a job in Germany: “I have heard that German

communist party, since

companies are reluctant to hire Chinese gra-

you are financed by the

duates because they fear that Chinese would

Chinese government? It

spy on their technologies.” Another aspect that

takes some time to exp-

bothers Yilin and other Chinese students who

lain the actual circumstances, but people usual-

want to remain in

ly are curious and sympathetic to listen”.

Germany are the complicated visa

Lulu will go back to China after finishing her

regulations for the

PhD, mainly because she wants to be close to

job search and wor-

her parents. She also wants to function as brid-

king permit.

ge for better communication and understanding between Germans and Chinese.

Year by year in Baden-Württemberg,

Searching for better chances

there are Chinese students studying

„

I HAVE HEARD THAT GERMAN COMPANIES FEAR THAT WE WOULD SPY ON THEIR TECHNOLOGIES

Baden-Württemberg’s status as an industrial

in the library cor-

powerhouse is famous all over the world. Pro-

ner, chatting in the

mising opportunities offered by the region have

campus dinner and strolling through the down-

been attracting thousands of Chinese students,

town stores. They came for different reasons,

but staying for a professional career is not quite

experiencing similar ups and downs and vari-

easy as they might have hoped. The ambitious

ous moments of joy and sorrow. Some would

young man, Yilin, initially planed to study in

leave while others would stay. But one thing is

the USA, but applied for a couple of German

for sure: They leave their tears and laughters in

universities as well. Being rejected from his

Baden-Württemberg and Baden-Württemberg

desired school in America, he was very happy to

will always stay in their memories.

receive admission from KIT’s computer science department. “KIT is such a top school in indust-

„

■ ZW

The Communities

IFA ACADEMY THE JOY OF CULTURAL ENCOUNTERS German language courses ifa Academy’s German courses are available in all competence levels from A1 for beginners to B2 and C1 (C2) courses for advanced speakers. A team of more than 90 qualified teachers guarantee a successful study experience in evening and weekend courses, intensive courses and ifa Academy’s popular summer school sessions. Additional courses are available for selected professionals such as German for medical staff and volunteers in international cultural relations. All courses come with an ifa Academy certificate. ifa Academy is a fully accredited center for TELC and TestDaF preparatory courses, tests and certificates. As an added value, German courses at ifa Academy may also include local excursions, visits to cultural events, libraries and historic places in Stuttgart.

Professional development Special trainings for professional development comprise digital cultural skills, international cultural communications, country specific seminars and business cultures. Seminars and training cater towards professional who wish to work abroad and to incoming qualified experts who seek a new career, work experience or international business contacts in Germany. Courses are available in Stuttgart, Berlin and Brussels.

International projects and study courses ifa Academy also offers online study courses, e-learning, webinars and EU trainings projects. ifa Academy is part of ifa – Germany’s Institute for Foreign Relations (Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen). ifa and ifa Academy are also known for their charming setting

Language, cultural skills, business training – your pathway to success in Germany

in a historic landmark building in the city center of Stuttgart with a quiet and green inner courtyard – a perfect place for learning, meeting people, making friends, networking and enjoying varieties of cultures. Find out more at www.ifa-akademie.de or send us an email at info@ifa-akademie.de

www.ifa-akademie.de ifa Akademie gGmbh Charlottenplatz 17, 70173 Stuttgart 47 T +49 711 2225 139 E info@ifa-akademie.de

Initiatives

“THE CITIES OF TOMORROW HAVE TO RELY ON THE CAPACITY FOR INNOVATION” Managing Director of the Freiburg Business Development Agency, Dr. Dallmann, introduces methods to bind the city's international students

reiburg is a student city.

Yes, unfortunately. The busi-

How does a university city

In the winter semester

ness location Freiburg - city

like yours handle the pro-

2014/2015, the most

and region - shows a dynamic

blem of human resources

popular universities of the city

development. On the one

shortage?

in Breisgau counted 32,000

hand, the local companies are

students. At the Albert-Lud-

prospering and are therefore

In 2014, under the auspices

wigs-University alone, around

looking for workers. On the

of the FWTM, the 'Welcome

3,800 students with a foreign

other hand, new companies

Center Freiburg-Oberrhein'

background were enrolled in this

from abroad settle in the re-

was founded with the aim

semester. Despite the existing

gion every year, which is very

of informing and advising

potential, economic operators

attractive due to its proximity

foreign experts and students

in Baden-Württemberg speak

to other important Europe-

about labor market issues

of a shortage of skilled workers.

an markets such as France,

and facilitating the path to

We spoke with the Managing

Switzerland and Italy. They

labor market integration. The

Director of the Freiburg Business

search for skilled personnel

Welcome Center is supported

Development Agency, Dr. Dall-

as well. Unemployment is at

by the city of Freiburg, the

mann, about the lack of skilled

8%, that means we have al-

districts of Breisgau-Hoch-

professionals in his city.

most full employment. But in

schwarzwald and Emmendin-

individual economic sectors,

gen, the chambers of the regi-

Dr. Dallmann, is there a

we already have a shortage of

on as well as the employers'

shortage of skilled workers

skilled workers.

association Südwestmetall

in Freiburg?

and the Employment Agency.

Initiatives How does Freiburg maintain

How does Freiburg convince

bureaucratic jungle and orga-

the dialogue with foreign

its graduates of the job pros-

nise in cooperation with the

students before, during and

pects in this country?

chambers and credit institutions target-oriented events

after their studies? The positive labor market

and formats such as the

When starting their studies in

figures actually speak for

Freiburg Founders' Day, the

the region, foreign students

themselves. Nonetheless, we

founders start day and free

receive a Welcome Guide

support foreign students in

workshops.

with the most important in-

particular by providing them

formation from the respecti-

with compiling industry-spe-

Are there any impulses and

ve International Office of the

cific lists in which we draw

entrepreneurial spirit from

university. In this guide, the

attention to the companies

the "Green City" Freiburg on

services of the Welcome Cen-

located here. Every student

topics of sustainability?

ter are presented in detail.

has the opportunity to get more detailed information

Quality of life, sustainability,

The Welcome Center Frei-

based on the mentioned basic

resilience and capacity for

burg-Oberrhein invites for-

data. The podium discussions

innovation - that's what smart

eign students to a company

the Welcome Center is orga-

cities and regions of tomor-

visit every semester. There,

nizing also offer the students

row have to rely on in order

they have the opportunity

good opportunities to ask

to achieve the goal of sustain-

to get to know the respective

their own questions directly

able development.

production site directly and

to the personnel managers. Our latest project is there-

to get in direct contact with the HR manager. This gives

What role do start-ups play

fore the new Smart-Green

students a first-hand insight

in this context?

start-up accelerator which is a flagship project of the Eu-

into the needs and expectations of the company. Wit-

In Freiburg and the region,

ropean Social Fund and the

hin the framework of panel

many players are involved in

Baden-Württemberg Minis-

discussions with HR mana-

start-up consultancy and sup-

try of Economic Affairs. The

gers from various industries,

port and have been involved

industry-specific Accelerator

deeper information about

in various compositions and

is jointly supported by the

the application process is

partnerships for many years.

public-private partnership of

illuminated from the compa-

The Economic Development

the Economic Development

ny’s side. Furthermore, the

Agency forms a willingness

Agency Freiburg (FWTM) and

Welcome Center offers in the

to found at the regional level.

the Incubation Center “Grün-

form of three content-related

The new goal of the example

hof". The goal of the collabo-

workshops a training on the

BioTechPark Freiburg is to

rators is the supervision and

subject of application in Ger-

give the favourable oppor-

accompaniment of promising

many. Through this training,

tunities and support, assistan-

start-up projects, in particular

foreign students and specia-

ce in different areas and thus

spin-offs from the university,

lists are formally made fit for

to reduce the entrepreneurial

the colleges, non-university

the job market. The foreign

risk in the starting phase. In

research institutions and es-

students have the opportunity

addition, we from the Frei-

tablished companies, but also

to continue participating even

burg Business Development

projects by start-up students.

after completing their studies.

Agency are committed to

■ AD

pave the way through the

Initiatives

DUAL EDUCATION THE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TRAINING-ON-THE-JOB A success story from the pre-industrial era

Every country reacted differently to the industrialisation of the economic processes. Germany

The roots of vocational training lie in the

passed the Handicrafts Act (1897) and handed

pre-industrial age of Germany. Back then, when

the responsibility for the regulation and im-

the guilds were representing what we today

plementation of the practical training of the

know as the professional associations, it was

countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apprentices over to the craft cham-

customary in some cities to train apprentices

bers. Later, the German industry also followed

practically in the craft sector. The latter had

this training model and developed it further in

to attend even final examinations, which were

line with the labour market requirements. From

defined and implemented by the guilds. In the

1969 onwards, the German State is the second

course of history, and especially during the in-

central player in the regulation, implementa-

dustrial revolution, the craft enterprises got un-

tion and promotion of the vocational training,

der increasing pressure, though. Manufactures,

and still plays an important role. Ever since, the

liberal views on professional and trade freedom

vocational training, known in Germany as â&#x20AC;&#x153;dual

and the rigid nature of the guilds ultimately led

educationâ&#x20AC;?, has been uniformly regulated all

to the end of the then known vocational trai-

over the country.

ning model.

The characteristics of dual education: An overview

A salary

Training Contract

as the training

signed between

advances

that increases

apprentice and

3 years of training

company

training 3-4 days a week in the

Educational settings

company

A corporist regulation

The state vocational

state and economy

school and the

are equal partners

company

in the education

The dual training system established in Germany is also widespread in Switzerland, Austria and Denmark. Similar, also vowed vocational training systems are the English "training-on-the-job" model, where professional skills are conveyed as needed, as well as the French model of training at state-run vocational schools with a weaker involvement of the economy.

Initiatives

An university and a company as equally competent trainers: The trendsetter DHBW

During their residence and active training at the employer’s site, they acquire professional knowledge and practical Know-How, as well

What began in October 1974 as a pilot project

as the necessary work and social competen-

with 164 high school graduates and 50 com-

ces needed in their later professional routi-

panies from the regions around Stuttgart and

ne. Theory and practice contents are closely

Mannheim, has now developed to a successful

aligned with each other and the curricula are

higher education concept for Baden-Württem-

determined by the training staff to comply with

berg. For the first time in the recent history of

current developments in business, technology

the dual training concept, the high school gra-

and society. The achievements in the practical

duates, who enrolled back then for their studies

phases are an integral part of the studies.

at the Berufsakademien (Vocational Academies) in Stuttgart and Mannheim, were taught by their professors and additionally by specialists

What characterizes the labor market in Germany?

from various business enterprises at the companies’ premises. That way, the foundations were

Over the last ten years, employment in Germa-

laid for the establishment of an educational

ny has grown steadily to the highest level since

institution, which enables and further develops

the country’s reunification in 1989/1990 – the

such a "dual higher education": the Cooperati-

accession of the German Democratic Republic

ve State University of Baden-Württemberg (in

(DDR) to the Federal Republic of Germany. By

German “Duale Hochschule Baden-Württem-

the end of 2015, there was an increase in em-

berg”, abbreviation DHBW).

ployment in almost all sectors and in all federal states, and the trend remains upward. Among

What distinguishes the DHBW from the training-on-the-job-model?

those sectors, the manufacturing industry is and remains the largest one in Germany, with about 6.7 million employees.

If you look at the university landscape of Ger-

Slightly smaller em-

many and on the regularly appearing worldwi-

ployment rates show

MANUFACTURING

de university rankings, you will see that there

the trade sector (4.25

REMAINS THE

are so many different study options as there are

million), healthcare

opinions about the quality of the offered cour-

(2.3 million), qualified

SECTOR IN BW

ses. The advantages of a concept like the DHBW

company services (2.25

WITH ABOUT

consist, on the one hand, of the altering theory

million) and care and

and practice phases and, on the other hand, of

social services (2.08

the close cooperation with the economy. Ne-

million). At the same

vertheless, one should consider the DHBW for

time, the importance

more than just a brokerage event where the

of other industries is reduced considerably, like,

students can meet the one or other famous bu-

for example, the construction and the manufac-

siness partner. As the name suggests, the central

turing industry, the commodity and production

feature of the Cooperative State University of

industries, capital goods and consumer goods

Baden-Württemberg (DHBW) is its dual study

manufacturing, energy and water supply.

LARGEST

6.7 MILLION EMPLOYEES

concept. Between the Federal States of Germany, BaAt the DHBW, students change their learning

den-Württemberg has acquired a pioneering

environment between the lecture room and

role with an unemployment rate of 3.9% - inclu-

the employer's premises every three months.

ding with 2.9% the lowest youth unemployment

Initiatives rate in Germany - and a real economic growth of 1.8% within the period 2016/2017. In additi-

So, are dual studies the backbone of the modern German economy?

on to the industry, crafts and, in particular, the construction industry are experiencing a high

Despite the promising numbers, there has been

level of occupancy and housing construction is

a significant change in the German vocational

expanding strongly.

training market over the last ten years. While in 2005, there were more applicants for training

Having the above said in mind, it is obvious

courses than actual workplaces, today there are

that the job demand is shaped to a considerable

as many training places as there are applicants.

extent in accordance with the labour market

However, regional, professional and qualifi-

situation - and indirectly in accordance with

cation difficulties disturb this balance. At the

the offer and demand in the field of vocatio-

regional level and specifically in the Federal

nal education. It’s a fact that the labour market

States of Berlin, North Rhine-Westphalia and

situation in Germany depends to a decisive

Hessen, sufficient company training centers

extent on the dual education system. Today, the

were missing up to the year 2015. In Western

unemployment rate of young people up to 25

and Southern Germany, and among those

years of age has more than halved compared

States also in Baden-Württemberg, the situati-

to 2005 - in 2015, 239,000 unemployed young

on looks better, but also has a downside: here

adults were counted in the Federal Republic.

exists a saturation in the demand within certain

In the generation of 25-years-plus, 54% are

work areas. In particular, the commercial area,

permanent employees and, among those who

the media sector and the artistic and creative

have completed a dual vocational training at a

professions like media design and marketing

company, 66% were taken over and employed

are just before demand saturation - those are

long-term.

the predicted numbers for 2016/2017. The fields

The DHBW: Numbers & Figures

12 Locations

Heidenheim, Heilbronn, Karlsruhe, Lörrach, Mannheim, Mosbach, Bad Mergentheim, Ravensburg, Friedrichshafen, Stuttgart, Horb

looking, increasingly worried, for trainees are commercial trade, hotel and catering professions, food production and sale, as well as the branches of construction and precision engineering and tooling technology. The above listed disparities generate doubts about the future of the success story "Dual Studies and Dual Education". One thing is clear: in order to remain attractive, the dual education

over

9000

companies and social institutions in Baden-Württemberg

3 Campuses

over

courses of study in the fields of technology, economics and social sciences

7150 is the current number of staff

system has to adapt continuously to the developments on the labour market. Considering the changes and the demand for qualified personnel in the professional structure as this has been introduced above, new promising training programs are an important starting point for making the dual studies model attractive again. Particularly in the framework of the increasing digitalisation trend in the workplace, carriers of the dual training, including the DHBW, have to impart economically relevant competences to the young people and interested experts.

■ AD

Initiatives

DHBW: AN ECOSYSTEM FOR INNOVATION Arnold van Zyl, President of DHBW, on the attractiveness of Duale Hochschule for talents and corporates

15 courses, 12 loca-

an active ecosystem of inno-

tions, 11,821 enrolled

vative companies in all indus-

students in the current

tries and in every community.

„

OUR MODEL COMBINES ACADEMIC EDUCATION WITH THE GOAL OF EMPLOYABILITY

winter semester (2017/2018):

Our sensors for change are

The Cooperative State Univer-

our course leaders, who look

sity of Baden-Württemberg

after the students on site but

has grown into a giant in the

also the companies where the

German educational landscape.

practice phase takes place.

We spoke with the president

Our study commission in the

of DHBW, Prof. Arnold van Zyl,

departments of technology,

about internationalisation and

economics and social affairs

why this educational concept is

then picks up those impulses.

not blindly transferable to foreign

However, the unique feature

economies.

of the DHBW are the compa-

However, we do not want to

nies that are involved in the

train a pure Bosch or Daim-

How does your institution

processes of curriculum de-

ler engineer - and we value

adapt to a rapidly changing

velopment and management,

degrees that are academically

world, Mr Prof. van Zyl?

which also provide lecturers.

recognised but also relevant.

That's how we stay agile and

Our educational model com-

We are successful in this

have adapted a range of pro-

bines academic education

adaptation, because here in

grams to meet the demands

with the goal of employabi-

Baden-Württemberg we have

of digital business models.

lity.

Initiatives This is also attracting great

medium-sized companies

back from companies that

attention from abroad. How

from Baden-Württemberg

want to remain internatio-

international is the DHBW?

are based, we have created an

nally competitive. This also

engineering degree program

helps the business developers,

Our international strategy is

for 25 students together with

who thus make their regi-

based on three pillars. That

the dual partners and the

on more attractive for the

is, first of all, the needs of

Chinese education partners.

investment and settlement

our dual partners. They are

In this case, we applied our

of industrial companies.

successful companies that

advisory capacities and have

Our advice is appreciated,

are strong in exports and

developed a model of a cur-

by the way, also in the third

often have branches abroad.

riculum in consultation with

pillar - our involvement in

Teaching intercultural com-

a local education partner and

development cooperation.

petence to our students is, th-

our industry partners. We also

Here, we work together with

erefore, a very important part

help in the further education

the GIZ (abbreviation for the

of the curricula. This lecture

of teachers in the premises

German term for “German

is filled with life in the exch-

of the companies. But the res-

Corporation for International

ange semesters our students

ponsibility for the organisati-

Cooperation”), especially in

can attend, and, of course, in

on as well as the awarding of

Latin America. There is now

the internships abroad in the

degrees lies entirely with the

a network of nine universities

companies. Nearly 40% of our

partner in Nanjing. We have

and colleges, called the “Dual

no claim to establish our own

University Latin America”.

colleges abroad.

Currently, we are also invol-

students go abroad during their studies. And what are the activities of your university abroad? The second pillar of internationalisation consists, indeed, of our own activities abroad, where our partners report demands and needs. Take Kecskemet in Hungary, where Daimler and Knorr-Bremse

„

WE HAVE NO CLAIM TO ESTABLISH OUR OWN COLLEGES ABROAD

and other enterprises are ac-

sity in East Jerusalem. The recruitment of foreign students has not been listed as a pillar of internationalisation… Deliberately not, because we can not really actively go into recruiting abroad. The prerequisite for studying at

tive. Together with the uni-

So, acting like the Anglo-

the DHBW is, in addition

versity there and the German

Saxon universities, which

to the Abitur (German high

industry, we have designed

are expanding abroad with

school degree), still a signed

an engineering course on site,

their own brand, is out of the

employment contract of the

to which we contributed with

question for the DHBW…?

students at a company. Of

our know-how. Our tasks are

ved in building a dual univer-

course, if one of our industry

the conception, the media-

Yes, definitely. On the one

partners announces the need

tion of teachers and also the

hand, we wouldn’t be able to

to train 15 to 20 people from

quality control.

deal with the specific featu-

all over the world here in

res of the local and different

Baden-Württemberg, then we

In Taicang in China, where

educational cultures. What is

can respond to the demand of

Kern-Liebers and many other

important to us is the feed-

the Dual Partners with curri-

Initiatives cula and even provide courses

that can and will proactively

in English. But the initiative

invest in their employees’

must come from the com-

minds as well as in curricula

panies. We must and want to

and teaching. Secondly, there

focus on our core business

is a real need for acceptan-

here in the country.

ce in the education systems as such, including a formal

And despite that, the interna-

acceptance: accreditation

tional admiration of the dual

and certification of the dual

model in Baden-Württem-

studies model are urgent-

berg won’t diminish. What

ly needed. The refusal of a

Yes, that's right. Many politi-

requirements must be met to

"degree" still means that you

cians only see the successes

enable the implementation

can not study "outside of an

of this model, but the cultu-

of the dual studies abroad?

university”. Third, the dual

ral, financial and educational

approach won’t work without

conditions that must exist

First of all, it is important not

the willingness of universities

for this success are often not

to confuse our model with

and their professors to accept

considered. The DHBW is,

that of the dual vocational

and co-develop a dual mo-

therefore, not an export good

training. Those two diffe-

del of full-fledged academic

that you can easily shop. It

rent concepts are very often

education. And at the uni-

thrown together and regar-

versities, a cultural change is

ded as a promising German

needed as well. A dual system

solution: If your country had

can not be commanded. The

it as well, you would perform

teachers have to be convinced

the same in the global com-

that the practical study of an

petition. This view is, I think,

object, the reflection on it, the

nonsense. I see four prerequi-

subsequent theory formation

sites for a dual orientation to

and the renewed practical

work.

discussion are a cyclical and

„

ACCREDITATION AND CERTIFICATION OF THE DUAL STUDIES MODEL ARE URGENTLY NEEDED

innovative learning model.

Arnold van Zyl

„

has to be done locally, by the people there.

THE DHBW IS NOT AN EXPORT GOOD, IT HAS TO BE DONE LOCALLY

And fourth, you need the know-how to organise such a

And the DHBW's DNA also

model in practice. The or-

means that we are an innova-

ganisation is, by the way, not

tive university, a third, inde-

entirely trivial, we've learned

pendent pillar in the educa-

that throughout over forty

tional landscape - and not a

years now.

hierarchically subordinate add-on to the regular operati-

With those four criteria,

on of universities or technical

however, the number of

colleges. This is the only way

education systems, in which

we have become attracti-

the concept of the Coopera-

ve - for the best high school

tive State University of Ba-

graduates in the state as well

den-Württemberg could be

as for education policy far

First, there really needs to be

so easily “exported”, is greatly

beyond Baden-Württemberg

a critical mass of companies

reduced…

and Germany.

■ AD 55

Initiatives

GREAT PERSPECTIVES IN THE GERMAN SOUTHWEST Germany's southwest is one of the most innovative regions in Europe. Would you like to be part of it? Find your job in Baden-Württemberg at www.bw-jobs.de. Check it out and convince yourself of the excellent prospects in the region.

Baden-Württemberg´s industry has ambitious

promotion agency of the state, bw-i supports

goals. However, there is a lack of up to 200,000

local companies in recruiting skilled workers.

skilled workers on average per year in the

Offering an information platform and partici-

southwest, according to a survey carried out by

pating in recruiting events world-wide are part

the Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In the

of this.

future, this lack is even expected to grow due to demographic trends.

Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i) is the competence centre for the state of Ba-

With the website www.bw-jobs.de, the state

den-Württemberg for the internationalisation

informs domestic and foreign specialists about

of business and science.

their job opportunities in Baden-Württemberg. The website offers a search engine for jobs and

Their main objectives are:

internships as well as tips for application and arrival in the region. In addition, you can see

•

Strengthening contacts between foreign and

what Baden-Württemberg offers you as a future

local companies, universities and research

place to live.

institutions Supporting the endeavours of Baden-Würt-

The web offer www.bw-studyguide.de addres-

temberg companies, universities and rese-

ses international students who are interested

arch institutions to enter foreign markets

in studying in Germany. It gives an overview

•

Positioning Baden-Württemberg as an

of southwestern Germany’s rich academic

excellent location for business and science

landscape and access to a study program search

in order to encourage foreign capital inves-

engine to help students find the course of study

tment, the settlement of new companies as

that suits them best.

well as the recruitment of specialist employees.

Baden-Württemberg International (bw-i) is in charge of the internet portals www.bw-jobs.de

For more information visit www.bw-i.de/en.

and www.bw-studyguide.de. As the economic

Initiatives

DAIMLER AG:

CONTRIBUTING TO GLOBAL SUCCESS With their initiative “Leadership 2020”, Daimler is actively shaping cultural change within the company

he first step needn't

products and services.

offers a company-wide graduate

always be the hardest.

In terms of job opportunities,

training program designed to

Especially when you

whether you join a technical or

recruit and train its next generati-

decide to start your career in one

commercial department, you'll

on of leaders.

of the world's most successful

be challenged and developed.

automotive companies of all

Thanks to tailored programs and

About 282,000 employees

times: Daimler AG. With its busi-

learning-by-doing on the job,

around the world are working for

ness units Mercedes-Benz Cars,

you will quickly start making a

Daimler. They’ve got a multitu-

Daimler Trucks & Buses, Merce-

contribution. Not just for Daim-

de of talents, qualifications and

des-Benz Vans, SMART and

ler, but also for you. As part of a

ideas, and all of them are pur-

Daimler Financial Services, the

worldwide team aiming to shape

suing the same goal: putting the

company is one of the largest

the future of mobility, students

future of mobility into action. To

manufacturers of premium pas-

and early professionals have the

know more about the coordina-

senger cars and the largest glo-

chance to work in their own spe-

tion of international teams, work

bal manufacturer of commercial

cialist area, in their home coun-

life and talent management, we

vehicles. During the past year,

try—highly tempting for many

had a chat with Dr. Anna-Maria

Daimler successfully continued

Spaniards—or abroad. But there

Karl, Head of Global Talent Sour-

a profitable growth thanks to its

is even more to it: with an inter-

cing at Daimler AG.

attractive and innovative range of

national trainee program Daimler

Initiatives ly as a consultant for

the office or from home. Or

Western Europe and

to swap your full-time posi-

South America. Today,

tion for job sharing. You can

I'm Head of Global

join the company through

Talent Sourcing and

our international trainee pro-

responsible for scou-

gram, a Dual Study course,

ting and developing

apprenticeship, internship,

future top talents.

doctoral studies or by direct

What distinguishes me

entry.

as a person is definitely my curiosity for

What is the main challenge

other people, langua-

for a workforce formed by

ges and cultures. This

international employees?

has been a common thread throughout my

We see this diversity as a gre-

whole working life and

at opportunity! Diversity is

fits perfectly with my

part of our corporate strategy.

current role.

We believe that international teams from different cultures

How many internatio-

come up with the best ideas

nal talents are current-

and most creative solutions.

ly working at Daimler?

Daimler is a company with employees from many dif-

Daimler employs Dr. Anna-Maria Karl

282,000 people worldwide from five generations and over 150 nations. They

How did you end heading

contribute a huge wealth of

this strategical department

experience as well as great

in Daimler?

commitment.

I studied law - in Munich,

Which are the main oppor-

Geneva, Hamburg, London

tunities offered by Daimler

and Madrid. For me it was

to attract talents from abro-

a conscious decision, I've

ad?

ferent backgrounds, abilities

â&#x20AC;&#x17E;

and personalities. That's what makes the daily job so interesting.

WE SEE DIVERSITY AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

always been passionate about languages, different cultures

Daimler offers various op-

How does a normal working

and an international working

portunities for employment

day at Daimler looks like?

environment. Having com-

and development and has a

pleted my studies, I worked

larger global presence than

There's no such thing as a

as a trainee lawyer in Brus-

any other German company.

typical working day. The

sels before doing my masters

There are many possibilities

jobs are just as diverse as

in International Law in Ann

to bring flexibility to your

our workforce. There are

Arbor, Michigan.

working life. To leave Germa-

mechanical engineers pro-

I joined the legal department

ny temporarily to work in the

gramming in development,

at Daimler in 1995, initial-

USA or vice versa. To work at

while, in sales & marketing,

Initiatives big data specialists work on

What do you search in po-

ler. For graduates, it is advisa-

customer apps and so forth.

tential employees?

ble to apply one year before they are due to finish school.

The areas of work are very different. What they all have

The automotive industry

in common is the opportuni-

is changing. Digitalisation,

ty to bring flexibility to your

connectivity, electric mobili-

working life. That means job

ty, the road to automated dri-

sharing, home office, dual

ving, sharing economy – all

studies, everything is possib-

these things are transforming

le.

the sector at an unprecedented pace. We want employees

Regarding Daimler's de-

who can think outside the box

mand of international talent,

and who share their enthu-

is it necessary to speak a

siasm for mobility with us.

good fluent German level to

So, we're looking for creative

be part of the company or is it enough with English?

„

applicants who are passionate about their ideas and want to be part of something new.

We're a global player with 282,000 employees worldwide. Therefore, applicants should have a basic knowledge of English to enable them to communicate with international colleagues. We believe in connected working across many different sites. In some areas, of course, it's also important to be fluent in German. It all depends on the job.

WE'RE LOOKING FOR CREATIVE APPLICANTS WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT THEIR IDEAS

We also recommend applying

„

for several job opening at the same time.

REGARDLESS OF AGE, BACKGROUND AND GENDER, WE WANT TO WIN AND DEVELOP THE BEST-QUALIFIED PEOPLE FOR OUR COMPANY Why is Daimler such a special place to work? Daimler is embarking on the most fundamental transformation in its corporate history. The catchword is Leadership 2020. With this initiative,

DAIMLER CURRENTLY EMPLOYS ABOUT

282.000 PEOPLE WORLDWIDE

Which are the keys for a for-

we're actively shaping cultural

eign employee to face up an

change within the company.

interview in your company?

Our goal: to become more agile and more innovative.

Regardless of age, backg-

To bring start-up spirit into

round and gender, we want

the teams and to flatten out

to win and develop the

hierarchies. This is both a

best-qualified people for our

huge challenge and a fantastic

company. While the require-

opportunity to drive change

ments differ greatly, the goal

as part of a team.

is always the same: we want to exchange ideas with the candidates and give them an insight into working at Daim-

■ CS

Initiatives

BOSCH: TRAINING AND PROMOTION BRING BACK BEST PERFORMANCE At Bosch Group, young professionals from Italy and Spain profit from a wide range of career opportunities as well as vocational training apprenticeships

n an era where leadership and entrepre-

in 1906 and the advocation of industrial arbit-

neurship are at the core of the debate, we

ration and free trade - and this impact is once

all acknowledge the fact that successful

again relevant in today’s world.

founders can change the world through their vision. But that was not so clear over 130 years

“Let´s be remarkable” encourages the firm after

ago when Robert Bosch founded his company

you made your first steps into the huge building

and revolutionised the social market economy

that prevails over the skyline of Feuerbach in

while aiding the development of the automo-

Stuttgart. In this hood, many passers-by wear

bile. Today, his life's work is continued by the

Bosch´s shirts and carry cards around their

Bosch Group which employs roughly 390,000

necks from a company focused on four business

associates worldwide and by the foundation

sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Techno-

into which he breathed life, the Robert Bosch

logy, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Buil-

Stiftung. Robert Bosch’s legacy is based on the

ding Technology. Gone are the days dedicated

assumption of social responsibility. Among his

only to mechanics. Nowadays as a leading IoT

contributions to the society and the labor mar-

(Internet of Things) company, Bosch delivers

ket was the introduction of an eight-hour day

innovative solutions for a connected and better

Initiatives life that have sparked not only enthusiasm over

But, what is the apprenticeship all about?

60 countries but also generated new jobs. “This year, Bosch is planning to recruit about 20,000

In search for the answer, we talked with Sieg-

specialists and executives worldwide. People

fried Czock, head of occupational and pro-

with professional experience and software skills

fessional training policies at Bosch. His first

have especially good chances, including mecha-

words are devoted to the great value of diver-

nical engineers and software developers alike,”

sity within the company and the extraordinary

says Christoph Kübel, member of the board of

human capital who shares Bosch´s philosophy

management and director of industrial rela-

of work. “The young southern Europeans learn

tions at Robert Bosch GmbH.

their future occupations at 16 locations throughout Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Three

The core has always been to turn innovative

and a half years later they earn their Chamber

visions into reality and to improve the quality

of Commerce-recognised qualification as in-

of life for people all over the world. As a result,

dustrial mechanics, cutting machine operators,

cars drive autonomously, machines speak to

equipment operators, or mechatronics enginee-

each other, and houses become smarter thanks

rs”, explains Czock.

to the joint work of professionals from more than 150 nationalities in 440 subsidiaries and

Twenty months in the program, the apprentices

regional companies around the globe. Different

complete the first part of their exams. German

ideas, experiences as well as working styles have

remains a particular challenge in the written

always formed part of the Bosch identity and

theoretical portion. “It is a big step, being so

as part of the German “Diversity Charter”, they

far from home,” says Ana Maria San Andrés

officially recognise and value diversity.

González from Madrid, who has just finished her training to be a mechatronics engineer.

Christoph Kübel

What does

“That’s why it’s also important for me to find

this mean for

my way outside of work and feel at ease. My

Southern Euro-

trainers, colleagues, and vocational school

pe, and specifi-

teachers support me in this every day.” Intercul-

cally, for Spain?

tural training, constant supervision and above

From 2014

all language courses are some of the success

to today this

factors. In comparable projects throughout

mindset and the

Germany, the drop-out rate ranges from 40% to

company's social

100% while Bosch reaches 15% as 37 of the origi-

responsibility in-

nal 45 participants finished the program.

volve 175 additional apprenticeships for young men and women from Italy, Portugal, and

What are the entry options at Bosch?

Spain and around 14 million Euros available to combat the high level of youth unemployment.

Vera Winter, responsible for the acquisition

“Our occupational training concept has strong

of young talents at Bosch, sounds enthusia-

intercultural assistance such as language cour-

stic when talking about career opportunities

ses, professional mentors, and social-educatio-

in a company that provides employees with

nal supervision. Vocational training significantly

the room to develop their talents and perso-

improves young people’s job prospects” affirms

nal strengths. “It is this diversity that makes us

Mr Kübel.

innovative and strong”, she says. “There is not only one way but many to start making the difference with us, so you can choose the entry op-

Initiatives

CAREER PATHS AT BOSCH

Vera Winter

tion that fits best to

STEM and business internships that will give

you like our Junior

the successful applicant a wide and varied

Managers Program,

understanding of the organization, the depart-

the Graduate Speci-

ment and the way we work”, affirms Winter. In-

alists Program, PhD

terns are part of the team that they are suppor-

program, PreMaster

ting and gain a valuable experience during their

program or direct

3-6 month placement in return of a maintenan-

entry”. Internatio-

ce contribution.

nal, interdisciplinary and interdepartmental projects are just as

Engage as a working student

much a part of Bosch´s business as the use of

Working students can work directly on the

English as their international business langua-

topics of the future – join a project and support

ge. “In general, the technical field takes 80% of

it over the course of several important phases.

positions and ⅔ are on IT/software”, explains

Once they are enrolled in a course of study,

Winter. “In most positions German is necessary,

they can get on-the-job experience as a working

but in others it is helpful". It requires excellent

student. “Working hours are adapted to your

expert knowledge, social competences, flexibi-

studies and free time: during studies 10 hours

lity self-responsibility and good language skills,

per week up to 35 hours during semester holi-

to fit into any of the wide range of possibilities

days”, explains Winter. “And if you want to join

within Bosch.

Bosch at a later point in time, we will be sure to remember you”.

Join Bosch as an Intern Whether as a compulsory or as a voluntary

Write your thesis at Bosch

internship, whether in Germany or in one of

There are many visionary developmental goals

60 other countries worldwide: this is a valuab-

at Bosch that provide a wide range of fascina-

le head start towards future. “We offer various

ting topics for a Bachelor’s, Master's, or diplo-

Initiatives ma thesis. While working on their final thesis,

opportunities, and an established mentoring

students will be mentored both personally and

system with experienced top managers.

professionally throughout the entire process. "Working with your subject at the crossroads

Become a Graduate Specialist

between theory and practice leads you to the

You completed your college/university degree

expansion of your own network early in your

or post-graduate studies in a technical, natural

career”, Vera Winter points out.

sciences, or business discipline with outstanding grades. Your track record includes relevant

Join the company as a Pre-Master student

work experience.

A Master’s degree requires very good prepa-

During a period of 18 to 24 months, you com-

ration, both in terms of theory and practice.

plete four to six assignments in your functional

Therefore, the Bosch Pre-Master Program

area, as well as being actively involved in day-

trains graduates during max. 12 months to gain

to-day business and projects with an unlimited

experience in their field and its interrelations

employment contract.

with business. “Requirement is a Bachelor’s degree in a business or technical field with

Work at Bosch as a PhD student

very good final grades”, explains Winter. "Your

Around 59,000 innovative minds are driving

professional and personal qualification is also

the technical challenges of the future, working

being developed in seminars during that time".

in research and development at Bosch. “We

From the very start, graduates take on responsi-

have exciting subjects on offer for PhDs which

bilities in daily business and in projects suitable

often grant students the opportunity to break

to their own interests and strengths.

new grounds”, says Vera Winter. Bosch provides excellent Master graduates with financial sup-

Become a Junior Manager

port as part of a limited-term work contract (3

90 percent of managers at Bosch come from

years in a technical area and 2 years in a busi-

their own ranks. After the completion of a

ness area). As a professional partner for their

master course of study in a technical, scientific,

doctoral thesis, the company offers also intensi-

or business field with above-average grades and

ve personal support in the related department.

at least one several-month stage abroad, stu-

“In short, Bosch contains the right working

dents with leadership potential can opt to enter

environment in which up to four generations

the program with an open-ended employment

work together: from our more than 7,000

contract.. The duration of the

90% OF MANAGERS AT BOSCH COME FROM THEIR OWN RANKS

program is around

yees advising us with their tremendous wealth

18 to 24 months and

of experience”, concludes Vera Winter. “For this

it has been among

reason, 250 million euros are invested annually

the best in Ger-

in professional development of our employees

many. The start

and around 7 billion euros are spent for rese-

date of the Ju-

arch and development each year. Our team is

nior Managers

always committed to technology that is inven-

Program can

ted for life.” ■ CS

be individually arranged and is based on an individual program design, diverse further training

apprentices to more than 1,500 former emplo-

Initiatives

CREATING PERSPECTIVES FOR REFUGEES A JOINT INITIATIVE OF THE CORPRATE SECTOR FOR INTEGRATION

ermany, November 2015. The number

in clothing stores. But also the management of

of monthly applications for asylum

German companies had initiated or supported

reached the top: around 56,000 peop-

integration projects that were thought to faci-

le, who had fled their home countries because

litate the migrants’ way into the German work

of war, persecution or other reasons, seeked

life.

asylum, many more of them were still waiting to do their application. The whole country was

A network meant to inspire

in turmoil and German politics as well as civil society were working on provisional solutions

A few months later, in February 2016, the

to fulfill the essential needs of the refugees.

network „Wir zusammen“ (German for “we together”) was born. In the beginning, it had 36

German companies already showed a lot of commitment

member companies which all had established initiatives to integrate refugees in the German labour market. An online platform offering

At this time, German chancellor Angela Merkel

transparency and orientation as well as showing

was invited representatives of the German cor-

exemplary solutions for the active integrati-

porate sector to a dialogue meeting. How could

on of refugees was created. Furthermore, the

politics and economy cooperate on solutions

network was meant to inspire other companies

in those difficult times? How could the German

and institutions to follow the example of the

economy react to this strong migration flow

trendsetting corporations and get active. Today,

and what could it contribute to the integration

the network counts more than 200 member

of around 470,000 refugees? As politicians and

companies

representatives of German companies were sitting together and discussing these questions,

A network meant to inspire

it became clear that there already was a lot of commitment on both the employer’s and

Today, the focus is set on providing training

the employees’ side: lots of people had gotten

places, matching the qualifications that a re-

involved through voluntary work and were

fugee brings from his or her home country

helping refugees, for example by welcoming

with the qualification required in the company,

them at train stations or working and donating

mentoring programs.

■ CH 65

Initiatives

EDUBIZ @GLOBALCONNECT A PLATFORM FOR DISCUSSING INTERNATIONAL HR DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES

The medium-sized companies are current-

The focus of edubiz is set on the exchange of

ly looking for executives who can implement

experience between successful companies as

highly complex and connected technology and

well as the discussion of international personnel

service solutions "made in Germany" on inter-

development strategies. In addition, cooperati-

national markets as well as at their own loca-

on between education providers and companies

tions. Edubiz - Education meets Business - has

is encouraged. Such collaborations are intended

emerged as a platform for international dialo-

to help small and medium-sized companies to

gue between companies, universities and rese-

train the specialists and executives they need

arch institutions and global minds from a wide

worldwide in order to achieve growth and com-

range of labor market segments. Edubiz is an

petitiveness, and to win them over for a career

initiative of the Stuttgart media company local

perspective in their worldwide active compa-

global. Since 2010, the conference has been

nies. With their format, the Edubiz organizers

held at domestic fairs such as GlobalConnect or

and their partners also want to give impulses

didacta.

for the intensification of European cooperation.

Initiatives In 2017, edubiz took place abroad for the first time: at the

2010

Hungary Automotive Fair in Budapest. This exhibition is held annually by and at the Hungexpo Budapest Fair Center and welcomes with over 200 exhibitors from 10 countries a

GLOBALCONNECT STUTTGART

record number of nearly 10,000 trade visitors every year. In the framework of the Fair, the edubiz conference aimed to promote joint projects in R & D and dual education. More

2012

than 50 colleges of CEEPUS - Central European Exchange floor of the platform to enter into dialogue with the region's

LEARNTEC KARLSRUHE

automotive industry. In addition, the event aimed to attract talent and help identify local jobs and skills development opportunities. Encouraging co-operations and the discovery of new opportunities for growth and innovation worldwide- that are

2014 DIDACTA STUTTGART

the core targets of edubiz as a part of the discussions and exhibition at GlobalConnect in Stuttgart, taking place on the 20th and 21st of June 2018. This exhibition is one of the most

2015

important platforms for export and internationalisation in Germany and takes place at Messe Stuttgart. Leading business associations such as IHK, LVI, bw-i and the government

DIDACTA HANNOVER

of Baden-Württemberg are partners of local global and the format of edubiz.

■ AD

2016 DIDACTA COLOGNE GLOBALCONNECT STUTTGART

2017

EDUBIZ TIMELINE

Program for University Studies - in 14 countries took the

DIDACTA STUTTGART AUTOMOTIVE HUNGARY BUDAPEST

2018 GLOBALCONNECT STUTTGART Edubiz at Automotive Hungary in Budapest, in 2017

Start-Ups

THE STARTUP ECOSYSTEM S T U T TG A RT Business formations stimulate competition, ensure innovation and technical progress and create jobs. Supporting Startups is therefore a core element of Stuttgart‘s economic development.

The activities of the city Stuttgart in the field of company and startup foundations

businessmen and -women, founders as well as for young entrepreneurs involves different offers in the fields of consulting, events as well as

The state’s capital Stuttgart is in its role as an

room search and reservation - from Individual

economic promoter the central contact for

rooms to entire creative centres. Furthermore,

investors and companies in the region. The city

the Economic Promotion Agency Stuttgart - the

supports the establishment and the entrepre-

city’s executor of the above introduced services

neurial development of the companies settling

- offers various publications on Startups as well

down in its surroundings and provides rele-

as on creative and business incubation centres.

vant assistance in the foundation processes as

such. In addition to the founding office with

Under the motto "Questions cost nothing!"

its advisory function, the service spectrum for

the Economic Promotion Agency Stuttgart is

Start-Ups providing free one-hour initial and orientation advice for those interested in starting up and

Current highlight of the State: The Startup Accelerator M.Tech

for successors. The consultation taking place in the city's own founding office covers the entire

The Startup Accelerator M.Tech, an iterative

business start-up process from the initial idea

support program which is initiated and appro-

to the founding of the company, irrespective of

ved by the Federal State Baden-Württemberg,

the legal form. In this context, the state capi-

focuses on engineering and mobility. The aim

tal performs events, partly with partners, such

is to offer a high-quality accelerator program

as the “Gründerlounge” (German for Foun-

to high-potential startups with a focus on

ders-Lounge) with the Regional Cup Stuttgart,

the cross-sectional engineering and mobility

several entrepreneurship seminars or round

sectors. All this is taking place in the creative

tables for the founders, where young entrepre-

spaces of the wizemann.space. For the partici-

neurs are given the opportunity to present their

pants of those programs the basic focus is set

corporate ideas and make business contacts. An

on the development of a marketable prototy-

important date and accomplishment this year

pe. The M.Tech Accelerator offers co-working

was the participation of the Stuttgart Economic

spaces and a holistic support program, which

Development Agency together with the Minis-

includes individualised consulting components

try of Economic Affairs at the Startup summit

as well as personal mentoring through a Mobi-

2017 at the National Fair Stuttgart (Landesmesse

lity Board of professionals and industry experts

Stuttgart).

from Stuttgart region companies. In the Startup Accelerator M.Tech project are involved the

Space for innovation wanted!

Economic Promotion Agency Stuttgart, bwcon, the wizemann.space, the economic promoti-

The Economic Promotion Agency Stuttgart

on region Stuttgart and TTI (abbreviation for

supports founders and startups in their search

Technology Transfer Initiative GmbH) of the

for premises. Finding the founding centres is

University of Stuttgart.

not the biggest challenge here - in Stuttgart there are already 20 startup centres. In those

Beyond the borders of the State’s capital and

innovation hubs, future companies find spa-

the State itself, the Economic Development

ces which offer favourable conditions for their

Agency Stuttgart is also involved in EU projects.

business ideas. In the past, the city of Stutt-

The city of Stuttgart has participated actively

gart has already granted startup financing to

in the EU-project SMART, aiming to develop

various startup centres, for example to the

educational and advisory measures for foun-

Startup Campus Stuttgart or Accelerate Stutt-

ders. This collaboration demonstrates the effort

gart. Within this framework, the new website

that the Economic Development Agency Stutt-

"Startup Region Stuttgart" was also created this

gart is investing in the founder scene.

year. Here, interested founders and existing startups can find information on topics such as

The city of founders - Lighthouses in Stuttgart

financing, premises, funding programs, concrete dates and events as well as information on

Stuttgart is increasingly becoming a founder

institutions that support founders. The concrete

hub. Famous examples are Daimler with the

subject of short-term and flexible rental oppor-

Startup Autobahn (German for highway), GFT

tunities and available office space is addressed

with the Global Innovation Hub Code_n, Festo,

by Stuttgart’s Vacancy and Intermediate-Use

Trumpf or Mahle with the M.TECH Accelerator

Management Department on its database stutt-

or the Vector Foundation, which supports the

gart.de/zwischennutzung.

Social Impact Lab Stuttgart.

■ AD 69

Start-Ups

CODE_n In November 2016, the Innovation Campus CODE_n

digital transformation,

SPACES started as a blueprint for digital startups, inno-

sensitises the oppor-

vation teams of international companies and experien-

tunities and encoura-

ced managers. The interdisciplinary innovation center

ges cultural change within organisations.

CODE_n was initiated in 2011 by GFT Technologies AG and its CEO, Ulrich Dietz, and has been supporting

Since January 2017, 14 new offices were put into ope-

self-determined and sustainable approaches to digital

ration in the premises of the neighbouring building of

pioneering ever since. On the one hand, companies

CODE_n SPACES. Fully-equipped community areas and

are supported in their future planning and on the other

modern workshop spaces complement the success-

hand they are integrated into an international network

ful concept. â&#x20AC;&#x17E;The demand for progressive and flexible

of startups and established companies. CODE_n pro-

working environments continues to be undiminished -

vides a platform for new business models and digital

both in startups and in innovation teams of established

trends, creates awareness for the issues arising from

companies,â&#x20AC;&#x153; explains Ulrich Dietz, CODE_n initiator.

Wizemann.Space: 750 mÂ˛ room for new ideas The Wizemann.Space in Stuttgart is the platform and

Know-How, events and ideas for

co-working space for creative and entrepreneurial acti-

entrepreneurs, innovators, compa-

on for a better world. Together with its dynamic commu-

nies, makers, designers, lateral thin-

nity, Wizemann.Space develops and implements visions

kers, techies, students and all who

for a responsible economy. The place, the people and

want to help shape the economy.

the concept form an ecosystem of entrepreneurial

Social Impact Lab The Social Impact Labs are incubators for social inno-

coaching, workshops and

vations and NGOs. For more than 20 years they have

co-working office spaces, as

been enabling social entrepreneurship and contributing

well as access to financing

to positive societal change. The Social Impact Labs

forms, so that the social startup

focus on the support of social startups, which want to

project can achieve the best

use their concepts to solve social challenges entrepre-

possible start into its entrepre-

neurially. Particularly promising social startups receive

neurial future. The work rooms and spaces are located

scholarships, which include up to eight months of pro-

on the campus of the Merz-Akademie in Stuttgart.

fessional consulting,

Stuttgart city as a partner, communicator and administrator of economic initiatives The above-mentioned offers, the strong middle class in

the registration of the

Stuttgart and the region, with which the startups are in-

business applications

creasingly linked, as well as the distinctive research and

in Stuttgart. The state

university landscape are valuable resources for young

capital stands with a good number of business applica-

companies and new ideas in Stuttgart. The city of Stutt-

tions - in 2016, there were 5,313 business registrations in

gart supports the latter through the organisation of and

Stuttgart, including about 660 newborn startups.

communication with the individual startup hubs up to

Start-Ups

Startup Autobahn This innovative platform was developed by the compa-

Valley and

ny Plug and Play Germany together with Daimler AG, the

the best

University of Stuttgart and ARENA2036 e.V. and is na-

engineering

med after the German high-speed motorway - the only

providers from Germany. The network of investment

one in the world without a speed limit. STARTUP AU-

firms and mentors only aims to contribute to the growth

TOBAHN is aiming to accelerate joint projects between

of technology companies in the region of Baden-Würt-

young tech companies and the company partners of the

temberg and to support joint projects between the inte-

platform’s founding companies. For the inclusion in the

rested technical experts, the startups and the corporate

programs of the STARTUP AUTOBAHN it is an important

partners of the platform-founders. The areas in which

prerequisite for all participants to have an advanced

these projects are initiated and funded are IoT, manu-

technology and a large capacity.

facturing, logistics, site-related services, cybersecurity, biometrics, natural language processing, process opti-

The objective of this impartial exchange platform is to

misation, customer experience and forecast analysis.

promote the dialogue and cooperation of globally acti-

More information: www.startup-autobahn.com.

ve young tech companies with the experts from Silicon

Leitz-Areal: “Live at Stuttgart” The Leitz-Areal pursues one vision: by the beginning of

they work, bring life back to work, and thus create more

2018, all cross-thinkers and innovative minds shall meet

sense, fun and innovation. The aim of this space is to

in the new LIVE AT STUTTGART homeland and mutually

bring corporations and founders to work hand-in-hand

promote each other. No more Berlin, but Kessellove in-

and to build on the creativity and the different abilities

stead - love for the “boiler” as Stuttgart is called among

of each other.

locals and other Federal States of Germany: None of the Baden-Württemberg based startups and compa-

In addition to the innovative cross-thinkers, the „social

nies have to leave their home anymore to be able to

entrepreneurs“ have been represented for some time

think! The future is been created again in Stuttgart. On

and are gaining importance. Since 2017 there has been

the 36,000 square meters premises of the Leitz-Areal,

a Social Impact Lab in the Merzakademie in Stuttgart

two thousand people are supposed to change the way

and a Social Impact Community in the wizemann.space.

did you know... Another important achievement of the city of Stuttgart is its performance in this year‘s comparison monitor of the EU Commission - a presentation on how European cities perform in creativity and culture. In the category of European cities with 5,000-1,000,000 inhabitants, Stuttgart got the first place in the area of „creative economy”. The decisive field of activity was in this respect the many copyright applications. Software and game development, publishing houses and advertising agencies also dominated the creative sector and, together with the state opera, they all raised the cultural vitality of the city. The achievements of Stuttgart in the creative economy are reflected in the demand for consultations in the state capital’s founding off. Last year, 19.4% of all consultancy talks focused on topics relating to the creative industry.

After Work

BADEN-WĂ&#x153;RTTEMBERG:

A LAND OF DIVERSITY, GOOD FOOD AND ROMANTIC LANDSCAPES

The Swabian Alps

worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s regions with the highest concentration of volcanoes.You can find rare fossils in both a

The Swabian Alps emerged from

large number of globally unique museums as

the Jurassic seabed millions of years ago. What

well as outdoors, in nature. And the ones among

is remarkable about this mountain range is

you with a penchant for juniper heathland or

not only their bizarre structure but their low

chalk cliffs, waterfalls and mineral springs or

height. The latter makes it even more difficult

impressive stalactite caves will find it all here.

to imagine that the Swabian Alps are one of the

You can admire this natural beauty on hiking

After Work

and bike tours or, as an courageous adventurer,

the Blautopf its mystical touch is the literally

by gliding and paragliding or rock-climbing in

blue (German word “blau”) color of the water.

the northern part of the Swabian Alps.

The water quality of the whole region makes it, furthermore, a source of health-giving proper-

Another beautiful natural place to visit is the

ties. Rich in minerals, the water is used in many

spring of Blautopf. It is the source of the Ri-

thermal spas and health resorts, such as Bad

ver Blau, which flows into the Danube about

Urach or Sonnenbühl.

15 kilometres away from its spring. What gives

After Work Apart from the breathtaking sight of mountain ridges up to 1,000 metres high, the castles and palaces on the hill tops and the edges of valleys are another characteristic feature of the Swabian Alps. Among them, the Swabian Neuschwanstein -the Hohenzollern Castle- is definitely a Must-See here. As the ancestral seat of the Brandenburg-Prussian as well as the Swabian lines of the House of Hohenzollern, the castle impresses with its romantic architectural style, magnificent interior rooms and a panoramic view across the highlands between the rivers Neckar and Danube, which Kaiser Wilhelm II also admired.

Upper Swabia: Nature, Culture and Baroque

churches, angels being a recurring motif. The biggest Baroque basilica in Germany stands in Weingarten. The impressive house of God is

Upper Swabia - this is indeed where the Baro-

placed in the midst of an imposing monastery

que sparkles in a brilliant performance: chur-

that towers over the city of Weingarten.

ches, abbeys and residential castles dot the landscape like pearls on a string, created at a

Last but not least, the region has a great variety

time when excessive pageantry was the order

of museums we suggest you to visit. The Zep-

of the day. Upper Swabia became a Baroque

pelin Museum Friedrichshafen, the Hopfen-

stronghold towards the end of the 17th century,

museum Tettnang and the Automobilmuseum

since the region had been devastated by the

Wolfegg are definitely worth a visit.

Thirty-Years War (1618-1648). The Baroque style was imported from Italy; and the artists, too, first had to come from abroad. The region soon became a giant construction site, and the much admired churches, abbeys, palaces and parsonages as well as comprehensive works of art - architecture, paintings, stucco work and sculptures were created. Unique are in this field the visions presented by the painted ceilings in the

After Work

Three countries, one lake: Lake Constance

On the German side of the lake, the bestknown excursion destination is the island of flowers Mainau, famous for the magnificent

The Lake of Constance or most commonly the

parks and gardens around the baroque castle

Bodensee was formed out of glacier ice mil-

of the count’s family Bernadotte. Count Lenn-

lions of years ago and made the diversified and

art Bernadotte of Wisborg, who died in 2004,

fertile cultivated landscapes around it prosper.

was directly descended from the Swedish royal

Nowadays, up to five million households are

house - and a big lover of plants. He made

provided with drinking water every day from

Mainau from 1936 onwards to the paradise of

the depths of Lake Constance. But apart from

flowers which it is today. Opposite, amidst the

its natural contribution to life maintenance,

vineyards, lies Meersburg, whose medieval

the lake also has a political meaning due to its

castle - the oldest inhabited castle in Germany

geographical location: it connects the South of

- and baroque castle grounds characterise the

Germany with the North of Switzerland and

city’s skyline already from a distance. Old cities

the West of Austria. In the West, the lake’s water

like Meersburg, which kept their historical cha-

gently reaches for the soft, volcanic and hilly

racter, are found everywhere around the lake.

landscape of the Hegau with two strong inlets,

Peculiarly worth seeing on the German side are

while in the northwest it forms the Überlinger

the cities Konstanz, Überlingen, Wasserburg

See. The lower part of the lake with its sections

and of course the Bavarian island city Lindau.

Gnaden- and Zellersee forms the natural bor-

On top of that one should not miss a trip to the

der to Switzerland. Extensive lakeside and land

island Reichenau. With its medieval monastery

areas of this region retained their original cha-

and church buildings it is listed among the UN-

racter and are protected. It is its maritime flair

ESCO world cultural heritage since 2000.

in front of the unique backdrop of the Alps that makes Lake Constance a popular paradise for sailing, diving and bathing at once every year.

After Work

Sleeping Beauty: The High Rhine

In the district of Lörrach - the western High Rhine region - you can go hiking, cycling or mountain biking in pristine countryside rich in

Originating from Lake Constance and the town

contrasts, flora and fauna. For those who want

of Stein am Rhein of Switzerland, the river

an extra cultural touch we recommend a visit to

High Rhine flows through a picturesque coun-

the southern part of the district, and precisely

tryside, continues through Basel and merges

to the towns of Weil am Rhein, Lörrach and

there into the Upper Rhine. The river makes

Rheinfelden. This region features a range of

its way through various types of countryside,

cultural events and facilities, such as the “Stim-

but the most impressive spot are definitely the

men”- Festival (the first word meaning voices in

160-metre falls between Constance and Basel

German) in Lörrach or the Vitra Design Muse-

at around the Rhine’s 160km-mark. The Rhine

um in Weil am Rhein. Furthermore, the region

Falls, Europe’s Second Largest Waterfall, loca-

hosts Europe’s Longest Wooden Bridge in the

ted in the Swiss city of Schaffhausen, has faci-

romantic old town Bad Säckingen. This bridge

litated the construction of hydroelectric power

takes you across the Rhine into Switzerland,

plants. Those plants are established at several

and is by far not the only sight worth seeing in

places along the Rhine river and did not only

the region. Make sure to dedicate some time

advance the industrial development of the regi-

to Bad Säckingen with its winding lanes, the

on but also changed the landscape significantly.

venerable cathedral and the historic castle.

Despite the man-made changes, though, the

And if you feel like dancing to sounds from all

High Rhine region became a tourist attraction.

over the world, then visit the town of Walds-

It is the Black Forest’s most southerly holiday

hut-Tiengen in the district of Waldshut. From

region and incorporates the districts of Cons-

February to May every year the town organises

tance, Lörrach and Waldshut. This area located

the World Town Festival - a musical journey

directly on the German border to Switzerland

from Ireland over Africa to Eastern Europe,

features unspoilt towns, mediaeval buildings

accompanied by the sounds of Irish ethno-folk,

and castles and is a great starting point for a

African harp, Scottish folk and klezmer music.

range of 1-day excursions, for example to Basel

For the ones who prefer hiking instead of dan-

and Zurich in Switzerland, Colmar and Stras-

cing we recommend a walk along the 800-ye-

bourg in the Alsace and towns such as St. Blasi-

ar-old town of Laufenburg’s Jubilee and Nature

en in the Black Forest.

Trail or mountain biking along the Rhine Valley and in the Hotzenwald.

After Work

Black Forest: More than cuckoo clocks and cherry pie

For those who want to feel like the gold washers in Australia and Lapland, parts of the Black Forest’s mountain creeks are an ideal setting. Armed with a gold pan, in search of suitable

The Black Forest has much more to offer

creeks, one can experience a lot also in bigger

than twittering wooden cuckoo clocks and

waters, for instance, in Breisach at the Rhine or

Black Forest Cake. Still, the worldwide famous

at the river Elz near Riegel. Those again who

South-German souvenir belongs to the history

like scary exploration tours should participate

of Baden-Württemberg since its first copy was

in “Historix-Tours” organized by the town of

made in the middle of the 18th century. Ever

Freiburg. The “ghost walk” begins as soon as it

since, the shape hasn't changed at all - only the

gets dark and focuses on spooky spine-chillers

sizes vary. You can admire copies of 15 meters

and myths. An actor equipped with a storm

height in the towns of Schonach and Triberg,

lamp, a black hat and cape leads the visitors to

where the cuckoo clocks are produced. But back

Freiburg’s dark places. But, please, don’t let the

to nature, now. With a length of 160 kilomet-

creepy experience ruin your mood for explo-

res the Black Forest reaches from the border

ring Freiburg. Particularly worth seeing in this

triangle along the lowlands of the Upper-Rhine

Black Forest metropolis are the Gothic Müns-

to the city of Karlsruhe. The fir tree hilltops

ter and the charming streets of the old town

are known far beyond the borders for skiing in

with the numerous cafes and cozy restaurants.

winter, hiking and tree climbing in summer,

Thanks to its many environmental projects,

mountain biking on an 8,500 kilometres long

Freiburg is also the eco-capital of Germany.

mountain bike trail network or geocaching all year long.

After Work

Metzingen Outlet city

the third most popular destination for Chinese visitors to Germany - after Berlin and Neusch-

Metzingen - capital of factory out-

wanstein Castle. The whole city seems to consist

lets, mecca for bargain hunters, shopping para-

of outlet stores. Swatch, Joop, Lego - they all

dise. This small city located 30 kilometres south

continue to grow. With so many stores for fas-

of Stuttgart at the foot of the Swabian Alps has

hion, outdoor, jewellery, toys and furniture and

attracted many outlet stores. As a result, two

prices reduced by up to 30 or 40% compared

million visitors head to Metzingen and its 60

to normal store prices, Metzingen is a bargain

factory outlet stores each year. If one is to be-

hunter’s dream - maybe also yours?

lieve press reports, the small town has become

Stuttgart - Capital with museums and automotive fairs

Baden-Württemberg is the land of tinkerers and inventors. Mr Gottlieb Daimler laid with its universal engine the foundation for the invention of the car. Today it is the museum of

Stuttgart - the capital of Baden-Württemberg is

the company Daimler that tells the story of the

the home of around 615.000 people out of the

vehicle from its origins to the first ever made

10,9 millions living in the Federal State. But it

cars in a production line. For the fans of Por-

is not only the quantity that gives Stuttgart an

sche, Stuttgart has a very own museum about

era of a cosmopolitan metropolis. The diversity

the sports car brand. And for those who are not

of cultures living together here quite justifies

really into cars, Stuttgart offers a lively scene

the motto of the whole Federal State “We can

of Art and History Museums. The Staatsgalerie

do anything - except speaking German”. Stutt-

Stuttgart and the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart offer

gart and its immediate region hosts 44% of all

once in a while more alternative exhibits, but

people with migration background who live in

there are also many other smaller and partially

Baden-Württemberg. Apart from the variety of

private galleries definitely worth a visit. In case

languages spoken here, the motto also complies

you should get stressed now that you won’t find

with the character of the state’s inhabitants.

the time to visit them all, here is a in this man-

After Work

le Square - in the very center of the city. The New Castle was built on behalf of Duke Carl Eugen. Today, the castle is home to the Ministry of Economy and Culture. When the sun shines, the Castle Square turns into a popular meeting place of the local youth and the numerous students. Go grab a beer from the Cafe Treppe upstairs and either relax on the stairs as such or ner positive fact about Stuttgart: It rains almost

put your blanket on the grass around the Jubilee

30 days a year here.

column in the middle of the Schlossplatz. The memorial was erected on occasion of the 25th

For the remaining days of sunshine and

anniversary of the Government Jubilee and the

warmth, we recommend you an evening of

60th birthday of King Wilhelm I of WĂźrttem-

pure relaxation at the Schlossplatz - the Cast-

berg in the timeframe 1841 to 1846.

After Work

Heidelberg - A romantic charm around the oldest university of Germany

on the baroque Old Town and the river Neckar. Make sure you take a walk in the Old Town. Here you will find lovely cafés, cozy beer gardens and traditional dark-wood taverns that are all very welcoming for a break. But please watch

The town with Germany’s oldest university -

your manners! Back in the old times rowdy

630 years old - doesn't only show up in study

students were once brought in the university’s

guides and university rankings. Writers like

Student Jail (Studentenkarzer). Today, the cells

Mark Twain and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

only host historic graffitis, they don’t serve their

as well as other famous artists have immortali-

initial role.

sed the city in their works. The landmark of the

city is its castle that is perched on a hill above

Two landmarks definitely worth seeing: the

the Old Town. Formerly home to the electors of

Gothic church of the Holy Spirit (Heiliggeist-

Palatinate, the castle made out of red sandstone

kirche) with its impressive towers and the Old

now hosts a museum and allows its visitors a

Bridge across the river with its medieval gate.

look behind the scenes of those past majestical

Visitors tend to touch its monkey statue as a

times. From up here you have a beautiful view

promise of returning to the city.

After Work