Editor, the Gauntlet,

The University of Calgary recently signed an exciting student and faculty exchange with the Helmut-Schmidt University in Hamburg, Germany. HSU, an entirely civilian university with civilian professors, is the main education institution of the German armed forces (Bundeswehr). It offers BA, MA and PhD programs in traditional areas such as Arts, Engineering, Sciences, International Relations and Management; it offers no programs in military studies.

Under the agreement, students will remain registered at the University of Calgary throughout the period of the exchange, pay tuition to their respective programs at the U of C and receive credits (to be predetermined by the U of C) for courses taken at HSU. They are expected to meet the language proficiency of the Host University-- except in the PhD programs in Computer Science and Computer Engineering, where HSU faculty offer an all-English language program. The exchange is designed to remain small, high-quality, and personal, with two or three exchange students per year.

Studentships ranging from $500 to $2,000 are available on a competitive basis through the Centre for International Students and Study Abroad, 275 MacEwan Hall. The application deadline is March 30, 2009. The German Academic Exchange Service in Toronto (daadca@daad.org) also offers Undergraduate Scholarships for study in Germany.

Hamburg is a beautiful city sitting astride the Elbe River in North Germany. With 1.8 million people, it is Germany's second largest and the European Union's most populous non-capital city. Its harbor is the second largest in Europe. It is well connected through Germany's famous ICE bullet trains-- Berlin is only 90 minutes away-- and it annually attracts four million visitors. In short, a modern metropolis that offers all the amenities (museums, opera, theatres, sailing, professional sports) of a big city and yet is surrounded by verdant green fields and parks.

Detailed information on the exchange program can be obtained from Colleen Packer, Study Abroad Advisor, 275 MacEwan Hall.