University of Pittsburgh: Plus 3 Germany Global Experience

Plus3 Germany - Taking On the World

During the winter of my freshman year, I was selected to participate in the University's Plus3 study abroad program. This program is comprised of students from both the business and engineering schools. In the months leading up to our trip, we attended lectures to learn more about German culture and the automotive industry. Our stay in Germany lasted two weeks.

While the trip was made up of plenty cultural visits and tourism, we also spent a good amount of time working among ourselves and with students from Universität Augsburg (the University of Augsburg) on a culminating project. Throughout our time in Germany, we visited four companies of varying size with roles in the automotive industry (Hoerbiger, Faurecia/Forvia, Grob-Werke, and Audi). Groups were assigned to investigate each company and present on different aspects of the company's space in the market.

I learned a lot as a result of this study abroad experience. This includes how to work with students in different disciplines and of different cultures, how different companies are adapting to the changes in the automotive industry, and how to live in and navigate a new country.