International experience for Niner Engineers: benefits beyond the classroom
Niner Engineer Axel Knoll didn’t fly to Germany so he could learn to brew beer. It just happened to be an unexpected bonus of his recent exchange program. Knoll, along with fellow students Steve Freinstein and Matthew McGrew, enrolled in an exchange program with Germany’s Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences, also known as Hochschule Karlsruhe (HKA), to earn course credit, and came home with so much more.
The three were selected for internships with German-based Bürkert Fluid Controls Systems, a world leader in regulation, measurement and control technology. The internships are part of a new collaboration between the company and W.S. Lee College of Engineering, designed to provide the students hands-on work with the engineering company which also has offices in Huntersville, NC. The students’ Spring 2024 internship with Bürkert overlapped with the classes at HKA, which currently focuses on electrical and computer engineering.
The trip was managed by Cricket Bonnetaud, who serves as director of international student exchange programs for the college.
“The new partnership between our electrical and computer engineering department, Hochschule Karlsruhe and the Bürkert Foundation was a success!” said Bonnetaud. “This unique partnership allowed these student scholars to complete an internship at Bürkert while simultaneously taking full-time classes at HKA. The overlapping studies and work during the Spring semester provided them an even deeper exchange experience in these fields.”
Hear it from the students
Upon returning to Charlotte, the students shared about their time abroad, both the planned academic studies and the unexpected cultural activities.
– Matthew McGrew
“For this visit abroad, I made it a goal to explore different fields of electrical engineering I was interested in, namely the fields of control systems and automation,” Knoll explained. “The internship at Burkert allowed me to work on a project that heavily focuses on automation. The semester at the Hochschule Karlsruhe also allowed me to further my understanding of control systems and sensor technology. I find this field intriguing and a great prospect for the future.”
McGrew echoes similar benefits of participating in the program. “I enjoyed being able to compare engineering classes and internships in Germany versus those in the U.S.,” he said. “Working with sensors and automation in class and at work has been very interesting. It was special that we could live in German culture but still take engineering classes in English.”
Beyond academic and professional pursuits, the students embraced opportunities for personal enrichment through recreational activities including travel throughout Europe, meeting new people and acquiring extracurricular skills.
“One unexpected thing I learned during this trip was how to brew beer,” Knoll said. “Professor Nenninger from HKA’s electrical engineering department allowed us to use their beer brewing lab, equipped with automation devices. It was a fun and interesting learning experience that resulted in some great-tasting beer.”
International Opportunities for Niner Engineers
Over the past five years, William States Lee College of Engineering has strengthened its international academic collaborations, establishing new and expanded partnerships with three German universities: Hochschule Karlsruhe, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Hochschule Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences in Krefeld, Germany. With nearly 240 German companies operating in the Charlotte region, significant job opportunities await students who choose to gain additional experience through the programs.
Other international experiences led by the engineering faculty include a metrology focused program in Germany and a renewable energy focused program in Iceland.
The College continues to pursue additional international partnerships with both academic institutions and industry, unlocking opportunities for Niner Engineers to travel and work across the globe.
For more information about the College’s international partnerships, contact Dr. Cricket Bonnetaud, who manages the College’s international exchange programs.