Mount Allison has created a new exchange partnership with Nordakademie University of Applied Sciences in Elmshorn, Germany. The partnership was established in December 2019 and the first two exchange students arrived at Mount Allison for the Fall 2021 term.
 
The idea was sparked by Mount Allison alumnus Dr. Rick Colbourne (‘84), who is currently the Associate Dean, Equity and Inclusive Communities at Carleton’s Sprott School of Business.

Dean of Business and Social Science Dr. Nauman Farooqi travelled to Germany in 2019 to negotiate the exchange agreement with former Vice-President Student and International Affairs Kim Meade. He agrees with Colbourne that the two universities are a great fit.
 
“It is a beautiful campus in Elmshorn that just reminds you of Mount A,” says Farooqi. “It is a great fit in terms of size, but also in terms of what kind of work they are doing and their connections.” 
 
Nordakaemie is one of the largest private universities in Germany in the field of business and economics. The university cooperates closely with the industries and degree-seeking students are sponsored by a company to attend. 
 
Farooqi says the exchange will appeal primarily to Commerce students who are looking for first-class teaching in a small group setting with high practical relevance in the field of business and economics. Mount Allison has exchange programs for Commerce students with many other partner universities — with some of the top destinations being The Hague University of Applied Sciences, BI Norwegian Business School, Waseda University, and Université Angers. 
 
The first two incoming exchange students to Mount Allison are Maja Tiemann and Niklas Kulessa. Tiemann is an international business student who is studying Commerce and psychology at Mount Allison. Kulessa is studying industrial engineering and management and taking Commerce and economics courses during his exchange.
 
Kulessa says the best part of the exchange has been connecting with so many new people.
 
“It has been nice to get out of my social bubble in Germany and just to hear about other people’s backgrounds and develop new friendships,” he says.
 
The pair have also been able to travel during their time in Canada. Upon arrival they visited Montreal, Quebec City, and Toronto before flying to Moncton. On the fall reading week, they travelled to Newfoundland and hiked Gros Morne with a group of friends.
 
He says he would definitely recommend the exchange program at Mount Allison to other students, but also the overall exchange experience.
 
“I am learning a lot and getting in touch with new people,” he says. “Exchange has also helped with my self confidence as well, as I am adapting to a new place and a new language.”
 
The first students from Mount Allison to attend Nordakademie are expected to depart in September 2022.
 
For more information on study abroad and exchange at Mount Allison, visit mta.ca/international

Photo caption: Exchange students Niklas Kulessa and Maja Tiemann with International Affairs Co-ordinator Robin Walker and Dean of Business and Social Science Dr. Nauman Farooqi.