Monday, December 1, 2008
When Andreas Graf studied abroad in Germany, he would go to a bar in the basement of his dorm after school and socialize with his friends over beer. He enjoyed taking classes in German, in which he had intense discussions about American politics and international relations with his German peers.
Andreas Graf, Mission Woods senior, studied abroad in Germany and now works to help others share the same meaningful experience that he had. Graf is one of 25 students in the U.S. and Canada to serve as a Young Ambassador for the German Academic Exchange Service.
Graf, Mission Woods senior, said his study abroad experience in Germany had been the best part of his life.
Graf is one of 25 students in the United States and Canada this year to serve as Young Ambassadors for the German Academic Exchange Service, or Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst. He promotes study abroad programs in Germany at the University, giving presentations and consulting students who are interested in living in Germany. According to the KU Office of Study Abroad, 62 students studied in Germany in the 2006-2007 academic year. Graf is working to raise this number.
“You learn more out of your comfort zone, like what is important to you,” he said. “I think people should take advantage of studying abroad.”
Brid Schenkl, program officer for the German Academic Exchange Service, said the program was started by American students who returned from Germany and who were willing to share their experiences with other American students. Schenkl said learning German was the most popular reason for American undergraduate students to study in Germany, but some of them studied math and physics because of Germany’s long tradition in sciences.
According to the Institute of International Education, 7,355 American students studied in Germany in the 2006-2007 academic year and Germany was the fifth most popular study abroad destination for Americans.
James Brown, assistant professor of Germanic languages and literature, said many Kansans’ ancestors were from Germany, and many University students took German courses because of their heritage connections. He also said students who majored in German often double majored in political science, business, journalism, physics and chemistry.
Graf spent most of his life in the United States, but his mother was from Germany and he grew up speaking German with her. He studied in Holzkirchen, Germany, in the Summer 2006 and in Bonn, Germany, from Fall 2007 to Spring 2008 to improve his German.
Along with learning German, he said, he took political science classes abroad and learned different perspectives on world politics. Graf, who is majoring in political science and international studies, said this experience changed his view of the world. He said some people in his German political science classes were not afraid of criticizing the American government.
Part of Graf’s job includes working an information table at the study abroad fair, giving presentations in class and answering questions about scholarships and his German study abroad experience.
“It’s hard to do it without giving wrong impressions about the country,” he said. “What I tried to do is not only tell them about its benefits, but also give them real aspects of living abroad.”
Graf said he didn’t hesitate to talk about hardships he faced, including loneliness and his frustration with communicating in German.
He said that along with his learning experience, meeting people from all over the world was one of his best experiences in Germany. He said when he was in the United States, he tried to find more common background with people. But in Germany, he tried to learn and appreciate differences when he made friends.
“In the end you find people you like to be with, and you can build a friendship anywhere,” he said.
Students interested in studying abroad in Germany can contact Graf through www.daad.org or visit the KU Office of Study Abroad in Room 108 of Lippincott Hall.
— — Edited by Rachel Burchfield
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