Why you would take this class if you are interested in studying abroad

 

The course will be centered at the University of Technology Bergakademie Freiberg. This school was founded in 1765, in order to educate engineers and miners. The silver, tin and copper mines had become hard to access and the ore became harder to refine. Special techniques were needed, creating a demand for educated people in the sciences and engineering. Geosciences, geo-engineering, metallurgy, surveying and other mining related fields are still the focus of the school, but the programs also include other fields, such as environmental technology and many others.

We will closely collaborate with the Institute for the History of Science and Technology at the Bergakademie, located in the shaft house of the teaching mine Reiche Zeche, shown above right. Herr Professor Helmuth Albrecht is the director of the institute which focuses on multiple aspects of industrial archaeology and history of science. Currently, an effort is spearheaded to bring the Erzgebirgs region to the status of a UNESCO World Heritage site. We will learn much about this from him and his coworkers.

We will partner closely with students at the institute, possibly to explore archival materials in the Bergakademie library – after all, an orginal colored copy of De Re Metallica can be found in their collection.

In addition, the Studentenwerk Freiberg has offered to help organize evening events with Freiberger students, such as club events, which will allow to mingle. You will be able to get an impression what a semester in Germany may mean for you, which courses you might find useful and how hard it would be to overcome the language barrier (it might turn out to be easier than you imagine). Also, how local students perceive their college experience, whether you will like the food and drink, how to pay and live, etc may be questions you can find answers to in these events. Just jump right in.

Definitely, we will make an effort to facilitate as many interactions with local people, academic or otherwise, as possible.

 

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