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42 28 How are Germans… 28 How are Germans perceived abraod? How Are Germans Perceived Abroad? Experiences in Intercultural Expertise Sought “An intercultural expert is someone whose awareness of their own cultural presumptions and whose developmental learning experiences formed by foreign cultures are so developed that the expert appears communicatively competent to unknown parties. In the process, the expert instinctively does not abandon their own identity while successfully observing the rules of the game,” reads an example of an “intercultural expert” on the web. Countless books have been written about how to be an intercultural expert while traveling abroad. Some titles include, “Foreign Etiquette” or “Global Business Behavior, “The Rules of Business Around the Globe,” and “Appear Confident Worldwide”. For those traveling to Germany, publishers also offer books such as “Business Etiquette in Germany” or “Mind Your Manners”, which provide advantageous tips on how to conduct oneself while in Germany. Yet despite the numerous tips and advice, the following Power Point presentation reflects a consolidated perception of Germans by people from around the world. Are you a German who has traveled aboard? Have you had experiences with Germans while they are traveling abroad or as a foreigner in Germany? Share your stories and write to us at udo.stelzer@reutlingen-university.de Don’t forget to include your name and address so that we can compensate your participation with a small Reutlingen University souvenir. The View of Germans Abroad Impatient: A trait that is negatively construed as in most cultures, composure is a highly esteemed virtue. Argumentative: Germans are inclined to say exactly what they think and are quite proud of this trait. Perfectionism: Generally well esteemed, and with good reason, as “Made in Germany” is considered a high accolade worldwide. Punctuality: Viewed in most countries as a positive attribute but it is also considered annoying and impolite. West East materialistic spiritual extroverted introverted analytic synthetic objective subjective intellectual emotional abstract thinking concrete thinking logical experimental East-West Contrasts West East scientific artistic individual group orientation orientation self-realisation self-control competitive collaborative active, quiet, energetic reserved From a Power Point Presentation by SIB student, Julia Kemmler, for the seminar, “Business Ethics and Social Expertise,” Winter Semester 2006/2007. Source: Klein, Hans-Michael: Cross Culture – Conduct Abroad. Cornelsen, Publisher.
29 Sweat, lifeblood… 29 Sweat, lifeblood and staying power Sweat, lifeblood and staying power Rules of the game in research at Universities of Applied Sciences “Research is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration”. For Martin Tubach this adaptation of the famous quotation from Thomas Alva Edison has almost become the unofficial motto of the Institute for Applied Research (IAF) in Reutlingen, of which he is the Director. He could well mention in addition the staying power which researchers and their research need to have at Universities of Applied Sciences. The history of research in Reutlingen goes back almost 100 years. The establishment in 1910 of the State Testing Office for Textile Materials marked the official birth of institutional fibers research in Reutlingen. From the earliest days textile chemistry and textile technology formed the basis of all research activities; the founding in 1967 of the School of Mechanical Engineering, followed in 1971 by the School of Business, meant that research could also be extended into these fields. Whilst the content of the various research fields is naturally very different, they all subscribe to the basic principles of being practically relevant and application-orientated. This is how Tubach defined research activities at Universities of Applied Sciences in a recent report: “Applied research at Universities of Applied Sciences needs to be problem-orientated and goaldirected. Detailed answers to the question “how” have to have priority. Since real products are being examined, the research must be capable of dealing with complex systems.” Since the IAF was founded in 1991 more than 120 research projects lasting between two weeks and three years have been carried out: not a bad record. “But it could be better,” says Tubach, referring particularly to structural obstacles. Such as the “sandwich position” of applied research at Universities of Applied Sciences between, on the one hand, longterm pure research which is carried out only at traditional universities and, on the other hand, short-term, productorientated and client-specific technology transfer such as is carried out in the Steinbeis transfer-centre. “The former receive financial resources in advance for their research, the latter are paid for their results,” is Tubach’s casual description of the dilemma. Applied research at Universities of Applied Sciences, which is organised on a more medium-term basis, has a more difficult time, he continues. In a review produced in 2005 Tubach wrote as follows: “The German Research Foundation (DFG) and other research funding bodies are heavily geared towards the research needs of traditional universities, and this makes it more difficult for Universities of Applied Sciences to get access to the major publicly financed research funds.” This is a fate which Reutlingen shares with around 19 other research institutes based at Universities of Applied Sciences. However, compared with some of these Reutlingen is not badly off: it has been able to attract an average of one million Euros per year in external funding. In the most recent ranking of research performance drawn up by an advisory committee of the Ministry of Higher Education in Stuttgart, Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences and its statistics are placed clearly in the upper half. Despite all the rifts in the national education system, these are irrelevant at the European level. Research projects from Reutlingen University of Applied Sciences have received EU-funding on three occasions (from the third, fourth and fifth Framework Programmes of the EU). “A great honour, but with incalculable risks,” is how the Director of the IAF describes this. Because the EU-projects are huge. Around 40 to 50 researchers of different nationalities should and must work together. “That is barely manageable, misunderstandings are inevitable,” says Martin Tubach. He adds that the people responsible at the European level have now also realised this, and have returned in the seventh Framework Programme to smaller but financially well-endowed projects. However, the results of the research and development work carried out in Reutlingen are very respectable, such as for example the auto-socks (see article), which have been on the market for two years. Not all inventions or research results bring such effective publicity or catch the public’s imagination in the same way. Very few consumers know, for example, that there are 50 components in the Mercedes E-class which are made of natural fibers, that is to say: renewable resources, and that the research behind these was carried out in the laboratories of Reutlingen University. And when entire production processes are analysed and tested step by step with the help of Reutlingen’s measuring methods, in order to make better products with fewer faults and to optimise the manufacturing process, then the companies in question are usually not particularly keen to make this generally known. As so often it is inspiration and chance which provide the initial impetus for a research project, but generally these do not also lead to actual success. Some run out of steam, others run out of money, and sometimes it is simply not worth doing any further research, reports Tubach. “There are some fashionable topics, but also some topics which have a limited shelf-life,” he says. Some topics are not researched simply because hardly anybody is interested in them, such as how to produce gas from liquid manure: and this despite the fact that green energy is definitely a hot topic at the moment. One point which must not be overlooked in this regard is the relationship between teaching and research, says Tubach, whereby the law gives clear precedence to teaching. “The Professors have a very heavy teaching load of 18 hours per week, compared with 9 hours at traditional universities. The time left over for research activities is strictly limited,” he wrote in the 2005 review. All the more reason to praise the self-motivation and thirst for scientific knowledge of those Professors who are willing to undertake research, he continues. And further: when the Professors, with all their knowledge and all their contacts, first arrive at the university from industry, they are so busy with teaching that, for the first two or three years, they are barely able to apply themselves to their research at all. Martin Tubach is a chemical engineer and so to speak a home-grown product of the university: he completed his degree in 1985, worked as an assistant, and spent three years with the Steinbeis Foundation for Business Development. Finally he took over as Project Coordinator at the IAF and then six and a half years ago succeeded the founding Director of the IAF, Professor Rudolf Kessler, as Director of the Institute. Tubach is well-acquainted with the sweat, the lifeblood of the researchers and also the sometimes tight corset imposed by public-sector budgeting, which can make it difficult to react flexibly. The Director describes the present state of research activity as one of stagnation. Approximately ten Professors – from the fields of Mechanical Engineering, Chemistry and Textiles – play an active role in the two research institutes on the campus (1*). In addition, a generational change is taking place in the IAF. A lot of people are allowing their projects to run down. “We need new people, and we need to develop some new topics,” says Tubach. “It is a terrible shame to see so much potential just lying fallow here,” he says with regret, and sees also part of his role as being to create easier and better conditions for research, in short: to create incentives for Professors and also students who are willing to undertake research. And for the future he is dreaming of a kind of “brain-pool” of 127 Professors – with close links to industry. (1*) In addition to the IAF there is another research institute at Reutlingen University. The Institute for Applied Research (Automation) (IFA) was founded on June 1, 1996, and focuses largely on regional projects. 43
Seite 1 und 2: Interview mit Baldur Veit Spielrege
Seite 3 und 4: English 26 - 53 Contents 19 The uni
Seite 5 und 6: 02 Rückblick 02 Rückblick Rückbl
Seite 7 und 8: 04 Wissen Sie, was die Alumni 04 Wi
Seite 9 und 10: 06 AlumniPlus Seminare 06 AlumniPlu
Seite 11 und 12: 07 International von Anfang an 07 I
Seite 13 und 14: 08 Sprachverwirrung 08 Sprachverwir
Seite 15 und 16: 10 Schweiß, Herzblut… 10 Schwei
Seite 17 und 18: 12 „Erst mal wegkommen“ 12 „E
Seite 19 und 20: 13 Schöne Fehler 13 Schöne Fehler
Seite 21 und 22: 15 Valparaiso 15 Valparaiso Univers
Seite 23 und 24: 16 Fragen 16 Fragen 12 Fragen an Lo
Seite 25 und 26: 18 Die Achalm 18 Die Achalm Die Ach
Seite 27 und 28: 19 The University Library 19 The Un
Seite 33 und 34: 21 Review 21 Review Review of the p
Seite 35 und 36: 23 Do you know, what Alumni… 23 D
Seite 37 und 38: 25 AlumniPlus seminars 25 AlumniPlu
Seite 39 und 40: 26 International from the start 26
Seite 41: 27 …all Greek to me… 27 …all
Seite 45 und 46: 31 First of all: Get a grip 31 Firs
Seite 47 und 48: 32 Fascinating mistakes 32 Fascinat
Seite 49 und 50: 34 Valparaiso University Study Cent
Seite 51 und 52: 35 Questions 35 Questions 12 Questi
Seite 53 und 54: 37 The Achalm 37 The Achalm The Ach
Seite 55 und 56: Vorschau Gott und die Hochschule Re

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