A fresh look at links between Australia and Germany

Science and education43
Education
German schooling is based on nine years of basic education for
all children. Attendance at all state schools is free of charge.
When children reach the age of six, they begin attending primary
school, generally for four years, before going on to one of a variety
of secondary schools known as Hauptschule, Realschule, and
Gymnasium. Academic standards and the balance of practical versus
theoretical lessons differ among these types of secondary schools.
There are also Gesamtschulen, in which all children of school age
are taught in parallel classes, depending on their particular abilities.
Children can easily move from one stream to another as they improve.
For international students Germany
is already the most popular country
to study in after the USA and
Great Britain.
The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural
Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany coordinates
schooling, as each federal state has its own school laws.
Those wishing to study in Germany are able to choose among
383 higher education institutions spread throughout the country.
Private universities play a comparatively marginal role: 96 per cent of
students attend public institutions which are essentially open to anyone
with a school leaving qualification and are mostly free of charge.
JOINT GERMAN-AUSTRALIAN RESEARCH GROUP –
SUSTAINABLE MANUFACTURING AND LIFE CYCLE
ENGINEERING
VISION
Products and services to ensure a high standard
of living worldwide are linked to the use of natural
resources, which are limited and are not evenly
distributed. Future engineering solutions will
have the potential to address global challenges
by providing products, services and processes
that take into account local capabilities and
constraints to achieve an economically, socially
and environmentally sustainable society.
MISSION
The joint research group contributes to this vision
with one-stop, cradle-to-cradle development of
technologies and knowledge in a multidisciplinary
and international environment. The two cooperation
partners have been leading research groups in
these areas for many years and will engage in a
collaborative research group in order to develop
appropriate concepts to meet global challenges.
THE COOPERATION PARTNERS
· The University of New South Wales (UNSW)
in Sydney, Australia – a member of the ‘Group
of Eight’ of the leading universities in Australia,
and among the top 10 universities in the Asia-
Pacific region.
· Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany.
Leading university with technical orientation and
the oldest university with technical background
in Germany.
“As a master theses student from TU
Braunschweig I was part of the Joint German
Australian Research Group in Sydney for six
months. The goal of my work was to analyze and
assess regional criteria impacting on the Life
Cycle Assessment’s (LCA) use stage of electric
vehicles. The work in an international and helpful
team made my stay a unique experience.”
Patrick, Master student, TU Braunschweig