EIT students in Germany,
Analee Sherratt (left) and Paula Wright.

Partnered with 45 educational institutions worldwide, EIT is prioritising expanding relationships in Europe and Asia to provide further opportunities for students.

The benefit works both ways, says International Director Philippa Jones, giving EIT students the opportunity to study overseas and offering international students the experience of EIT’s learning environment.

The growth of international students into Hawke’s Bay delivers many benefits for the region, she points out.

Bachelor of Business Studies student Analee Sherratt and Bachelor of Computing Systems student Paula Wright are spending a semester at OTH Regensburg University of Applied Sciences through the EIT exchange programme.

Completing equivalent courses towards their degrees, they undertook intensive language training prior to study commencing.

The School of Business’s first international exchange student, Annalee is eager to gain an international overview on business strategies and practice and diversify her marketing experience.
She is also looking forward to the practical, on-thejob experience she will gain through an internship, which is part of the study programme in Germany.

Paula jumped at the chance to study overseas after hearing of others’ experience of study at the highly regarded university. Putting herself in a different environment and learning skills from people internationally will also reflect well on her CV, she says.

EIT marketing lecturer Regan Cotter says “this international exchange programme is a fantastic opportunity, not only for our students but also for our lecturers to broaden their knowledge and skills, ultimately resulting in a more employable wellrounded student.”

The partnerships with OTH Regensburg and other overseas educators also offer possibilities for collaborative research and staff exchanges. Associate Professor in the computing school, Dr Kathryn MacCallum heads to Germany in October to teach at OTH Regensburg.