In April, students on the Industrial Engineering and Management course undertook a one-week trip to the German-Kazakh University in Almaty.
In April 2024, we, students of the Industrial Engineering and Management program at the HSZG, were given the opportunity to go on a one-week trip to the German-Kazakh University in Almaty, Kazakhstan.
Our main goal was to attend the module "Investment Analysis for Energy" at the partner university and to apply and defend our acquired knowledge in a project of our own choice. Before the trip, we took part in preparatory courses to familiarize ourselves with the basics and discuss the details of our project. Prof. Dr. Tino Schütte suggested the stay abroad and accompanied us during the trip.
Our journey began on April 20 with a flight to Istanbul and a smooth transfer to Almaty. At a pleasant 20°C, we quickly got used to the 3-hour time difference. Until we could check into our hotel, we passed the time, had lunch and spent some time in the nearby "Park of 28 Panfilowzy", a large park in the east of Almaty. After moving into our rooms in the afternoon, we relaxed for the rest of the day and started planning the activities for the following week.
On the following Monday, we worked on the final draft of our project defense. Then we went to the evening lecture series, which took place daily from 18:00 to 22:00. Despite its rather unassuming appearance, our impression of the German-Kazakh University was positive throughout. Our fellow students, a mixture of students from different Master's degree programs, welcomed us warmly.
Almaty lies at the foot of the Tian Shan mountain range, which is around 2,450 km long, around 400 km wide and up to 7,439 m high. The largest city in Kazakhstan offers an impressive mountain panorama and a wide range of activities from hiking to skiing. On Tuesday, we planned an excursion to the nearest mountains and took the bus to the cable car station for the equivalent of 40 cents per person. Unfortunately, the weather threw a spanner in the works, as the mountains were shrouded in thick clouds from the middle upwards. Our view from the upper cable car station was correspondingly limited, but we still enjoyed the experience.
The following Wednesday, on the advice of a fellow student, we went on an excursion to the "Kök-Töbe", a mountain close to the city. From the summit, we had an impressive view over Almaty to the west and the snow-covered mountain peaks to the south. Here, too, we used the local cable car for the ascent and descent, which went without a hitch. On our return, the weather deteriorated rapidly, but we made it to the university just in time to escape the rain. Thanks to our participation in the preparation course, we were able to present our project work on Wednesday and successfully complete the module.
The remaining two days were characterized by rain showers. On Thursday, we first visited the "Park of 28 Panfilowzy", in particular the "Cathedral of the Ascension", and then the "Green Bazaar". The latter is a large market with a variety of vendors selling products ranging from clothing to technology and food. This visit was particularly memorable for us.
On Friday, our last day, we spent most of the time packing for our return flight and having a quick lunch in the hotel restaurant. Towards the evening, we made our way back to "Kök-Töbe" to catch a night-time view of the city.
We will certainly not forget the week we spent in Kazakhstan in a hurry. During our stay, we were able to gain a small insight into the way of life of the people, the language, the architecture and vegetation in and around Almaty, the geography and, all in all, the country and its people. We were able to experience what it is like to study at a university beyond the borders of Europe and at the same time got to know a large number of students from a wide variety of countries.
We would especially like to thank the HSZG, the DKU and Prof. Dr. Tino Schütte for making this trip possible for us.
