Antonia Franziska Kahlitz, a student from a German university, spent 5 months studying and learning about the culture of Vietnam as well as the city of Da Nang.

Antonia Franziska Kahlitz from Duale Hochschule Baden-Wurttemberg (DHBW) in Villingen-Schwenningen, southern Germany, just had a memorable student exchange semester at SouthStar Management Institute, Duy Tan University. The experiences of the learning environment, connecting with friends as well as life in Da Nang are not only memories but also a part of the young girl's luggage on the path of career development and self-fulfillment.

With the international exchange requirement in Antonia's study program at DHBW, she needed to study an additional semester at a partner university abroad. After being introduced by DHBW to the student exchange program with a number of partner schools, the young girl decided to choose Duy Tan University and ASEAN with a diverse study program.

At SMi, Antonia registered to study 5 subjects in English including: Basic Macroeconomics, International Trade, Commercial Law, Sales Management, and Professional English. The results of these subjects are transferred and recorded on her transcript at DHBW.
 
Sharing her feelings about studying in Vietnam, Antonia said she was impressed with the welcome of the lecturers, teaching assistants and students in class. They helped her quickly integrate into the new learning environment. The instructors are always enthusiastic and thoughtful in answering questions as well as integrating practical examples into the curriculum. Thanks to that, they create a vibrant and attractive atmosphere for each lesson and inspire learning for students. Besides, the school's learning facilities are also relatively good as the rooms are fully equipped with electronic devices to make studying convenient.

One highlight and what Antonia likes most about studying at SMi is the language. SMi has provided many specialized classes taught in English. For students from non-English speaking countries like Antonia, lecturers (both Vietnamese and foreigners) will patiently explain until they no more confused about the lessons. This helps international students feel comfortable and easy in the process of receiving knowledge.

Besides the subjects according to the registered program, Antonia also has the opportunity to explore the cultural life of Vietnam in general and Da Nang in particular through a basic Vietnamese course. She understands more about Da Nang's scenic spots such as Linh Ung Pagoda, Ba Na Hills, Marble Mountains, Han River Bridge, ect. along with the customs and lifestyle of Da Nang people. Through that, she also expanded her perspective and thinking about the economy, business trends in Vietnam, Vietnamese office culture ect. This will help her in the future when working in a multinational environment.

According to Antonia, in Germany, students do not have component grades during the semester but only depend on a final exam. Studying at SMi, outside of class hours, she can participate in presentations, individual exercises, group exercises...and all are evaluated very objectively. From here, each student will improve their independence and develop many useful soft skills. An important skill she has improved is public speaking. Thanks to the curriculum having many presentations, she is more confident when standing in front of the class and presenting her opinion or a certain issue.

After finishing a semester at SMi and returning to Germany to study, Antonia shared that an exchange semester here was a memorable experience in her life. She hopes to have the opportunity to return here one day soon and that more international students will also have the opportunity to experience the learning environment at SMi.

In recent years, SMi has promoted international student exchanges such as Korea, England, India, Germany, France, Poland... Besides, the Institutel also continuously sends Vietnamese students studied, exchanged, interned, researched and worked with partners who are universities and businesses in ASEAN countries, Korea, Japan, Singapore...