CSULB and HAW-Hamburg Partnership Amasses 2022-23 Victories

CSULB’s partnership with Hamburg University of Applied Sciences (HAW-Hamburg) executed a series of fulfilling and successful opportunities for our students and faculty abroad during the 2022-23 academic year. Founded in 1996, the collaboration initially began as a short business workshop between the two institutions. Today, this partnership has burgeoned into a multi-disciplinary partnership involving the college of business and multiple departments in the colleges of health and human services, arts, and engineering. Beach students have benefited from HAW's enticing learning options, exhibiting CSULB’s strategic efforts to expand learning opportunities and cultivate robust relationships overseas.  

In the spring, HAW offered 32 Master of Social Work (MSW) students the unique opportunity to participate in a joint summer school course. The class officially launched in May 2023 thanks to the work of Dr. Nancy Meyer-Adams, Dr. Jason Plummer, and Randy Hope. The course curriculum required students to spend two weeks in Berlin and learn about key aspects in the field. In their first week, students learned about the German social security system, different fields, and projects on women’s empowerment. The second week of instruction centered on the study of social institutions and community-based work. As a result, students applied their knowledge in different social and cultural contexts. A faculty-planned effort, the course granted students the agency to explore, increase their civic engagement, and serve a new community. 

The same sentiment rang true for CSULB Film students. Since 2014, HAW has collaborated with Beach faculty to host annual film workshops with Kevin O'Brien and Elyusha Vafaeisefat. This summer, CSULB film & electronic arts faculty Ben Huff and HAW sound design professor Thomas Görne joined forces to establish a master class in sound design. The class introduced students to the technical standards and creative practices in surround sounds. A part of HAW’s sound, vision, and games degree, the course exposed students to specialized material they would not have encountered elsewhere. 

The connections between HAW and CSULB also merited individual success. Mechanical engineering and first-generation student Danny Sarmiento completed the 2023 Spring Semester on HAW’s campus and will extend his stay for another semester to explore more opportunities. This upcoming fall, he aims to immerse himself in rigorous research projects while honing his German language skills and culinary expertise. Computer science major and exchange student Mark Carson also completed a semester at HAW. Through his hard work, Carson quickly reaped the partnership’s benefits by diving deep into research projects on machine learning and data science. Sarmiento and Carson’s academic successes abroad and personal growth are a few examples of the prosperity our partnership brings to our persevering students. 

Beach faculty also play a significant role in fostering strategic partnerships that bolster student success. In May 2023, with the Professors Around the World (PAW) award, Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science Dr. Mehrdad Aliasgari visited HAW’s own computer science department to closely learn about the research and studies conducted. Dr. Aliasgari was able to identify the structure and strategic vision of German universities, connect with partners abroad, and implement innovative methods upon return. 

“The strategic partnership between CSULB and HAW has made both institutions stronger and more globally engaged. Students from multiple disciplines have benefitted from the global learning opportunities created by this relationship,” says Associate Vice President of CSULB’s Office of International Education and Global Engagement, Dr. Jeet Joshee, “Faculty are energized by the opportunities presented, and senior leadership remains committed to providing the resources required to nurture and grow this strategic partnership far into the future.” 

In his role, Dr. Joshee advances the university’s global mission to uplift international education by establishing strategic partnerships and creating engagement opportunities for students, faculty, and staff. He also works to enhance CSULB’s internationalization goals. By collaborating with presidents, senior administrators, faculty, and foreign government officials, Dr. Joshee exhibits a deep commitment to advance strategies that equip students for lifelong success. 

This year, the program celebrates 27 years of partnership, innovation, and community. In addition, it is now being offered in an online format with a mix of diverse student teams across the Atlantic. CSULB and HAW's emblematic collaboration allows for the expansion of study abroad, reinforces our commitment to global engagement, and enhances the quality of instruction offered to our students. In 2017, NAFSA recognized this partnership and published an article commending CSULB and HAW for exemplifying success by establishing “a mutual, equitable, and fair commitment of time and resources."

To learn more about HAW’s missions, goals, and initiatives, please visit their website.