DASNR
International
Student of the Week

Home Country: Germany

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea, to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic, to the south by Austria and Switzerland, and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Within its borders are a portion of the Alps, the famous Rhine and Danube rivers, and the Black Forest. Its capital is Berlin; many of the governmental institutions, ministries as well as embassies were moved to Berlin from Bonn (now Federal City of Bonn), the former capital of West Germany, in 1999.

Germany is a democratic parliamentary federal republic, made up of 16 states (Länder), which in certain spheres act independently of the federation. Historically consisting of several sovereign states with their own history, distinct German tribe dialects, culture and religious beliefs, Germany was unified as a nation state amidst the Franco-Prussian War in 1871.

The Federal Republic of Germany is a member state of the United Nations, NATO, the G8 and the G4 nations, and is a founding member of the European Union. It is the European Union's most populous and most economically powerful member state. Source: Wikipedia Online


 

Michael Mueller
November 2006

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering...

The Student of the Week for this week is Michael Mueller, an undergraduate exchange student from Germany. He is only attending a semester here at Oklahoma State University on an exchange program from the University at Bingen. He is from Dernbach, Germany, a small village of about three thousand people. He is from the Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering with interests in biofuels and regenerative energy.

In his free time he enjoys spending time with his friends and going to the Colvin to swim and jog. He currently speaks three languages; English, French and German. He has really benefited from all of the experiences he has had at OSU. He takes pleasure in learning better English and understanding the slang of our culture.

He came to the United States to learn the English language to a better extent and to emerge himself in a different culture to see the differences as well as the similarities. He came to OSU because the courses offered here are related to the area of study he is interested in. He also had heard good things from his older brother who attended OSU to become a mechanical engineer.

His future plans are to go back to Germany to receive his diploma from the University of Bingen and then plans to come back to OSU to get a Master of Science. He has enjoyed his stay so much that he plans to further his educational experience here at OSU.

“The people at OSU are so friendly and helpful, I have had a positive experience overall,” said Mueller.

Michael's advisor is Dr. Wilkins.

Michael Mueller at OSU

Interview by Taryn Fast, International Ag Programs

 


The black forest in Southwestern Germany attrracts millions of tourists each year.


Many Castles line the Rhine river valley in Germany.


German landscapes combine mountains and fertile plains.


The stone bridge above is in Heidelberg,
a city in southwestern Germany, in Baden-Württemberg,
on the Neckar River, near Mannheim.