Students transform theory into practice at Bremen summer camp
1 December 2023
A group of Cardiff Business School students have participated in real-world projects in cooperation with German and UK companies as part of a summer camp.
The PRAXIS summer camp took place at the University of Bremen, a strategic partner of Cardiff University.
Empowering students with hands-on experience, the three-week hybrid collaborative programme brought together 63 international students from partner universities. They worked in multi-disciplinary teams on real-life business projects.
18 companies participated in the summer camp. Project topics given to students ranged from marketing and communications to HR, finance, and sustainability.
Natalie James, International Mobility Projects Officer at Cardiff University said:
“We were delighted to be involved again in PRAXIS Summer Camp as a strategic partner. Not only did our students develop their employability skills by working on real-life projects with leading companies, but they also had the opportunity to experience living and working in a different country, forge new friendships, and develop as global citizens. Their final project presentations showcased their commitment, enthusiasm, and professionalism – well done to all who participated!”
Project teams were directly supported by the University of Bremen, a student scout, an academic coach, and the companies who they were completing the project for. Academic coaches delivered training workshops, supporting students with topics such as market research and data analysis.
To conclude the summer camp, students presented their project results and recommendations to key PRAXIS partners, partner universities, students, and stakeholders.
Andrej Holmes, BScEcon Economics, who was a student participant, said:
“I really enjoyed working directly with a company on a real task. I also loved connecting with people from different countries and seeing their perspectives. I learnt how to deal with challenging people and improved my Excel and public speaking skills. It was an opportunity to get out of your comfort zone and meet new people, make future business contacts and network, and see what it is like living in a different country. It was also a great way to dip your toes into what it could be like to study abroad. I managed to secure a job offer through this, which was totally unexpected!”
David Hall, from Brita, a company participant, said:
“All students came with unique and different perspectives. The quality of work was down to hard work and effort, well done! Really happy with the presentations and recommendations.”
The strategic partnership between Cardiff University and the University of Bremen – the ‘Bremen-Cardiff Alliance’ – was signed in 2019 and facilitates the development of joint research activities and new forms of academic cooperation between the institutions.
Similar student mobility programmes in partnership with the University of Bremen are run through Cardiff University’s Student Futures and Global Opportunities teams.