The Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences (HWG LU) and the German Vocational School Abroad FEDA Madrid signed their international cooperation agreement today. The objective of this German-Spanish cooperation lies in the internationalization of the dual bachelor's degree program in logistics at HWG LU and the creation of study opportunities for particularly high-performing trainees at FEDA Madrid following German dual vocational training in Spain.
The Ludwigshafen University of Applied Sciences is located in the economic powerhouse of the Rhine-Neckar metropolitan region and, with a focus on business administration, social sciences and healthcare and currently around 4,600 students, is an educational institution with an excellent regional, national and international network. In the field of logistics, HWG LU has a broad portfolio of study programs: in addition to the dual Bachelor of Logistics, Ludwigshafen has a Bachelor of Logistics, a Master of Logistics and two MBAs - the German-language distance learning MBA Logistics - Management & Consulting and the English-language MBA Logistics - International Management & Consulting.
FEDA Madrid is one of 140 German schools abroad that are supervised by the Central Agency for Schools Abroad (ZfA) of the Federal Office of Administration on behalf of the Federal Foreign Office. For 40 years, FEDA has been training forwarding and logistics service specialists in Spain together with the German Chamber of Commerce for Spain (AHK) and companies such as Transfesa Logistics/DB, Kuehne+Nagel, Andreas Stihl, Logwin, Lidl, Primafrio and Thyssenkrupp Elevators. The dual bachelor's degree program at the University of Applied Sciences in Ludwigshafen offers a perfect follow-up for this apprenticeship in particular, but also for industrial clerks and wholesale and foreign trade management clerks.
Bernd Hullerum, Chairman of the School Board of FEDA Madrid, sees the advantages of the cooperation in particular:"We are very pleased to officially launch the cooperation with HWG LU today. The offer will allow students to continue the proven combination of practice and study, while building on the knowledge acquired in training through a shortened study period. An additional major advantage is that students can continue to complete their practical phases at their training company in Spain, while the study phases take place at the university in Ludwigshafen. This means that the trainee/company tandem can be successfully continued after the vocational training has been completed."
"In addition, the cooperation agreement also serves other German vocational schools abroad as a best-practice model for their graduates with commercial dual vocational training and strengthens Germany as a study location," said Ingo Winter, principal of FEDA Madrid.
Prof. Dr. Peter Mudra, President of the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigshafen, sees the cooperation agreement as an example of lived cooperation in the European Union. In this regard, he emphasizes the current relevance of the cooperation: "Especially in times when criticism of the EU and its institutions always seems to be at the forefront of public perception, this joint project with our Spanish friends makes it clear what Europe should be about in a special way: The coming together and working together of people from different nations and cultures in the spirit of the great European idea."
Prof. Dr. Joachim Schmidt, Head of the Dual Degree Program in Logistics (B. A.), is also very positive about the further cooperation with FEDA Madrid: "Internationality is one of the most essential characteristics of the logistics industry. That is why we are particularly pleased to be able to take a further step with regard to the operational implementation of our international study orientation with the signing of the cooperation agreement with FEDA Madrid," says Schmidt.
First successful graduate/student
Even before the formal signing of the agreement, the cooperation between the two educational institutions was launched in a pilot project: Leticia Romero began the dual study program in logistics in Ludwigshafen in the winter semester of 2017 after completing her training as a freight forwarding and logistics services clerk at Transfesa in Madrid, a subsidiary of DB Cargo AG. Due to the completed training and practical phases in Spain, she was able to successfully complete the shortened study program after 2.5 years together with the company DB Cargo BTT GmbH in Mainz. For Leticia Romero, studying in small semester groups and the individual support in the course of study were important aspects in choosing her place of study, in addition to the professional further qualification in the logistics sector. Today, she works for DB Cargo in Mainz as a junior HR manager and is responsible for selecting and supervising trainees and dual students.
Natascha Lenk, who started her studies in Ludwigshafen in October 2020, is also enthusiastic: "Through the cooperation, I have the opportunity to continue working at my training company Primafrio S.L. in Murcia, Spain, and at the same time to further my qualifications with a dual study program at HWG LU. This opens up great professional opportunities for me in Europe."
More information at: www.feda-madrid.de and www.hwg-lu.de/studium/bachelor/logistik-dual
