Student Profile: Val Gorbatyuk

When I was accepted at UConn, I was introduced to Eurotech by Asst. Dean Marty Wood during Orientation and I understood right away that the program could bring some opportunities, but not until my last year at UConn and while already being in Germany did I realize how great those opportunities actually were. Simply studying abroad is great for any student, but the advantages of going abroad to Germany are even greater for an engineer. I am taking classes at the University of Tübingen right now, all of which I will be able to transfer to UConn. Classes here are very interesting because the Germans have a very different perspective of the world, which I noticed in my International Relations class. In today's world, where engineers are expected to work very closely with international colleagues and customers, knowing different perspectives is highly essential. While taking all these classes here I am not only learning about the topics, but also learning the language and of course getting to travel around Germany and Europe.

Doing an internship here in Baden-Württemberg which is the richest and most technically-advanced state in Germany is in my opinion a much better opportunity than doing an internship at home. With great assistance from the Baden-Württemberg Exchange Program headed by Renate Seitz, I am applying for an internship at IBM and SAP. World-class companies like HP, Daimler and Porsche also have locations here. At the end of my internship and after my graduation in May I am planning on staying in Germany for work.