On the evening of November 9th, 2018, the banquet hall was again filled with local partners, students, and many other guests who had graciously accepted our Welcome Night invitation. Steffen Linnert, co-director of the City of Erfurt’s Department for Citizen’s Service, Society and Economy, gave the opening speech and warmly welcomed the new international students. Dr. Katrin Langer, the manager of the TIAW GmbH, acted as the moderator for the evening.
In-Kyung Lee, a “From Strangers to Friend” student, played the piano as our musical entertainment for the night. After his performance, In-Kyung and his host mom, or rather local partner, gave a presentation on their German-South Korean partnership experience. Their picture slideshow did a wonder job outlining the many benefits of “From Strangers to Friends” partnerships.
Our culturally orientated entertainment was provided by both the University of Erfurt’s chamber choir, directed by Michael Käppler, and the East Asian-German Creative Association- who performed a traditional Vietnamese dance.
Toward the end of the evening, time was allotted for the international students to get to know their new host families and/or local partners. We encouraged them to make plans to get together in the near future. In total we had more than 67 new students, who had just started their studies at the University or Technical College of Erfurt, from over 28 different countries. It was a privilege and an honor to be among the first to welcome them not only to Germany, but also to the lovely city of Erfurt.
We are very pleased with the Welcome Evening’s positive turn out; next year will be even better!
