Angela Heller works as a secretary for the International Relations Officer at the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

In May 2015, she completed a stay abroad at the ESTP (École Spéciale des Travaux Publics) in Paris, as part of the SprInt Programme. Her colleague Marion Pazdro also stayed there. She works at the Institute of Steel and Timber Engineering, Faculty of Civil Engineering.

The following is a short interview to provide you with further details and impressions of this stay.

 

When were you in Paris?

From 29 March to 4 April, 2015.

At what institution did you stay?

I was at the Ecole Spéciale des Travaux Publics, du Bâtiment et de l'Industrie (ESTP) Paris.

How did you travel to France?

By plane: Dresden–Frankfurt–Paris–Frankfurt–Dresden.

What was the welcome like?

Very warm. The atmosphere was very friendly, as we were only a small group.

How was the supervision?

The supervision was excellent. We were always looked after by colleagues from International Relations. They had organised a very varied programme.

Where did you live?

At the TIM Hotel, near the Eiffel Tower – we chose it via the HRS business booking website.

What programme did you attend during the week?

It was the programme of the ESTP International Week, which takes place in spring every year. There were 7 of us participating, from Brazil, the Czech Republic, Panama and Germany. The representatives of the ESTP were also there.

The programme was very diverse: talks with all the colleagues from the fields of international relations, economics, computer science, communications, language department, with representatives of the students unions and with our TU students on the dual degree programme; tours of all the laboratories on campus including underneath the ESTP – in a small mine used mainly for training in the field of geology; tour of the library, building sites, visits to museums, a joint dinner and at the end, a breakfast meeting with the Director of the ESTP, Madam Florence Darmon.

What did you learn about the work practices of your international colleagues?

We got to see all areas of international collaboration, language teaching, co-operation with business, and so on.

What language skills did you need? (Do you have to be fluent in English or French or would you be able to get by with basic knowledge?)

English was spoken the whole week, but basic knowledge was sufficient. Of course, it is always an advantage if you can speak at least a little of the local language. In the breaks, our French colleagues also enjoyed talking to us in German.

Had you already done a SprInt cultural course or a language course before your stay in Paris?

I had already done the cultural courses on France and Latin America and a cross-cultural course. The language course was almost finished (the last class was on 10.4.2015).

Were your travel costs settled without any complications?

The funding was organised via the Leonardo Office. Everything ran smoothly regarding settling the expenses.

What are your concluding thoughts on your French colleagues and your SprInt stay abroad?

The colleagues were all very friendly and helpful, and a few words of French will open all sorts of doors.

It was a great week, we learned about the courses at the ESTP while at the same time getting to know the whole university. Wherever we went, people were always very willing to answer all our questions.

The SprInt Programme is a unique opportunity for all non-academic staff to receive continuing education in intercultural issues, improve their language skills and at the same time, to meet their colleagues at partner universities in person.

TU Dresden's Institutional Strategy is funded by the Excellence Initiative of the German Federal and State Governments.

Photo credits:
Flags Globe © piai - Fotolia.com
Blick vom Tour Montparnasse auf Paris © Angela Heller
Ausführungen von Geoffroy Mesnier © Angela Heller
Gruppenfoto © Angela Heller