It´s an exciting time for the students who are the first to undertake KLU’s brand new TriContinent MSc in Global Supply Chain Management. The two-year program offers the chance to study at universities on three continents: The University of Tennessee (Knoxville, USA), Tongji University (China), and KLU.
With the first semester taking place at KLU, much of the class have come a long way to be here and are adjusting to a new way of life. Like Tanner Rowell from Tennessee, who travelled 19 hours to begin his new adventure at KLU.
“It's my first time out of the country, it’s very different! Everything about life has fundamentally changed from the way it is in East Tennessee,” Rowell shared.
Some of the noticeable differences in Germany for Rowell begin with the size of local supermarkets. “Whereas we in the US have very large grocery stores, and might go shopping once a week, I find myself going shopping a few times per week and buying in smaller quantities, because there are more grocery stores, with smaller locations throughout Hamburg,” Rowell explained. Figuring out local public transport can be another challenge. “In the States, especially where I’m from, you drive everywhere, so it’s been an adjustment,” Rowell said.
One of the greatest aspects for Rowell has been the connection between students on a personal level. “This is an awesome program for someone who wants international experience. You experience a lot of things that are going to give you a much better perspective on the world. This program goes to a whole other level. The cohort structure of this is really what makes it unique. You’re not as isolated as you would be during an exchange semester.”
Another unique feature of this program is that students benefit from the expertise of their professors on each continent. They get to experience supply chain management in three of the world’s largest economies, and create international networks in those places.
“This gives our students a competitive edge on the job market. They are familiar with and gain experience in these cultures, and they know how business works from the perspective of these countries,” explained Dr. Christian Tröster, Associate Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behavior at KLU and responsible for the program. “They get to listen to and are taught by professors that are experts in supply chain management, each with a different focus and perspective from their countries. Students build an international network, so by the time they are done with their studies, they have made connections in Europe, China and the US.”
Just a couple of months in, the classmates are forging relationships that will grow and flourish during the course of their studies while travelling and working around the world together. “Here in Hamburg, living is much more social and community oriented,” Rowell said, “I find that my classmates from Germany try to meet for lunch with each other whenever possible. It's a very welcome change, and it has made me feel very at home at KLU.”
Read more about the TriContinent MSc Program