Essen-ce of co-operation

series of activities with highlights including a tour of Nissan and a visit to the Stadium of Light, during which they met Mayor of Sunderland, Coun Lynda Scanlan, and members of Sunderland City Council’s International Team who arranged the exchange with Essen.

Tim Field, Curriculum Manager, Business & Professional for Sunderland College said: “It was wonderful to welcome business students from Essen and share a week of activities and visits to local areas of interest such as the Stadium of Light and Beamish. It was a fantastic opportunity for the young people from Essen to visit Nissan.

“The exchange was a great success, particularly when the Sunderland and Essen students shared presentations about cultural influences on businesses - which will be a great help to each of them in extending their knowledge of international business relations.

“It was a real pleasure to spend time with students from another country who are studying the same subject area and to exchange ideas and views on current business news and trends.

“All the students were a credit to their respective colleges and we would like to see these links developed and strengthened in the future.“

Annika Mecking, Lecturer from Theodore Heuss Gymnasium added: “The first visit of Essen/THG students at Sunderland College was a very precious experience on all levels.

“We received a very warm welcome from the Sunderland students and staff, and delivering and sharing presentations on ‘Cultural Factors in International Business’ offered interesting insights into many similarities and few differences within international business culture.

“Coming from an industrialised region ourselves we also enjoyed a guided tour through the Nissan car plant learning about day-to-day operations and technological processes involved.”

“We envision establishing a long-term partnership under as part of the relationship between the two cities based on business and culture.”