Dean Prof. Dr. Reinhart Job (l.) and Prof. Dr. Thomas Weik (r.) from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Münster UAS welcomed their American guest. (Photo: Münster UAS/Jana Bade)
Prof. Dr. Gerald Kruse from Juniata College held the compact course "Math Modeling" on the Steinfurt campus of Münster UAS for two weeks. (Photo: Münster UAS/Jana Bade)
Steinfurt (22. June 2023). Finally back in Steinfurt - after a five-year break, Prof. Dr. Gerald ("Jerry") Kruse from Juniata College was once again a guest at our Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The professor of Information Technology, Computer Science and Mathematics has been regularly offering the English-language compact course "Math Modeling" for computer science students for several years. Due to the Covid pandemic, he was unable to make his trip from Huntingdon in the US state of Pennsylvania to the Steinfurt campus in the usual two-year rotation. Having last offered an online course as an alternative in 2020, he was now happy to be able to see his good friend and cooperation partner Prof. Dr. Thomas Weik and the Münsterland region again.
"I really enjoy my time here," reports Kruse, who lived in Weik's house in Horstmar-Leer a few years ago as part of an exchange together with his family and therefore still maintains many friendships in his old host home. Each time, he is also thrilled by the motivation of the students who participate in his course. "They are mature, intelligent and very well prepared - I always look forward to working with them," he enthuses. In the course, participants learn how to solve real-world problems, such as population growth or account developments, using mathematical models.
At a small meeting, Dean Prof. Dr. Reinhart Job, Kruse and Weik exchanged views on current developments at their respective universities. Kruse regretted that no American students had accompanied him this year - normally there has been lively student mobility in both directions since the cooperation began in 2005. In Steinfurt, too, it is currently difficult to find interested students for a semester abroad in Pennsylvania, reports Weik. The professors interpret this, among other things, as an after-effect of the Covid pandemic. There is no question, however, that their cooperation, which has been very successful so far, will continue. Next year, Kruse's colleague Prof. Dr. Loren Rhodes from Juniata College will again be a guest on the Steinfurt campus to teach "Music and Computing".
On the topic:
Computer science students from the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science who are interested in an exchange position at Juniata College can contact Prof. Dr. Thomas Weik at any time. Due to the cooperation with Münster UAS, there are no tuition fees for exchange students.