Two Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) staff spent time in Germany recently, reconnecting with partner universities located at opposite ends of the country, to grow relationships and discuss further collaborations with SIT.
SIT Screen Arts Joint Programme Manager, Rachel Mann, was based for two weeks (16th – 27th June) in the very north of Germany at Flensburg University, while Robyn Valentine, SIT Head of School of Business and Management, was in the south of Germany, touring five universities in 11 days.
Starting at Macromedia University on June 23rd, Ms Valentine also visited Nürtingen-Geislingen, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim and Offenburg Universities, where she met with staff to discuss a range of topics, from students visiting through Study Abroad and exchanges, to aligning programmes to make it straightforward for students to study at SIT.
The majority of Ms Valentine’s time was spent reconnecting with university staff, “to remind them we’re still here and still welcoming their students… it was fantastic, it was full-on… it was great.”
The universities appreciated the effort Ms Valentine made to travel to Germany. It was a highlight of her trip “how friendly, helpful and accommodating everyone was. SIT clearly has a good reputation; their students love coming here.” She had the opportunity to meet students who were coming to SIT soon and reassure them about their English language skills. “Their English is so good; they’re a little bit hesitant about that but they shouldn’t be.”
Offenburg University was another highlight where Ms Valentine spent three days. She reconnected with Professor Christopher Zerres who’d been to SIT Invercargill. They have been working on a double degree master’s programme for Offenburg/SIT students.
Students will spend one semester in Offenburg and one semester at SIT, then they do their research project, which they can choose to complete at Offenburg or SIT. They will receive a Master of Science (MSc) from Offenburg, or a Master of Applied Management (MAM) from SIT. “We were literally dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s to get it up and running for 2026. It presents great opportunities to students and it’s a sign that we’re starting to move again in this space.”
Ms Valentine pointed out that double degree initiatives can lead to students extending the time they spend with SIT. “They can stay and get another qualification. It’s a real drawcard for students.”
Another experience Ms Valentine valued was gaining more familiarity with the German study environments that Study Abroad students are coming from. “I find it interesting – it’s good to have this knowledge.”
Ms Mann’s time with Flensburg University was to strengthen relationships. “I really enjoyed Flensburg. In two weeks, you get to know the people and the university,” she said. Spending a lot of time with the tutors and the Dean, gave her “a really good idea of the culture of the learning at Flensburg”. All the lecturers spoke perfect English, and some had “a fair idea” about SIT.
“We’re looking at a dual degree, exchanges with students and tutors, and collaborative projects.” Ms Mann noted that one of the Flensburg degrees is almost exactly the same as a SIT degree.
“They also teach film, animation, stop motion; even their ethos is very close to ours. There’s an equivalency in the facilities, equipment and the programmes. This gives us a lot of flexibility… It’s a good fit for a close partnership. There are so many crossovers, it will allow us to do collaborative projects.”
It was a good feeling to see Flensburg designing programmes similar to SIT, Ms Mann said. “It’s very affirming; we can tell our students their degree is international in quality and of international standard.”
There were also similarities between Invercargill and Flensburg. “It has a small-town feel. It didn’t feel like being a duck out of water,” Ms Mann explained. She gave special mention to the Flensburg locals. “The way people treated you; there’s a certain amount of care. It’s a nice, beautiful wee town… I was invited everywhere!”
Ms Mann spent time in the classroom as well, connecting with students and presenting to classes on SIT - “who we are and what we do”. Since her visit, there had already been a “massive” increase in student enquiry about coming to SIT.
“It’s very desirable to do a semester abroad. [Flensburg] are very supportive of the fact exchanges are valuable to their students… What can we do to facilitate more students coming here for a semester?”
The aim was to bring students together around creative projects, and it wasn’t just collaborations in the degree; Ms Mann also met the Artistic Director of the Flensburg Short Film Festival, and they discussed doing a New Zealand showcase.
In preparation for Flensburg students, Ms Mann had been mapping programme papers in Film & Media Arts, Interactive Media & Games, and Media Informatics. “The mapping of learning outcomes gives security to Flensburg and SIT. It makes cross-crediting easier.”
After a productive visit, Ms Mann heard from Flensburg tutors who checked to make sure she got home safely. “Those personal connections are so valuable,” she said, adding “Over the next year-and-a-half we’ve got some good things happening… I’d love to be doing much, much more with them, and I feel we’ve definitely put those building blocks in place.”