The Bundesbank’s University of Applied Sciences received four delegations from China, France, Italy and Poland at Hachenburg Castle for International Week. In attendance were 22 participants from the Tsinghua University PBC School of Finance, Beijing, 11 participants from the University of Toulon, 5 participants from the University of Turin and 11 participants from the SGH Warsaw School of Economics in Warsaw. 

© Andreas Kremer

Together with more than 60 Hachenburg students, international working groups were formed and assigned to a bank considered significant by banking supervisors from the participants’ individual countries (China, France, Italy, Poland and Germany). Students were asked to explore the strengths and challenges of their given credit institution and present them to the tutors assigned to each working group in short presentations of around 15 minutes. The winning teams for each credit institution then competed against each other in the finale of “Shark Tank”, known in Germany as “Lions’ Den”. Six sharks, i.e. professors or heads of delegation, then put questions to the students. The team led by Maximilian Schreier, who had examined PKO Bank Polski, were crowned the winners.

© Andreas Kremer

The aim of the academic programme was to raise awareness of the different perspectives and experiences of participants from different countries and to bring them together. In addition, working in groups and presenting the results jointly helps students not only exchange ideas in the common working language, English, but also enables them to get to know each other better on a personal level.

© Andreas Kremer

Alongside the academic focus, a varied cultural and leisure programme was organised. For example, the guests hiked with the German students to the Cistercian Marienstatt Abbey and visited the cities of Koblenz and Frankfurt. Always the highlight of International Week, the “Evening of cultures” provided students with the opportunity to taste food and drinks from the various home countries.

© Andreas Kremer

Guests from China, Italy and Poland went home with plenty to think about after International Week. Students from the University of Toulon stayed at the Bundesbank’s University of Applied Sciences for another week and, together with the Bundesbank students, attended lectures on financial stability, banking supervision and monetary policy. In this second week, the students visited the city of Cologne and the climbing park in Bad Marienberg, amongst other things. Olivier Radelet from the University of Toulon, who led the French delegation in the second week, was impressed by the academic and cultural programme and invited German students to visit the partner university in France in autumn 2025.