This morning, we took the streetcars for the first time to the University of Augsburg. The streetcars were packed with both university students and people in the workforce. One thing that surprised me was how clean and efficient they were. The only comparable transportation in Pittsburgh are the PRT buses, which are not as clean and diverge from the schedule regularly. The university itself hosts about 20,000 students, but you would never know by just walking around. The campus was peaceful and quiet. Contemporary art and greenery filled much of the campus, and even goats had a home there. 

The classroom we were placed in felt modern. It was a typical college classroom, which reminded me of the ones found in Sennott Square. There, we were assigned to groups mixed with the German students. Each group focused on a different German brand in the automotive industry. After an hour of research, my group crafted an introduction presentation for our company, Audi. I was impressed by the extensive knowledge the German students had on each company, the current state of the automotive market, and the geopolitical environment.

We then listened to a lecture by Patrick Will from Audi. He spoke about Audi’s corporate strategy in the current state of the automotive industry. It was fascinating to hear about how Audi is navigating the geopolitical environment with trade, the rising competition in China and the US, the increasing AI usage in vehicles, and the demand for electric vehicles in the market. I am looking forward to learning more about this during our site visit to Audi next week.

We walked to the Mensa for lunch, which was a new cultural experience for me. A challenge that came up when ordering food was that there were no English translations or menus. Luckily, I could see the food before ordering, and make educated guesses based on the sound of the words in German. 

After class, the German exchange students created a scavenger hunt which brought us to different parts of the city than we saw on the tour yesterday. This activity helped me imagine what everyday life could be here, rather than imagining how the city was in the past. I learned about different options for entertainment like the Puppenkiste, the Rotes Tor, and sculpture collections around the city. The students also shared their favorite restaurants and nightlife venues with us. Although Augsburg is an old city, life for university students seems very enjoyable.

We closed the day at an Italian restaurant called Dragone. The menu had a variety of options, and the German students helped us with translations. I ordered the Paradiso pizza, which had pepperoni, green peppers, black olives, and ham. I was shocked with how authentic the Italian food was, and I can’t wait to explore more food options here in Germany.