german/swiss study tour - melbourne, australia · travel arrangements the travel arrangements and...

Swinburne Abroad

German/Swiss Study Tour

Faculty of Health, Arts and Design 21 July 2014

German/Swiss Study Tour Fact Sheet 1 Prepared by: Faculty of Health, Arts and Design – School of Design Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Swinburne Abroad German/Swiss Study Tour Who

The 2014 German/Swiss Study Tour will be of greatest value to industrial design, product design engineering and interior architecture students, but would certainly be of great interest to other design students.

When Sunday 23 November – Monday 15 December 2014

Where The German/Swiss Study Tour is a cultural indulgence, taking full advantage of our partner university Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee, it provides the opportunity to engage in the life of some of the most culturally exciting and stimulating cities in Europe. This tour visits Berlin, Munich and Zurich, the German and Swiss capitals of art, design, fashion, film, commerce and music. The tour starts in one of the most amazing cities in the world – Berlin. You will spend 12 nights in Berlin starting with a full-day tour of the city on a Segway, visiting historic sites such as the Brandenburg Gate, the former Nazi Headquarters, the Berlin Wall and Hitler’s Bunker. You will also be involved in a one-week international design project at the Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee University. Other visits in and around Berlin include a guided tour of the BMW factory in Leipzig, a visit to the Bauhaus Archives and a full day at Wolfsburg, the home of Volkswagen. You will also have a free weekend and sufficient spare time to indulge in other cultural aspects of the city. From Berlin, the tour travels by train to Munich in southern Germany, where we will visit a number of world-class design consultancies and showrooms. The calibre of these consultancies is beyond anything operating in Australia. From Munich, the tour travels by train across the German-Swiss border to the unofficial capital of Switzerland, Zurich. During our stay in Switzerland, we will travel south to the most expensive city in Switzerland – Zug, where we will visit the high-end appliance manufacturer V-Zug. From Zurich we will also travel to Basel and back over the German/Swiss border to visit a small German town called Weil am Rhein, home to the Vitra Design Museum. The Vitra Design Museum is made up of prominent modern architecture designed by such world-renowned architects as Frank Gehry and Zaha Hadid. Vitra maintains one of the largest collections of modern furniture design in the world. Weil am Rhein is located in the south-western corner of Germany and is a short 10-minute walk across the Rhein river to France, and a 10-minute walk back into Switzerland.


The final day of the tour will be a trip from Zurich to Engelberg via Luzern, where your breathtaking journey in a revolving cable car to the top of Mount Titlis begins. A truly amazing view of the Swiss Alps to finish this exciting study tour! Academic details

The German/Swiss Study Tour is a 12.5 credit point subject, much like an elective unit. You will need to enrol in DDD20025 as a Summer Term unit and will be exempt from another unit of study, normally a unit from the minor or co-major, that is usually completed in Year 2 or 3 of your course. As a part of the application process you need to complete a study plan and submit it, together with an updated course planner, to your course coordinator for approval. The approved study plan and course planner must be submitted to the Swinburne Abroad office before the application deadline. The academic requirements of this unit involve the following: ■ a travel journal (25%) ■ a design project (50%) ■ the exhibition (25%).

The design project is commenced at Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee University and completed upon return to Australia. The conclusion of this project is marked by an exhibition for which students will need to produce a two-metre long graphic panel, as well as representations of their design proposal. This unit is open to anyone who is able to explore and represent their ideas visually or three dimensionally. If you are unsure about this requirement, please discuss it with the tour leader.

Travel arrangements The travel arrangements and price are based on ’land only’ expenses. Students need to arrange their own flights to Europe to arrive in Berlin in time to meet the study tour group on Sunday 23 November, 2014. The study tour will commence in Berlin on Monday 24 November. We will be there for 11 days and will begin our university-based project at the KHB as well as visits to VW and the Bauhaus Archives during that time. In the following week we will have a six-hour train journey to Munich where we will be based for the next six nights. From Munich we travel to Zurich on a four-hour train journey where the tour will conclude. Accommodation and visa requirements All students participating in the German/Swiss Study Tour, regardless of other travel arrangements, must stay at the group accommodation for the duration of the tour.


Students accepted into the program are responsible for applying for visas (where applicable). Students travelling on an Australian passport will not need a visa. International students are advised to commence this process at the same time they submit their application. Failure to obtain a visa in a timely manner may result in the loss of deposit and other monies paid. Information about visa requirements is available from the relevant consulate-general in Melbourne. Consulate-General Germany +61 (0)3 9864 6888

www.australien.diplo.de/Vertretung/australien/en/Startseite

Costs The study tour cost involves ‘land only’ expenses. Final figures are yet to be confirmed but are expected to be approximately $4000 (TBC) The land costs include:

■ all compulsory intercity rail travel within Germany ■ tourist cards and all compulsory local travel expenses ■ share hostel accommodation in Berlin, Munich and Zurich including breakfast ■ eternal snow tickets ■ Vitra Design Museum entrance ■ Bauhaus entrance ■ BMW entrance ■ VW entrance ■ Berlin Segway tour tickets ■ a minimum of four group dinners.

Not included: ■ return airfare to Europe ■ HECS or unit fees ■ personal spending money ■ lunch and most dinners ■ visa costs ■ travel insurance.

Funding options

Swinburne offers a limited number of study abroad scholarships and OS HELP loans are available to eligible study tour applicants. Further details can be found at: www.swinburne.edu.au/abroad/scholarships/#scholarships


studyassist.gov.au/sites/studyassist/helppayingmyfees/os-help_overseas_study/pages/os-help-loans-and-study-overseas

Application

Apply online at: www.swin.edu.au/abroad/how-to-apply

Selection There are a maximum of 12 places for this trip; student selection will be based on the following selection criteria:

■ All students submitting a completed application with all supporting documentation and deposit (by the due date) will be considered in the first instance.

■ Preference will be given to students with an average of credit or higher on their academic record. If the numbers of applications exceed the maximum number of places available, selection may be based on GPA and possibly an interview.

■ Personal statement: applicants need to submit a 300–400 word personal statement detailing their study intentions for the program and the reason for their study tour application.

■ The study tour program involves travel through public spaces and on transportation systems. This travel requires that you carry your own luggage and some visits require lengthy walks to sites in adverse weather conditions. Disability access is not always available (see notes on Health).

■ Students must have satisfactory skills to be able explore and represent their design ideas visually or three dimensionally.

Expressions of interest Register online at: www.swinburne.edu.au/abroad/study-tours/register for further information. Additionally, you can contact the tour leader for specific enquiries:

Denis Smitka Lecturer in industrial design and study tour leader AMDC904 [email protected] 9214 6453

Payment due dates

Application and $500 deposit ■ early/mid September 2014 (TBC)

Second payment ■ early/mid October 2014 (TBC)

Final payment ■ Wednesday 19 November, 2014


Pre-departure Workshop and Orientation Session A compulsory Pre-departure Workshop and Orientation Session will be held in Week 13. The workshop will start at 4pm on Wednesday 5 November, and will run for several hours. The location will be advised in late September. The Pre-departure Workshop and Orientation Session will offer an overview on: ■ German/Swiss culture ■ what to expect ■ what is expected of you ■ itinerary details ■ introduction to key staff

Pre-departure dinner

This informal dinner is an opportunity to get to know one another. The venue and date will be advised closer to the time – mid November 2014. Health The German/Swiss Study Tour will involve walking to a variety of sites including company visits, KHB University, museums and architectural landmarks. As such, participants are required to be involved and participate in attendance on these outings to gain knowledge and experience which will be applied to assessment tasks in order to complete project requirements. It is strongly recommended that candidates assess their physical ability to complete the transportation, access and walking requirements. Swinburne is required to comply with Occupational Health and Safety laws in delivering the German/Swiss Study Tour. Swinburne reserves the right to request that a candidate undergo a medical examination if Swinburne feels that a candidate may be placing their own or another’s health and safety at risk. General interest websites ■ Segway tour of Berlin

citysegwaytours.com/berlin/tours

■ Kunsthochschule Berlin-Weißensee University

www.kh-berlin.de/index.php5?locale=en

■ Bauhaus Archives Berlin

www.bauhaus.de

■ VW Autostadt www.autostadt.de/en


■ BMW Liepzig

www.bmw-plant-leipzig.com/leipzig/deutsch/lowband/com/en

■ Frog design www.frogdesign.com/contact/munich

■ Ideo

www.ideo.com/locations/munich

■ Vitra Design Museum

www.design-museum.de/en/information

■ Mount Titlis Swiss Alp Tour

www.switzerland-tours.ch/product_info.php?products_id=112

■ German National Tourist Office

www.germany-tourism.de/index_ENG

■ Young Germany: a career, education & lifestyle guide

www.young-germany.de

■ Swiss National Tourist Office

www.myswitzerland.com/en/home

■ Visa requirements - German Consulate General

www.australien.diplo.de/Vertretung/australien/en/04/Visumrecht/Visa

Flights and travel insurance websites

■ Travel insurance www.studentflights.com.au/travel-insurance www.statravel.com.au/cps/rde/xchg/au_division_web_live/hs.xsl/travel-insurance ■ Flight bookings www.reho.com www.studentflights.com.au www.statravel.com.au www.flightcentre.com.au

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