Professor Leon Schumacher will lead the Germany program. The program will start in Berlin. We will travel by bus or train to Pottsdam, Harsewinkel, Lemgo, Cologne, Frankfurt, Mannheim, Stuttgart, Munich and Nuremberg.  Factory visits are planned at John Deere, Stihl, CLAAS, and Amazon. Tours are planned at the Mercedes Museum, Neuschwanstein, WWII historical sites such as Check Point Charlie, the Dachau Concentration Camp, and The Brandenburg Gate. Visits will also include a winery and the oldest brewery in the world.  A special effort will be made to connect MU students with German college students.

Multicultural Perspective

In addition to gaining an understanding of German agricultural engineering practices, program participants will receive insight into German economic, political, and educational systems, as well as basic German language training.

At the conclusion of the program, participants will better understand the global dimensions of U.S. and Missouri agriculture.

By participating in the program, students will:

• have a well-informed understanding of German agriculture and farming practices,
• gain insight into the similarities and differences between U.S. and German manufacturing,
• compare and contrast U.S. and German educational models, and
• appreciate and better understand German culture.

Location

Germany is located in central-western Europe. It covers an area about the size of Montana, or roughly twice as big as Missouri. Germany is home to 82 million people and is the most populous member state of the European Union. After the US, Germany is the second most popular immigration destination in the world. Germany’s capital and largest metropolis is Berlin.  US companies, like John Deere, produce farm equipment in Germany while several German companies, like CLAAS and Fendt, produce and sell farm equipment in the U.S.

Accommodation and Meals

Students will be housed in hotels/hostels for the duration of the program. Rooms will be shared, and the number of participants in a room will vary from location to location. All housing costs are included in the program fee.

A limited number of meals are included in the program fee; however, students will be responsible for the majority of their meal costs. As the program itinerary is finalized, an estimate for out-of-pocket meal expenses will be provided. Please note that the individual spending habits of each student will vary, so participants should use the estimate as a baseline and adjust according to their own eating habits.

Program Travel

International round-trip air travel will be arranged for the Germany group. This arranged flight generally departs from and returns to Lambert International Airport in St. Louis, MO.  Transportation from Columbia to Lambert will be the responsibility of the student.  The faculty program leader, Dr. Leon Schumacher, travels with the group flight to facilitate airport check-in and transfers.

All in-country program travel is organized by CAFNR and is included in the program fee. Some individual local transportation costs may be accrued by students wishing to explore program locations independently during their free time.

Academics

Participants have regular on-campus orientation classes once per week during the semester leading up to the program travel dates. Students are enrolled in three credits of AFNR 2191: International Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (humanities; graded A-F) for the spring semester. Students should work with their advisors to determine how these credits will count toward their individual graduation plans.

Please be aware that there will be mandatory orientation class meetings prior to departure. Participants will be notified of the class meeting details via email.

Estimated Cost