A Truly International Duo: HHL and the City of Leipzig

[HHL gGmbH - 02.03.2016] A Truly International Duo: HHL and the City of Leipzig

Internationality is key. This not only holds true for the City of Leipzig but also for HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management. According to a recent survey, HHL rates as one of Germany's most international universities. Leipzig, on the other hand, celebrates a new guest record with 2.83 million overnight stays in 2015. The city looks back on the best tourist year in its history. The hit list of foreign guests in Leipzig is led by the U.S., followed by Switzerland and the U.K. Shortly before jumping into the top 10 of foreign guests in Leipzig is China. In 2015 more Chinese tourists than ever came to Leipzig.

U.S., U.K. and Chinese as well as over 50 other nationalities are part of the HHL community. So how do international students and staff feel at HHL and in the City of Leipzig?

"Warmly Welcomed”

Indian Prof. Sushil Khanna, Ph.D., Holder of the ICCR Chair of Corporate Responsibility and Governance, says, "Leipzig for me and my wife has turned out to be a best kept secret! It's a young charming city with beautiful ancient architecture, its people dream and breathes music. We have made friends and have been warmly welcomed into people's homes. We hope to return to the city at the first opportunity.”

"Vibrant and Traditional”

The Chinese MBA students Jie Yan adds, "I am very lucky and proud to have chosen a German city with such a potential to pursue my academic and career development. Diversity makes Leipzig unique and charming. Vibrant and traditional, the city is calm but buzzing with activity. It is always a fantastic experience to watch an RB Leipzig soccer match at the home stadium and feel the enthusiasm, or enjoy a concert from the world-renowned orchestra at the Gewandhaus. I have also been very impressed by the hospitality of the city, not only from the friendly residents but also from the HHL faculty. Especially the career services advisors have provided extremely valuable coaching. This support will make us more competitive on the job market, helping us succeed during and after our studies at HHL.”

"Variety is a Major Characteristic of Leipzig”

Her class mate from the U.S., Raymond Miecznikowski, points out, "I've been here five months, and I'm incredibly happy with my decision to come to Leipzig and attend HHL. Moving to Germany has been my ambition for some time now, and completing my MBA here has made it possible. The courses have sparked an interest in new topics and helped me dive deeper into the subjects I'm already interested in. Everyone here is available to help you and they are all genuinely interested in your success at HHL and beyond. So far, living here has been a great experience. Variety is a major characteristic of Leipzig; regardless of what your interests and hobbies are, there's almost certainly a means to explore them somewhere in the city. Coming from sunny Florida, I'm experiencing my first (real) winter, complete with snow and the sludgy nightmare it becomes when it melts. I'll definitely be able to better appreciate summer, and I'm really looking forward to trips to the Cospudener Lake and the surrounding areas. On that note, it's worth mentioning that Leipzig's close proximity to other cities makes traveling quick and relatively cheap. The time goes by fast; luckily, my studies at HHL have proven to be a great experience, one I'll take with me for the rest of my life.”

"Leipzig is not the new Berlin”

Elia Ghosn, from the Lebanon, adds, "When I was filtering my options for MBA programs around the world I was searching for two main criteria: an MBA that could provide me an international career and a city where I can enjoy living in. I got so many options to choose from, so I had to add an additional criterion: low budget. I ended up with a few options from which HHL Leipzig seemed the most convenient. Especially after reading that Leipzig is the new Berlin. That's when I got excited even more. Now after six months from exploring the city I realized that it is not the case. Leipzig is relatively small compared to Berlin, but it has many advantages that you cannot find in any place in Germany or anywhere around the world. If I want to compare the most popular cities here that I have visited so far, I would say that Berlin is a little bit overrated and: the rent is still double of what I pay in Leipzig. I love big cities and all the crazy things that someone can do there but I do also enjoy a nice cup of coffee in an old "chocolaterie” in a quiet neighborhood. I like going to parties in an old abandoned warehouses, but I also enjoy a sunny day in a small forest by the river or a swim in summer at the lake. Leipzig has all of these. A city with so much history and a fabulous architecture combined with a modern setting and green scenery.”

HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management

HHL is a university-level institution and ranks amongst the leading international business schools. The goal of the oldest business school in German-speaking Europe is to educate effective, responsible and entrepreneurially-minded leaders. HHL stands out for its excellent teaching, its clear research focus, its effective knowledge transfer into practice as well as its outstanding student services. The courses of study include full and part-time Master in Management as well as MBA programs, a Doctoral program and Executive Education. HHL is accredited by AACSB International. www.hhl.de