Exchange Programs

Cultural Exchange Opportunities

Concordia University-Portland always strives to open windows to the world for its students. One such opportunity to make global connections is Concordia's exchange program with the University of Vechta. UV is a German college near Hanover that resembles Concordia in its size and offerings. The town of Vechta is located in Northwestern Germany in the region known as Saxony. It is a mixed area of small towns and farmland, similar in attitude to the Midwestern U.S. Its gently rolling plains are dotted with family farms and village centers full of history and culture. The University of Vechta has prepared teachers for the German education system since 1830 and offers us insights into novel approaches to education by our European counterparts.

Each fall, Vechta students and a faculty guide visit Concordia for a month, attending classes and touring the northwest. The group is hosted by Concordia faculty members and their families during their stay and many enjoyable experiences are had by all. The Vechta students note that although the German and American education systems are structured very differently, both Concordia and Vechta have much to teach each other through the exchange program.

In May of each year, Concordia Portland students and their faculty guide travel to Vechta for the second half of the exchange. They spend three weeks visiting the University and exploring Northern Germany. The students have the opportunity to tour several German schools of various levels and study the philosophy that forms the basis of the German educational system. As an added bonus, they also have the chance to visit Berlin, the great Cathedral at Cologne, country festivals, the University of Wittenberg where Martin Luther first nailed his 95 Theses, and possibly even take a trip through neighboring countries.

This exchange program has operated continuously since 2002.