The hybrid character of this qualification can be seen in several ways, for instance, through its relation to technology, economics and internationalism. In this sense, from the start there is a thematic focus on those areas of particular relevance from a professional perspective. The lectures developed for this purpose are tailored precisely to this target group. Finally, a multitude of activities aim to expand on the international character of the course. 93% of all final theses are held directly at companies or as student consultancy projects.

Firstly, the so-called European Projects Semester, which has been held for 10 years. In this project-based course, an industrial project is worked on by student teams with a multinational composition (supervised by an academic supervisor). This programme is a 30 ECTS course and is accompanied by a large number of secondary courses that deal with specific hard and soft skills. The Faculty has been a successful participant in syndicated internationalisation projects (CDHAW, MDHK, IGHE) with dual-degree programmes for years.

CDHAW Tongji University, Shanghai, China; Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM); Oslo Metropolitan University, Osolo; Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, Schottland; Yrkeshögskolan Novia, Vaasa, Finnland; Universidad Politécnica de Cataluna,Santander, Spanien; Universidad de Cadiz, Spanien; Politechnika Lodzka, Lodz, Polen.

Thanks to the programme’s integration into the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the programmes of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding, comprehensive and unrestricted access to various laboratories (e.g. machine tools, robotics, flow laboratory, CAD) is ensured. The synergies generated are also ensured in connection with the availability of subject-specific databases.

In recent years, China has become the most important trading partner of the German economy. The demand for competent specialists and managers is high. With the International Sales and Purchasing in Engineering degree course, Kiel University of Applied Sciences has successfully participated in the call for proposals of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research "Innovative concepts for the expansion of China competence at universities". The focus is on a concept of project-oriented learning for young STEM students (funding volume €300,000 - funding period from 2018-2021), the so-called China project semester).

This topic is integrated explicitly into various courses (e.g. Innovation Management) and projects. Furthermore, during the so-called interdisciplinary week, students have the opportunity to systematically deepen their knowledge and skills in this area. For the specific realisation of start-ups, the Faculty has a partner, the Research and Development Centre, that provides professional support to students in the implementation of such projects.