On October 14th, 2019, the next “GCE Year” was opened by the traditional “Welcome Meeting”.
The new GCE students as well as “older” GCE students from previous years and the master´s programme coordination team came together at 16.00 o´clock. After the long summer break, some of the latest stories and adventures needed to be shared with familiar and new faces. However, the conversations had to pause as the programme started. Stephanie from the GCE coordination welcomed everyone and asked different groups to stand up: GCE students 2019, GCE students 2018, students from Africa, Asia … To see the altering standing groups demonstrated the high diversity of the GCE family. In addition to the year 2019, there were also master students and alumni from the years 2018, 2017 and even 2016. Having a closer look on the new GCE students 2019 alone, students are coming from America, Nigeria, Indonesia, Taiwan, Brasilia, Albania, Egypt, Columbia and Germany, which comprises the biggest group. So far, 25 new GCE students with an average age of 25.8 years are enrolled in the master´s programme, 4 are still expected to come to Bayreuth. In total, 260 applications were received for the winter term 2019/20.
After the GCE coordination, the GCE student board rose to speak and shared some organisational information with the audience. After that, two videos were shown from GCE alumni who could not be in Bayreuth but, nevertheless, wanted to greet the new students.
Subsequently, Thomas, board member of “Friends of Global Change Ecology e.V.” presented the association for current students, alumni and associates of the study program GCE and Steven, GCE student from 2017, assigned the new students who wanted to have a “buddy”, a student from the previous years to support them with their start.
Then everyone went outside and the “GCE family photo 2019” was taken in an autumnal setting. During the subsequent come-together the conversations could be continued and deepened with a piece of cake in the left and a cup of coffee in the right hand. Finally, the Welcome Meeting 2019 was completed by a campus tour for the new students.
We wish everyone a happy new GCE Year and welcome our new fellow students again!
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