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Course of studies
In 2020 a pandemic caused the universities in Germany to close their doors for their
students. For the Hochschule Furtwangen University, it was the first time that online
classes were introduced on a large-scale. The objective of this thesis paper is to
investigate how international students at HFU Business School cope with having online
classes due to COVID-19 and to derive based on those findings a recommended course
of action.
The researcher conducted 32 semi-structured in-depth interviews with international
students, local students, professors, and university employees to examine the status quo.
A thorough literature review on studying and working from home formed the interview
questions' foundation. The interview covered several aspects of students' life, such as
studying, language development, or social factors.
Based on the findings, a recommended course of action was derived. Those 14
recommendations include practical suggestions covering different facets for the
university to implement to improve international students' ability to cope with the
restrictions caused by the pandemic and the resulting online classes successfully.
The current mechanisms and information sources for international students in Germany are insufficient. This thesis aims to evaluate the need for potential substitutes of preexisting information sources. Specifically, it analyzes if a commercial service provider can operate as a successful alternative. To investigate current mechanisms and their shortcoming, former information sources were assessed and evaluated. Additionally, five expert interviews were conducted gaining a time accurate evaluation of the present situation. The results show that current information sources are too bureaucratic and restricted in their actions. Nonetheless, the findings also display that there is a great need for optimal and effective access points. This thesis concludes with an analysis of a likely business model, and how it would successfully operate within the Chinese market. Conclusively, a commercial service provider has the optimal prerequisites to fulfill the current demands of international students.