My name is Daniel Goeckus and I am an exchange student from the University of Tuebingen. After doing my "Vordiplom" in geology at the University of Marburg in early 2003, I moved to Tuebingen to participate in the fabulous "Oregon - Baden- Württemberg Exchange Program".

Originally I intended to do one academic year and then return to Germany to transfer my earned credits and finish my "Diplom" there. But now, since I witnessed the superior level of teaching and research at Oregon State University, as well as the familiar atmosphere on campus and in Corvallis, I am thinking about changing my plans and doing a Master's Degree at the Department of Geosciences.

Facts about Germany

• German companies exported goods worth 731-billion Euros last year - more than any other country. The automobile industry, mechanical engineering, and the chemical industry made Germany the 2004 world champion in exports, ahead of the U.S. and Japan.
• Over two million students are registered at the 365 universities in Germany - and 12% percent of those carry non-German passports.
• There are 1,250 breweries in Germany, and Becks produced the most beer in 2002 with an unbelievable 551 billion liters. The Oktoberfest in Munich is the largest beer festival in the world.
• In Germany you can buy more than 300 sorts of bread and more than 1500 types of sausages and cold meats.
• Germany follows the U.S. in Internet access, making German the second most important language in the future of cyberspace.
• 60% of polled companies would choose someone with German literacy over an equally qualified candidate lacking such knowledge.