A warm welcome to Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen! Since 2000 we are glad to host this 4-week seminar that is designed to give young South Africans a taste of German culture and business life. You can feel privileged for having been chosen by your home universities and technikons for participation in this most successful immersion program. Besides the fact that you find yourself learning about Germany at an internationally most renowned research university in this country, during the upcoming 4 weeks you will also be living in a lovely and picturesque town, where student life goes along very well in midst a stunning architecture with medieval facades, with crooked streets, and countless romantic sights. I am confident that in the near future you will look back at your Tübingen experience as a life-changing eye-opener and as one of the most exciting experiences in your young lives. Among the various activities of Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen relating to South Africa the Tübingen South Africa Program is certainly the most ambitious one, which in the meantime well over 170 students have benefited from. Our enthusiastic and experienced team has put together an exciting schedule for you. Coming from the southern to the northern hemisphere, from a warm summer to rather chilly winter temperatures you will find that things are quite different here in Germany, and these differences do not only apply to the climate and food. The making of this program would not have been possible without the input from various organizations that need to be acclaimed in this context. The idea for the Tübingen South Africa Seminar is based on the fact that Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and Western Cape are all partner provinces of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and Tübingen is located in the heart of this German region. Therefore a first big "Thank you" goes to the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg that provides the bulk of funds for conducting this program. Then, our gratitude goes to our friends at the University of Stellenbosch who have taken the leadership in South Africa and done all the preparatory coordination work in the run-up to your departure We are also grateful to Dr. Hansgeorg Niefer at Mercedes Benz South Africa Group of Companies who has recognized the sustainable value of such a program with regard to nation building in South Africa. Hence Mercedes Benz South Africa Group of Companies is again sending two of their working students and has generously agreed to cosponsor our program by providing travel grants to all participants. So, welcome again to an exciting month in a true UniverCity and I am positive that you will enjoy and profit from "Tübingen 2008" as much as your predecessors. Have a great time in Tübingen!

With my best wishes,

Wolfgang Mekle

Director, International Relations