Project Azubi-Europainternship calendar

by Carolin Mehre

trainee as an office clerk at

myCARE OHG-die Versandapotheke

Our trip to Budapest/Hungary and Warsaw/Poland

from March 10th to March 21st 2014

contents

1. About myCARE OHG2. Hungary

2.1 Day 1- Trip to Hungary2.2 Day 2- Workshop and Parliament2.3 Day 3- Mavir and Sirha2.4 Day 4- AHK and vocational school2.5 Day 5- Andrássy University and DB Schenker2.6 Day 6- A tour through the city

3. Poland3.1 Day 7- Trip to Poland3.2 Day 8- A tour through the city3.3 Day 9- University of Warsaw3.4 Day 10- Vocational school of gastronomy3.5 Day 11- The German Embassy3.6 Day 12- Trip to Germany

4. Summary5. Sources

1. About myCARE OHG

The company where I do my training, is myCARE OHG. It´s one of the largest

online pharmacies in Germany. MyCARE OHG is located in Lutherstadt

Wittenberg. It was founded in 2001 by Christian and Matthias Buse.

At myCARE we are about 150 employees.

Worldwide, we supply more than 1.000.000 customers. We offer more than

50,000 different medical products.

2. Hungary

Hungary is a country in Central Europe. The neighboring countries are Austria, Slovakia, Ukraine,

Romania, Serbia, Croatia, and Slovenia. Hungary's capital is Budapest, there live about 1,7 million

people. The national language is Hungarian.

Hungary has an area of 93.000 km² and a population of 9,9 m people. In Hungary you pay with

the Forint. The rate of exchange is 312 HUF per 1,00 €.

Hungary is independent since October 31st 1981 and a part of the EU since 2004.

The most important industrial centers are the area of Budapest and the border region to

Budapest. The largest turnover is made in

- metallurgy

- food

- textiles

- chemicals

- motor vehicles and

- information technology

The main trading partners are Germany (26%), Austria (8%) and equally Italy and Russia (6%

each).

2.1 Day 1- Trip to Hungary

We met on Monday at half past nine in the

morning at the main station in Halle/Saale.

At first we took the tram to the main station

in Leipzig. After a short stop we went on by

ICE to Berlin. We continued by tram to

Berlin/Schönefeld Airport. The plane took

off towards Budapest at half past two in the

afternoon. After we had arrived around 4

o´clock at the Liszt Ferenc Airport in

Budapest, we went by public transport to

the hotel.

While we were in Budapest, we stayed at

the Star Inn Hotel in the center of Budapest.

2.2 Day 2- Workshop and Parliament

The 2nd day started with a workshop. We got some facts about Hungary and its

industry and commerce.

Then we visited the Parliament in Budapest:

It houses the Hungarian government. The

building is located directly on the River

Danube and it´s 268 meters long. The

architect is the Hungarian Imre Steindl, it was

built in neo-Gothic style. It was built for 19

years (1885-1904).

In the amazing Dome Hall (27m height), the

Crown of St. Stephen is kept with the imperial

insignia. Why the cross on the Crown of St.

Stephen is wrong, is not clear. One reason

could be, that the Crown was damaged during

the transport to Vienna in the 14th century.

To the north and south of the Dome Hall are

the meeting rooms and premises for

representational purposes and about 700 more

rooms. At the entrance of the Parliament, a

model of the building is issued, it is

made completely out of matchsticks.

2.3 Day 3- Mavir and Sirha

The first appointment of the day led us to the Budapest municipal utilities Mavir. The company supplies about 500 million people with electricity. Approximately 1/3 of the required energy is generated in Pécs.

The company Mavir, as it is now, exists since the year 2000. Previously it was part of a group of diverse energy suppliers. Mavir employs approximately 600 employees.

The aim is to supply everything and everyone, anytime with energy.

The electricity is gained from nuclear energy (37%), oil (12%),renewable energy (6%) and about 20% of the required energy is imported. The Hungarian reactors are, according to Mavir, the safest reactors in the world. These will initially work until 2035.

After our appointment at the municipal

utilities we visited a fair for gastronomy:

Sirha.

There we could see many exhibitors from

Hungary and all over Europe. There was

demonstrated a variety of food and types

of food preparation. And there were

information about the current trends of

the table decorations. One of the

renowned exhibitors was the company

Metro.

2.4 Day 4- AHK and vocational school

In the morning we were on our way to the AHK-German-Hungarian Chamber of

Commerce and Industry.

The main task of the Chamber is to provide German companies business contacts

in Hungary. In addition to the AHK you can also contact the German Embassy.

AHK is a private company, an association, with a public mission. They are

represented with 120 locations in 85 countries and employ 1,600 people. The

Chamber has more than 40,000 member companies worldwide.

It helps its members in finding matching business partners, advises on legal

issues, researches the market, provides first contacts, combines the interests of

their members and provides the companies service.

The services, which are offered, are available for anyone. A membership in the

AHK is not mandatory.

In the target countries of German foreign investments Hungary occupied the 19th

place. In the target countries for investments in the automotive industry Hungary

has even the 4th Place. About each 3rd engine by Volkswagen is manufactured in

Hungary.

In the afternoon we visited a vocational and middle school of Economics.

Many of the students spoke German because this is offered here as a first foreign language.

Here we held a presentation about the dual system in German and English.

After that we were invited

by the students Ivett and

Lilla to visit the Margaret

Island.

2.5 Day 5-

Andrássy University and DB Schenker

The university was founded in 2001 by the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The aim is to develop and to promote good relations with Hungary. Other German-speaking universities are in Kazakhstan and Turkey. The university was named after the Hungarian Gyula Andrássy. He was a leading politician in the Austrian-Hungarian dual monarchy.

At the Andrássy University, there are about 200 students of 25 different nationalities. No more than 30 students will be admitted per course. Compared to Germany: per course, there are approximately 200 students.

The following courses are offered (among other things):

European and International Management International Relations International Economy and Business LL.M. (Master's degree for lawyers) Central European History

There is a college tuition of about 900 € which is taken over by fellowships for

95% of the students.

The premises of the university include two libraries (one international and one

Austrian library) and a banquet hall with an impressive chandelier.

Then we had an appointment at DB Schenker. This is a bit outside of Budapest.

DB Schenker is part of the DB Group. This is divided into the passenger transport, rail projects and transport/logistics (DB Schenker).

The forwarding company Schenker & Co. was founded in 1872 by Gottfried Schenker in Vienna. The first store opened in 1874 in Budapest. In 2002 the Deutsche Bahn bought the company.

The DB Group employs 90,000 people in 130 countries.

The branch of DB Schenker in Budapest has approximately 200 employees. They offer services in the areas of transport, sea freight and air freight.

The storage area is approximately 23,300 m² and is divided into:

- 5,000 m² crossdock camps: the goods here are stored for max. 24 h- 17,000 m² contract logistics:such goods can be stored for a longer time - 1,300 m² dangerous goods

2.6 Day 6- A tour through the city

On the last day in Budapest a city rallye was scheduled. This means we were

divided into groups and should explore the city in a given time on different

routes.

My group had received this route:

-> Magaret Island

-> Matthias Church

-> Citadel/freedom monument

-> Market Halls

-> Heroes' Square

This Saturday due to the Hungarian National Day went no transport and the

whole city was up. After 3 hours we reached the Magaret Island, the Matthias

Church and the Citadel and went back to the hotel.

Matthias Church Citadel/freedom monument

great view of Budapest

3. PolandPoland is a country in central Europe. The capital is Warsaw. The neighboring countries include Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania and Russia.

Poland has an area of 312.000 km² and a population of 35,5m people. In Poland you pay in Zloty. The rate of exchange is 4,17 PLN per 1,00 €.

Poland is independent since November 11th 1918 and a part of the EU since 2004.

The largest turnover is made in- chemicals - food - logistics - furniture- textiles - metallurgy and - energy

In addition, the mining industry plays a major role in Poland. Poland is to Russia the leading mining state of copper and silver.

The main trading partners are Germany (28,2%), Russia (12,4%) and the Netherlands (5,8%).

3.1 Day 7- Trip to Poland

On Sunday we traveled by plane to

Warsaw at eleven o´clock in the morning.

We arrived at the Chopin airport at half

past twelve. From there we went by

public transport to our hotel in the

center- the Novotel Warsaw

3.2 Day 8- A tour through the city

On Monday we had to organize a city

tour on our own.

At first we visited the Palace of

Culture and Science.

It was a gift from the Russians and was

built from 1952 to 1955. The tower is

237 meters high and has 42 floors. The

polish call him “Stalin cake” oder

“Stalin's revenge”.

Next, we took a look at a Jewish Synagogue.

It was built in 1902. In 1941 the synagogue

was used as a warehouse. From 1977 to 1983,

the building was restored.

Next we went to Warsaw's old town. The

historic center of Warsaw was completely

destroyed in World War II in 1944. Then the

old town was rebuilt from 1949 to 1955 to the

original.

The old town includes the Market Square, St.

John's Cathedral, the St. Martin's Church and

the Jesuit Church, the Royal Castle and other

buildings.

Then we got some information about

the National Stadium. The football

stadium was built for the UEFA Euro

2012. The construction took about

three years from 2009 to 20012. It has

57 747 seats.

Afterwards we visited the Chopin

monument. The bronze statue of

Frédéric Chopin in the Łazienki Park

shows the composer with a pasture

flexed by the wind. The unveiling was

on November 27th 1926.

Next to the monument is the

Belvedere Palace. The palace was built

in 1660. The building is used as the

President's residence and museum.

3.3 Day 9- University of WarsawWhile we visited the university, we received a glimpse of the organization, tasks and goals of the university.

The objectives include:- teaching and doing research- access to knowledge

The organisation EEN Enterprise Europe Network was presented. This is an organisation of the European Commission to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The aim of the European network is to assist cooperation, technology transfer and strategic partnerships.

The EEN supports more than 600 companies in 40 countries. Since 2005, about 9,000 partnerships were closed.

In the last 4 years, 44 patents have been filed. The leading faculties include chemistry, biology and physics.

3.4 Day 10-

Vocational school of gastronomy

On Wednesday we were invited by a vocational school of gastronomy. Chefs,

restaurant professionals, baristas and nutritionists are trained there.

At the beginning we got some information about the Polish school system:

- the primary education lasts six years

- visiting the grammar school takes about 3 years, after this compulsory

education ends

- then you can choose between High school and vocational training (each lasts 2

or 3 years)

Afterwards we shopped at the weekly market and cooked together with the

students. The Polish chefs served lots of delicious foods: Pierogi, Pyzy, Uszka and

boiled apples with vanilla sauce.

3.5 Day 11- German Embassy

On the last day of our trip we visited the German Embassy in Warsaw. The

appointment was very interesting, we received a lot of information about

the work of an embassy.

There welcomed us Mr. Reindl, the head of the department for culture, and

Mr. Rehn, employee of the economic department.

An embassy is a diplomatic representation of a country in another state.

The tasks of an embassy include representing the home state, giving report

to the government of the host country and the intergovernmental

relations.

Also inclusive are consular functions, such as issuing visas or passports.

Worldwide there are about 12,000 employees, of whom 2,500 work at the

Foreign Office in Berlin. The remaining 9.000-10.000 employees are employed

abroad. Of these, approximately 50% are diplomats. The diplomats are supported

in each country by local staff. They are permanently employed at the Embassy.

3.6 Day 12- Trip to Germany

On Friday we traveled back to Germany at 5:55 by the Berlin-Warsaw Express.

After a short stop in Berlin, we went on by an Intercity to Lutherstadt Wittenberg.

4. Summary

I want to thank my apprenticing company, which has enabled me to take part in

this trip.

Also, many thanks to the isw GmbH and our coach Ina Fiedler for the

organization, planning and implementation of the internship.

It was a lot of fun to perform intercultural communication and to speak much

English. It was great to meet so many interesting people and to have the

opportunity to look into the different companies.

I´m sure, I will often think about the wonderful time in Hungary and Poland.

Thank you!

5. Sources isw- Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Beratung und Dienstleistung mbH

municipal utility Mavir

exhibition Sirha

AHK Budapest

Andrássy University

DB Schenker

University Warsaw

vocational school of gastronomy

German Embassy Warsaw

pictures:

www.auswandern-arbeiten.de

www.autobild.de

www.home.fotocommunity.de

www.warschau.info

ISW- Gesellschaft für wissenschaftliche Beratung und Dienstleistungen mbH

own photos

Thank you for your attention!