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MUDEC Méinden Summer 2020 #3
MUDEC Méinden Summer 2020 #3
Miami UniversityJohn E. Dolibois European Center logo
MUDEC Méinden-Weekly news from the MUDEC community for the MUDEC community-#lifelongMUDEC

Summer 2020 #3

 June 8, 2020

The Wheels on the School Bus Go Round and Round

Buses
"School buses" parked behind the Château
A couple weeks back you read about how MUDEC is helping out the École Internationale in Differdange by providing space on the grounds of the Château for buses which have been reconfigured as school classrooms. This initiative hit the press in Luxembourg last week and you can read more about it in the Delano article The Wheels on The School Go Round and Round.
-Study:
  • Jake Sikma's Luxembourg Digital Innovation Experience
    -Engage:
    • ArcelorMittal-MUDEC Internship Partner
    • Beyond the Château Walls (at ArcelorMittal)-Claire Berry
    -Travel:
    • MUDEC Alumna Christina Fote's Travel "Atlas"
    Study

    Jake Sikma-Luxembourg Digital Innovation


    As you have probably noticed from reading the newsletter in recent weeks, the first Luxembourg Digital Innovation internship program may have been short in duration due to COVID-19, but it has left a lasting impact on the participants.
    Jake Sikma interned at Techcyte, a tech company that creates AI-powered diagnostic tests to assist laboratories and clinics. Read more about his experience on his LinkedIn post.
    Engage
    Thierry Laux

    ArcelorMittal-MUDEC Internship Partner

    Readers of the MUDEC Méinden know that MUDEC students are strongly encouraged to go “Beyond the Château Walls” and to pursue experiences outside of MUDEC during the semester. The two main pillars for those experiences are Service Learning and Internships, neither of which would be possible without the support of an extensive series of partner organizations in Luxembourg. ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steel & mining company, is one of them.
    Thierry Laux, CMO Sheet Piling at ArcelorMittal and graduate of the MBA program at Miami University, tells us more about the business and the internships below.
    ArcelorMittal is the world’s largest steel & mining company. Tell us a bit about the part of the company where MUDEC interns have been working.
    ArcelorMittal Sheet Piling is the commercial department in charge of marketing and selling the steel sheet piles produced in ArcelorMittal’s steel mills in Luxembourg, Poland and France. ArcelorMittal sheet piles are used worldwide for the construction of essential infrastructure like ports, river waterways, flood protection barriers, bridges for roads and railways, underground car parks and containment structures protecting the environment
    Based in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, our Sales and Marketing team has a really international profile, with people from more than 10 nationalities serving customers all around the world. The technical marketing department develops a wide range of tools, from marketing brochures and online content to technical reference guides that help civil engineers design and optimize the future infrastructures. The contribution of these teams is visible all round us. This is something very motivating for young people interested in joining a fast-moving company such as ArcelorMittal.

    How did you decide to take interns from MUDEC?
    We had contact with MUDEC a few years ago, but the student profiles that we look for are often in civil engineering - geotechnical preferred and supply chain, which we know are not the usual majors that MUDEC students have. Also, there is sometimes a language requirement for French and German. It worked out once we found students with the right profile.

    How did the interns help your business and what would you say to other companies that might be interested in the program
    We host international interns regularly, and we have now had the pleasure to have student interns from MUDEC for two semesters in a row.
    Their main contribution has been the review of our marketing documentation. Thanks to their engineering background, they quickly understood the topics and requirements and they were extremely helpful in improving our messages to our customers. With their curiosity and genuine questions, they brought an invaluable fresh eye to our work, supporting our marketing efforts. This is one of ArcelorMittal's strengths: we make sure that our teams are made up of talented people from different backgrounds. This gives us an opportunity to learn from each other.
    steel sheet piles used in the construction of the new ‘De Entree’ underwater bicycle shed for 7,000 bicycles, in front of Amsterdam’s central train station
    Steel sheet piles used in the construction of the new ‘De Entree’ underwater bicycle shed for 7,000 bicycles in front of Amsterdam’s central train station-photo © Arcelor Mittal
     Manalapan seawall protection in Palm Beach
    Manalapan seawall protection in Palm Beach-photo © Smith Aerial photos
    Claire Berry presenting her internship experience-December 2019
    Claire Berry presenting her internship experience-December 2019

    Claire Berry-Beyond the Château Walls

    Opening Doors to ArcelorMittal

    Note from the Editor: Knowing the requirements from ArcelorMittal, I was not very confident of finding students with the right profile. At the beginning of the 2019 Fall semester, Claire Berry walked into my office and said that she was interested in pursuing an internship. When she said that she was an engineering major, I did a double-take. I couldn't believe it as I remembered that this was one of the profiles that ArcelorMittal had mentioned. Read below as to how Claire made it happen.
    During the fall of 2019, I had the amazing opportunity to live and study in Luxembourg for the semester. During this time I spent the weekends traveling with my best friends, and by the end of the semester, I had traveled to over 14 countries. I had never been to Europe before, so traveling was an incredible experience for me as I had learned so much about different cultures and languages. Living in Luxembourg was also incredible because the average citizen speaks 4 languages, and this mix of so many cultures was an extremely enriching experience. 

    Being a mechanical engineering major, I have not had much time outside of my studies to enjoy myself, so this semester was a nice break from the rigorous schoolwork filled semesters I am accustomed to. Although I was not taking any engineering courses, I was working as a mechanical engineering intern at the headquarters of ArcelorMittal during the week. For those of you who are not familiar, ArcelorMittal is a steel company that began in Luxembourg and has now grown to be the largest steel producer in the world. I had an incredible experience with this company, as they trusted me to help design the 2020 sheet piling sales catalog. 

    While I was there I worked under Andrea Barcelo, Franck Pichoff, and Thierry Laux, and they were an incredible group of mentors that taught me many important aspects about the steel industry, as well as life in Europe. To gain familiarity with the steel industry, they had me read research articles about different patents and studies, as well as textbooks on sheet piling. Gaining this knowledge was extremely beneficial to help provide the necessary knowledge to improve the sales catalog. 
    Overall, I enjoyed ArcelorMittal because although I am a mechanical engineering major, I also have an interest in technical sales. This experience gave me an opportunity to gain knowledge in both; while one mentor, Franck Pichoff, has experience in marketing and was able to share his knowledge in this field, Andrea Barcelo, a female civil engineer, was also able to help guide me and share her experience in her field. While working under both of them, I was able to help create the 2020 sheet piling catalog, keeping in mind the technical information needed and the marketing aspects desired by the company. I am so thankful I had the opportunity to spend a semester traveling the world while gaining industry experience in my field. I am forever grateful for the many amazing people I have met and will cherish this experience forever. 
    Travel Section Banner
    Christina Fote sitting on a bench in front of orange flowers

    MUDEC 2019 Spring Student Christina Fote's Travel "Atlas"


    When I started at Miami University in the fall of 2017, I knew that studying abroad was part of the plan. What I didn’t know was how much it would change me personally, professionally and globally.

    I came to the Miami University Dolibois European Center spring semester of my sophomore year with the intention of having the best semester of my life through my weekend travels. Not only did I get that, but I was given opportunities to learn and grow that I had not experienced previously. I was urged by my family to seek out opportunities to become involved on the MUDEC campus, and that is how I became a member of the Student Faculty Council.

    The SFC gave me the freedom and privilege on campus to aide in enhancing the student experience and is where my environmental project came to life. I noticed on campus that food served for lunch would often go uneaten, and then thrown away. I knew I could do something about it and proposed to the SFC that I lead a project to reduce the waste. This became a semester-long endeavor where other students joined my cause to help. 

    Throughout the semester, my team tracked and recorded the amount of food wasted to raise awareness, and saw that people were making an effort to reduce the amount thrown away. Leftovers became a big part of lunch! This project would not have been successful without the support of the MUDEC staff, especially the kitchen staff. I’m proud to say that the food waste project is still being implemented today.

    Professionally, MUDEC gave me the opportunity to complete my first internship with City Savvy Luxembourg, a digital magazine for life in Luxembourg. The lessons I learned from my mentor and founder of CSL, Amanda Roberts, are ones that I have utilized in every professional setting since. I can safely say that I would not be where I am today in my professional development without this experience. 

    As my semester at MUDEC was coming to an end, I was saddened that I would not be able to make an impact or be involved on campus any longer. I was so passionate about my MUDEC experience and felt like I was finally growing personally and professionally. That is when I was asked by Dean Thierry Leterre to serve as the student representative on the MUDEC Advisory Board. I am proud to be a member of this board and be given the opportunity to continue the impact I have on the program. 

    The impact that MUDEC had on my global perspective was transformative. The minute I came home, I was itching to explore and travel new places. I had learned many lessons and tips from my four months abroad and knew they could help others like me. That is when I created my travel blog – www.christinasatlas.com
    This blog has been a huge passion project for me and has led me to further my interest in travel. My hope for this blog is to help others realize their passion for travel in an attempt to ‘create a life you’re inspired to live’. 

    On my blog, I provide travel guides, tips and lessons I have learned from my personal experiences. The aim is to provide all the necessary tools to be successful living or traveling abroad no matter your age or interests. 

    I now have the opportunity to share my experiences with future MUDEC students to show the unlimited possibilities that come from studying abroad and the Luxembourg Program. I will be sharing my travel tips and guides through the MUDEC Spoticle app, which provides guides specifically for students in Luxembourg.

    Once again, MUDEC is consistently providing me with opportunities to grow and become involved. I cannot express how grateful I am for this experience and the person it has shaped me into. My only regret- not staying longer!
    This Week's Schedule

    Monday-Friday: School's Out for Summer

    Friday: MUDEC Advisory Board Quarterly Call
    Château & Administrative Hours
    Aerial view of the Château de Differdange, where Miami's Luxembourg campus, the John E. Dolibois European Center, often abbreviated to MUDEC, is located



    Administrative Hours

    Monday-Friday: 8:00-13:00


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