Building bridges: Hessen Wisconsin partnership brings UWRF and German university THM together

 

Building bridges: Hessen Wisconsin partnership brings UW-River Falls and German university THM together 

Faculty exchange is first step in broadening student and faculty experience 

River Falls, Wis. — A longstanding partnership between Wisconsin and the German state of Hessen will help provide rich academic and cultural experiences for students and faculty at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and Technische Hochschule Mittelhessen (THM), a university of applied sciences in the city of Giessen. 

Established in 1976, the Hessen Wisconsin partnership is the longest-running U.S.-German sister-state partnership. Originally an economic trade relationship, it was later expanded to include culture and education. The Hessen student exchange was inaugurated in 1998 to enhance international knowledge, cultural competencies and linguistic skills among the peoples of the two sister states. The program is administered by the Universities of Wisconsin and the University of Giessen. 

When UWRF Professor of Communication and Media Studies Grace Coggio learned there was funding available to explore collaboration with universities in Hessen, she knew she had to find out more.  

“I believe in international experiences for not only our students, but for our faculty,” Coggio said. “I think it helps us to grow and makes us better teachers in the long run. We live in a global world and here is something that's already in place that we can build on.” 

Coggio traveled to Giessen in spring 2025 to explore collaborations with various universities. One of the faculty she met with was Benjamin Gust, a professor of social media and digital communication who is also the international coordinator at THM. The two schools seemed like a good match. 

“Our universities work very similarly,” Gust said during a visit to UWRF this March. 

Gust and UWRF Associate Professor of Marketing Communications David Bonko each spent a week this spring visiting each other’s institutions, teaching and learning. 

“I think we have a really good partner here,” Bonko said after returning from his early May visit to Giessen. “It would be really exciting to have UWRF students interact with students from another country. To me, that is a key part of learning.” 

One idea Coggio and Gust want to develop is to create classes where UWRF and THM students work together on projects, meeting via Teams or Zoom. Gust, who has worked in global social media and digital public relations for companies like Birkenstock, said that would be a valuable experience for students.  

“I’ve had meetings with Australia, with the U.S., with Spain, with Mexico,” Gust said. “It’s a connected global world. Our students will have to work with people from other countries." 

Gust, who did a study abroad semester in the U.S. when he was an undergraduate student, said there are some significant differences in student life between the two countries. Very few German students live in residence halls and there are no student union organizations or college sports. They also typically begin their degrees when they are 19 or 20, a year or two older than U.S. students who start college right out of high school. But he said the coursework is similar.  

Bonko said he believes students in both countries would find they have a lot in common and would benefit from the collaboration. Students might also get more comfortable with the idea of traveling for a study abroad semester. 

“Student exchange programs are all about broadening horizons,” Bonko said. “Positive outcomes, both personal and academic, stem from open dialogue and discussion with international students.” 

While visiting THM, Bonko lectured on digital campaigns, AI and trends in the U.S. and walked through some case studies and current events in a branding class. He said the students were interested in trends like social marketing and had many questions about the United States and how classes work here. 

“The students were very engaged and their English skills are phenomenal,” said Bonko.  

During his visit to UWRF, Gust spoke to students about understanding and connecting with their target audience. He said he enjoyed his visit immensely. 

“I’ve only met very, very friendly people, very helpful people,” Gust said. “I’ve had a very good experience.” 

Coggio said the friendships and connections the two schools are building now will help the collaboration grow and the international experience will be valuable for both students and faculty.  

“People learn the culture, but they also learn so much about themselves,” Coggio said. “We’re building the relationship, opening the opportunities to our students, getting them thinking about the possibilities. They'll be more adaptive, more flexible, they’ll build resiliency—a lot of qualities that workplaces are looking for.”  

Photo 1: UW-River Falls Assistant Professor of Marketing Communications David Bonko and Benjamin Gust, a professor of social media and digital communication at THM, a university of applied sciences in Giessen, Germany, pose for a photo at THM in May. Bonko and Gust visited each other’s respective universities and gave guest lectures as the two schools explore further cooperation through the Hessen Wisconsin Partnership, an exchange designed to enhance international knowledge, cultural competencies and linguistic skills among the peoples of the two sister states. Contributed photo. 

Photo 2: Benjamin Gust, a professor of social media and digital communication at THM, a university of applied sciences in Giessen, Germany, poses for a photo with UW-River Falls Professor of Communication and Media Studies Grace Coggio during a visit to UWRF in March. Coggio and Gust are exploring opportunities for collaborations that would give students of both schools valuable international experience. Contributed photo.