Prof. Dr. Henning Wallentowitz(Dean of GSIVT Keimyung Univ.)
Univ.-Prof. RWTH Aachen University(1993-2009)
Q1. In Germany, is it easy to get a job right after graduating from a university?
We must distinguish between the faculties. The engineering graduate has normally no problem to find a job, preconditioned that he is able to move to another region in Germany. In the south of Germany, for instance
, there are more industrial companies which are interesting in hiring engineers. There is a lack of
engineers in Germany.
Humanists have a difficult situation. The public sector (including universities) is reducing the number of employee. Therefore those graduates have to find jobs in industry or in private associations like chamber of commerce, engineering societies or even in labour unions. Those people are facing complicated futures.
Social scientists experience a bit better situation, as there is a need in the society to take care for the jobless or lower class people. These graduates have a high responsibility in their activities, but the salary is not adequate. So, as a summary: It depends, what graduate will be considered.
Q2. Could you tell us any good things about the Library in RWTH Aachen University?
The Aachen University Library has, similar to Keimyung University, its own building and the reading rooms are open until midnight, even at weekends. The students and the academic staff can use several reading rooms, PC´s are available for literature search in the book stores of the own university and in others. In addition the newspaper literature and other sources can be analysed. Certainly, the internet is also available.
Books which are not on site, can be ordered by interlending. Most of the books can be lend by the students and by the staff to their desks. There is even a special University Mail Service available to deliver the ordered books to the desk of the “customers”. This service will also pick up the books after usage.
Q3. Could you tell us your impression of Dongsan Library?
My impression of Dongsan Library is that there are the same services like in RWTH Aachen University. As the Dongsan Library building is slightly larger, there seem to be more additional rooms available. I enjoyed once an exhibition of antique books and other material in this library. In addition I was impressed by the numerous busy students, working in the library.
The organisation seems to be very effective. But unfortunately I was not a real user. I have no own experience. According to my impression, the internet appearance is more comprehensive in Dongsan Library then in Aachen University Library. This helps the user to be organised in a shorter time.
Q4. Could you briefly compare the Library in RWTH Aachen University with Dongsan Library?
I think there are no decisive differences between Dongsan and Aachen Library. Both are service units for the students and the research staff.
Dongsan Library also focuses on exhibitions, to explain the past for a better understanding of the future.
Aachen Library is more focussing on intellectual property services. This becomes for instance apparent in the fact that there is a patent department available. So staff and students have a very good opportunity to analyse the intellectual property situation of the problems, they are just dealing with. This also fits into the intention of Aachen University to encourage staff and students to write their own patents and to declare them to the patent office.
Q5. Are there any things to tell KMU students?
I want to advise the students of KMU to use the library already for their study work. This is an unbelievable source of knowledge. You will find a lot of new ideas, even reading the “old books”. From my point of view, students of today are too much focused on the internet only. Here you will find the latest publications, but may be not the decisive ones.
For a problem or question of today you will definitely find a proposal or a discussion in publications which are 30 years old or even older. At that time the technology might have not been developed enough to solve the problem, but today it will be possible.
In the humanistic area too, you will find ideas and discussions in older books. It might be of high interest to learn these excursions and to put them into the actual world.
Therefore I think that a real library is a very essential tool for a university, the students and the staff as well. You even may not stop to use the library when you are no longer member of the university. It is mandatory to look for information and to check the own position with the state of the art in the society during all the life time.
Internet can help to fulfil this requirement, but those people who are using (and know how to use) a “conventional library” are in an advantage to those who forget the benefits of the library.
Please, take care for the library and the staff who make the library run. It is for your benefit too !
Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Henning Wallentowitz April 7th,2010
