UALR German Club

Düsseldorf, Berlin, St. Paul... Looks like he has been hitting all the same places we have/I will... Cannot wait to see all the German in MN!!

Gov. Mark Dayton, traveling with state and business officials on a trade mission in Europe, announced plans to open a new Minnesota Trade office in Germany.
The office will be in the Dusseldorf, Germany. Dayton said he plans to open two more offices around the world as part of a global competitiveness initiative aimed at drumming up markets for state products and investments in Minnesota.
This is a switch for the governor, who previously argued against such expenditures.
By teleconference from Berlin, Dayton his previous his experience with satellite offices "has not been terrific."
Sieben said 16 states have more than five trade offices around the world, and Pennsylvania has 20. "It is a way Minnesota can compete in the global marketplace," she said.
She and Dayton said the state will search for the right leader of the Germany office. The Dusseldorf area in western Germany, near Cologne and Bonn, was selected because of its business similarities to Minnesota, they said.
"We share similar industries -- a focus on medical technology, food processing and renewable energy,".
Dayton said many Minnesota-based firms have operations in the Dusseldorf area, and having its office in Dusseldorf, instead of Berlin, "sets Minnesota apart" from other states.
Dayton said the idea of foreign connections has changed since he served as economic development commissioner to Gov. Rudy Perpich in the 1980s.
"Obviously, the world has changed significantly, with globalization of the world economy," Dayton said.
Dayton's trade mission, including university and business leaders, has visited Stockholm, Sweden; Oslo, Norway; Dusseldorf, and now Berlin. They will return to Minnesota on Friday.
Dayton arrived in Berlin the same day as President Obama, which he said added to his travel time and ensured that his mission has been "below the radar screen." He said he will meet Thursday with a German company that is considering expanding in Minnesota.
"I'll definitely be encouraging that company's choice of the city," Dayton said, without identifying the company or the Minnesota city being considered.

Angela Merkel Takes No. 1 Spot in Forbes Most Powerful Women List For 7th Year Forbes has just released their 10th Annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women, and for the third year in a row, German chancellor Angela Merkel has taken the number one spot. In fact, in the 10 years that Forbes has put together this list, Merkel has appeared in the Top 100 eight times,…

Not sure if eating Leberwurstschokolade makes you German...

How to be German in 20 easy steps – part 1 Adam Fletcher shares his insights into the top tips to becoming a real citizen of Schland. Just remember to obey the red man and get some qualifications...