Our Programs
STEM & Enterprise LAUNCH
Connecting American students and faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with Germany’s industry, business, research & academic institutions
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Our Programs
Connecting American students and faculty from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with Germany’s industry, business, research & academic institutions
Quick Links
In 2025, the STEM & Enterprise LAUNCH program spans up to 14 days and includes visits to Berlin and the city of Rostock. Both cities boast a variety of research and career opportunities while allowing for a complementary experience in Germany’s capital and one of its dynamic regional centers. During the study tour, participants visit leading research institutions, start-ups, SMEs, corporations, and universities. Additionally, they interact with decision makers at the federal, state, and municipal levels to gain exclusive insights into how German politics and society are shaped. Cultural immersion experiences round off the program and allow for insights into everyday life in Germany.
The program also aims to strengthen the existing sister city relationships between Rostock and Raleigh, NC as well as Berlin and Los Angeles, CA. As such, students and faculty at HBCUs in both Raleigh, NC and Los Angeles, CA are especially encouraged to apply to the program and strengthen ties between their respective sister cities.
The fee to participate in the STEM LAUNCH program is $2,500 and is to be paid to Cultural Vistas before February 28, 2025.
The program covers flights from and to the U.S., accommodations in Germany, all transportation within Germany, meetings with STEM, business, and political contacts in Germany, cultural immersion and historical excursions, and meals during the program. The majority of program costs are covered by a generous grant by the Transatlantic Program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs & Climate Action.
Cultural Vistas developed an earlier version of the STEM LAUNCH program, which has been administered since 2013. Between 2013 and 2023, the program was partially funded by The Halle Foundation.
Applications for the 2025 STEM & Enterprise LAUNCH program will be accepted from HBCU students and faculty in STEM and business fields beginning in September 2024. The selection of the final participants will be concluded in December 2024. Travel dates for the STEM & Enterprise LAUNCH program are in May 2025.
The program itinerary will be tailored according to the professional interests of the final group of participants selected.
Please submit your application via our application portal no later than December 1st, 2024.
Alumni Profile
“Cultural Vistas has been a tremendous asset to both my academic and professional lives. I became aware of the organization and its programs through STEM LAUNCH in 2015, where my eyes were opened to the possibilities of studying in Germany; a lifelong dream given my passion for space. My two weeks in Germany eventually turned into a year as a CBYX Fellow, allowing me to begin my graduate studies in aerospace engineering and intern as a subcontractor for Airbus. The doors opened by these programs were fundamental to my continued progression as an engineer and eventually, founder of my own space company Paterson Aerospace Systems, Corp.”