Seeing the world from home
From 19 to 23 April, the International Week will give participants the opportunity to travel the world from home and to familiarise themselves with intercultural and international activities at HAW Hamburg. Students, instructors and staff can learn more about mobility programmes, take part in intercultural training sessions or country workshops, become familiar with cross-country research projects or let students from various countries stoke their enthusiasm for other cultures – all live via computer.
Based on the motto 'Explore – Exchange – Experience', more than 30 online events will be held over the week, all free of charge. The Konfuzius-Institut, the Institut français and the Instituto Cervantes are among the organisations that will present their work. Students do not necessarily need to travel abroad to become internationally oriented: the HAW Hamburg International Office and student initiatives such as Bunte Hände (Colourful Hands) offer the chance to become active here in Hamburg and interact with students from different countries. From a town-hall meeting with the US consul general in Hamburg to international sports courses, a wide range of events are on offer – even introductory courses in calligraphy and Chinese are part of the International Week programme.
A lot to explore, despite corona
Martina Schulze, head of the HAW Hamburg International office, says: 'We're a university with international students from more than 100 countries, almost 200 partner universities in Europe and overseas, many internationally experienced and engaged instructors and researchers, and diverse scholarship and exchange opportunities. We want to show people ways to discover the world, online from Hamburg and hopefully also via bus, train, ferry or plane again soon!'
Despite the corona pandemic, HAW Hamburg's international orientation is evident: 2,053 international students were enrolled at the university in winter semester 2020/21, including visiting students attending the university for one or two semesters as well as those completing their entire degree at HAW Hamburg. With 31 courses in eight languages, there is again a broad and well-attended offering of language courses – if only online at the moment. And in summer semester 2021 over 40 HAW Hamburg students have travelled abroad despite the pandemic, or had already started their stay. They also contribute to keeping the international relationships with the partner universities alive – so that these can thrive fully again as soon as possible!
The complete International Week programme will be available soon at: www.haw-hamburg.de/internationale-woche
Text: Laura Thiessen
