Folkwang

Intercultural Mentoring at the Folkwang University of the Arts

The "Intercultural Mentoring” model concept was financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as part of the PROFIN support programme for an initial period of two years (05.2010 - 03.2012), and was aimed at preparing international students for the new chapter of their lives in Germany and at the Folkwang University of the Arts, by providing functional, language and socio-cultural assistance. The application to extend the project up to September 2013 has been approved by the DAAD. The PROFIN financed project "Intercultural Mentoring" is finished by now - for those who are curious here is some information about the project:

Folkwang Mentoring

For the previous online mentoring as part of the DAAD supported project "Intercultural Mentoring", students from higher semesters and from all faculties were qualified within the framework of a blended-learning course in the electives area as e-junior mentors.  These students then provided the new international students with online support before their starting the study courses, and accompanied them in the introductory study phase. Fortunately, a committed supporter in the form of the Civic Foundation for the Promotion of the Folkwang University of the Arts has been found for the continuation of the project - even before the extension was approved by the DAAD. This financial support now enables this central module of the supported model concept to be extended to all new students at the Folkwang University of the Arts and the focus to be placed on matters concerning everyday student life. Qualifying students from higher semesters will provide support for new students before they take up their study course. For this purpose, students from higher semesters will again develop an advisory platform in a cross-semester course welcome@folkwang, in order to subsequently provide all new students with online first information on the study course as well as life at Folkwang. They will also be available for questions relating to the faculty as well as supporting the formation of the first networks. Following the online phase, they will then support the new students in the introductory study phase. Starting in the 2012 summer semester, the Institute for Lifelong Learning will be in charge of the Folkwang mentoring.

Intercultural Event Programme

In order to enable and facilitate the foreign students' contact with German students as well as with fellow students in higher semesters, the International Office offered intercultural events as part of the "Intercultural Mentoring" project financed and supported by the DAAD. The offers were deliberately extremely versatile in nature, in order to address as many students as possible and provide them with a platform for exchange as well as networking. An overview of the events we offered can be found here: "Events & Offers".

Language tandem

The broad-based language service at the Folkwang University of the Arts is supplemented by the language tandem. The idea here is to create an informal format, which offers students the possibility to learn a language together with a language tandem partner outside the university and seminar structures. Anybody interested in the language and culture of other countries is warmly invited to join in. All students – whether German or foreign – at the Folkwang University of the Arts and, of course, interested students at other universities may register for a language tandem. Registration is possible at any time. For the purpose of placing a suitable tandem partner with as many persons interested in language tandems as possible, a close collaboration has been agreed with the University of Duisburg-Essen, which also offers language tandem services.

Language tandem
Please send your registration by email to: sprachtandem(at)folkwang-uni.de

"Intercultural Monitoring" programme awarded the Hochschulperle (University Pearl)!

The Donor Association for the Promotion of German Sciences awarded the Intercultural Mentoring Programme of the Folkwang University of the Arts with the University Pearl for the month of February 2012. When awarding the University Pearl, the Donor Association's jury drew attention to the numerous benefits of this innovative approach for all those involved: Student mentors make the first didactical experiences in the field of e-learning; in the same manner as their mentees, they learn to train their intercultural and social expertise; the university presents itself as a cosmopolitan institution; integration and orientation problems have for all intents and purposes become a thing of the past.