With the SAIL project, HSZG students are experiencing the physical and mental limits on the high seas.
30 students from 12 different nations share a Polish sailing ship for two weeks. The annual SAIL project organized by the BUP (Baltic University Programme) proves that such an undertaking can be a success. Here, the English acronym - which stands for "Sustainability Applied in International Learning" - is the program, because on the sailing trip on the Polish brig STS Fryderyk Chopin, the participating students from a wide variety of countries not only learn about sailing itself, but also the basics of sustainability and environmental protection.
"With constantly changing routes and teaching content, a varied program is offered for students from all over Northern and Eastern Europe," says ecology and environmental protection student Jacob Fenner. He took part in the most recent sailing trip, which took him and his crew from Spain across the Atlantic and the English Channel to Plymouth in England.
On board is a minimal regular crew, supported by teachers and lecturers who have already been briefed in advance, as well as the students, many of whom are having an experience like this for the first time in their lives.
During the two-week stay on board, the students, who come from different disciplines, have to get along with each other in a very confined space and ensure the sailing operation in addition to the normal teaching program. This means covering the night watch as well as helping out in the kitchen and scrubbing the deck. "We were forced to get along with each other because there were simply no places to retreat to," reports Jacob Fenner.
The language of instruction and everyday life on board is English. The teaching content benefits from the different professional backgrounds of the students and instructors.
The course, meals and stay on board are free of charge for the students, who only have to pay for their own travel costs.
Jacob Fenner draws the following conclusion from his two-week "sailing trip with study content": "It's a borderline experience, both physically and mentally. Working on board a tall ship is by no means relaxing, but it is always worth the experience."
Registration for SAIL takes place via the relevant BUP representatives at the universities. For the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, registration takes place via the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences with Prof. Bernd Delakowitz and Dipl.-Ing. Markus Will.
You can find more information here.