Sailing trip with study content

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 their two-week stay on board, the students—who come from a variety of academic disciplines—must learn to get along with one another in very confined quarters and, in addition to the regular academic program, ensure the smooth operation of the sailboat. This involves taking night watch shifts as well as helping out in the kitchen and scrubbing the deck. “We were forced to get along with each other because there simply was nowhere else to go,” reports Jacob Fenner.

The language of instruction and daily communication on board is English. The course content benefits from the diverse academic backgrounds of the students and instructors.

The course, meals, and stay on board are free of charge for the students; they only have to cover their own travel costs to and from the ship.

Jacob Fenner sums up his two-week “sailing trip with academic content” as follows: “It’s a physically and mentally challenging experience. Working aboard a tall ship is by no means a vacation, but it’s always worth the experience.”

Registration for SAIL is handled through the respective BUP representatives at the universities. For the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, registration is handled through the Faculty of Natural and Environmental Sciences by Prof. Bernd Delakowitz and Dipl.-Ing. Markus Will.

You can find more information here.