Student exchange Hlukhiv - Görlitz

From May 17 to May 27, 2016, two students and a faculty member from the University of Hlukhiv in eastern Ukraine visited our University.

Our project group “Students For Exchange,” consisting of three students majoring in Special Needs Education/Inclusion Studies, organized and accompanied their stay in Germany as part of a study project. Our project was funded by the DAAD’s Eastern Partnership Program.

In addition to participating in various classes / courses, they visited practical training facilities in Görlitz and the surrounding area. For example, we observed sessions at the day care center run by Initiative Görlitz e.V., the Schkola in Ostritz, and a residential group operated by Caritas in Görlitz. One afternoon, as part of an exchange forum, the Ukrainian students gave a presentation on their country’s social care systems and subsequently engaged in a discussion with students about the topic.

In addition to an excursion with interested participants to the Landeskrone and a guided tour of the Görlitz City Hall tower, we also visited Dresden for two days. Sightseeing, an evening program in Neustadt, and a wheelchair training session at InDD e.V. complemented the observation visits to “Plan B” of the Psychosocial Support Association of Saxony and the GESOP residential facility for people with mental illnesses.

Throughout the entire visit, two Ukrainian students from our University volunteered to provide interpretation services. Thanks to their dedication and the willingness of Görlitz students to host the Ukrainian students in their private homes, we were able to create a truly memorable exchange for everyone. A heartfelt thank you to everyone involved! We are currently preparing for the student “return visit” to Hlukhiv, which will take place at the end of September 2016.

“Students for Exchange” Project Group:

Kathleen Henze, Alexandra Janßen, Mandy Schlage

Email: students-for-exchange(at)hszg.de