Intercultural Student Exchange between Potsdam and Warwick

The first intercultural and linguistic exchange program between students at the University of Warwick (Central England) and the University of Potsdam was successfully carried out in the winter semester 2015/2016 by Jörg Seifert (University of Warwick, School of Modern Languages and Cultures) and Christian Jennerich ("Successful Start in University Studies for International Students,” Zessko). This project was repeated yearly since.
The Potsdam seminar "Living and Studying in Germany/Abroad – Acquiring Intercultural Competence” focused on selected aspects of intercultural learning and action. For the students at the University of Warwick, learning German was a central objective. Working in culturally mixed pairs (including German, English and international students), the participants first made videos in which they introduced themselves. Then they examined intercultural topics in German and English such as stereotypes, the refugee situation in Germany and Brexit. The research results were uploaded to the community website and were discussed on the website itself and in the courses in Warwick and Potsdam.
The feedback from the tandem partners Elena and Gina illustrates how students from both Warwick and Potsdam viewed the project.