Panel discussion featuring HFU President Dr. Alexandra Bormann, DHBW President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lars Meierling, Henriette Stanley, and Adina Florentina Badea (from left).
Furtwangen University hosts “Transcultural Campus” workshop
Furtwangen University (HFU) is a particularly international institution − about one in eight students earned their high school diploma abroad. A particularly large number of international students are enrolled at the Schwenningen campus, which is why it is also known as the HFU “International Campus.” But what do international students need to truly put down roots at a university and in their surroundings, to benefit from it as a “home”? A diverse group of participants explored this question at the “Transcultural Campus” workshop. In addition to members of the university’s administration, professors, staff, and, of course, international students took part; as well as guests from companies, institutions, churches and the neighboring Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (DHBW).
“A transcultural campus means that we want to establish a real-world laboratory here where we can explore how growing together might work for society as a whole,” announced HFU President Dr. Alexandra Bormann in her opening remarks. According to Bormann, shared development means recognising diversity and differences and embracing them. The goal of the new campus concept is not just to live well side by side with people from different cultural backgrounds, but to create something new together.
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Salat, Vice-President for Partnership and Society, and Prof. Dr. Julika Baumann Montecinos, together with the team from the “HFU Cares” project which specifically supports international students at HFU, organised a diverse programme to facilitate dialogue among the participants. At four themed tables, participants in rotating groups worked on developing shared ideas. While the “Student Services” focus group considered, among other things, a general “International Counter” − a central point of contact for all questions regarding academic life as well as daily life − the “Campus Design” group focused on physical learning and meeting spaces and, for example, potential signage for these areas. For “External Stakeholders,” it was determined that collaboration with the non-profit foundation “Wissenschaftsnachwuchs” holds great potential; ideas for better networking were also discussed.
And under the heading “Campus Life,” the idea of a shared (vegetable) garden and sports facilities that could contribute to community building came up. “Particularly interesting was the idea of specifically incorporating spaces beyond the campus − the transcultural campus is one that is highly networked with the outside world and reaches beyond itself,” summarised HFU Head of Administration Andreas Friedrich.
In general, the workshop participants thought far beyond the HFU − whether on the topic of involving host families from Schwenningen for international students, in brainstorming a student café, in festivals designed to be attractive to local residents as well, or in creating points of contact with local clubs and businesses.
The lively workshop format resulted in four large display boards filled with ideas. Against the backdrop of this impressive collection, HFU President Dr. Alexandra Bormann, DHBW President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lars Meierling, Henriette Stanley, Managing Director of the Schwarzwald-Baar-Heuberg Economic Development Agency, and student Adina Florentina Badea from Romania exchanged views in a panel discussion to conclude the event. It became clear that international students face major challenges even after graduation, for example due to language barriers and the current economic situation.
However, the group took a pragmatic approach and began formulating initial plans for cooperation based on the day’s findings; Meierling and Bormann intend to work together to implement projects that can be carried out quickly and easily − such as the proposed central contact point − for both universities in the near future. The first concrete steps are expected to be launched before the workshop resumes in July.
