Intercultural Workshop

|   Aktuelles, Veranstaltungen

On the 7th of June, the "Intercultural Workshop" took place for the KAAD scholarship holders who had just arrived in Germany. For the first time, the workshop was held at the Katharinenkloster monastery in Angermund, where the KAAD scholarship holders also live during their language course.

Under the direction of Miriam Roßmerkel and Santra Sontowski from the KAAD office, the ten scholarship holders, who come from four different regions of the world, met to prepare for life in Germany with theoretical input and practical exercises. The new arrivals were prepared for this new phase of their lives using various methods on the topics of culture, cultural influences, stereotypes and prejudices. The aim of the workshop was, on the one hand, to make the sponsorship recipients aware of their own cultural background and learn to reflect on the resulting personal perspective. They were also given practical tips and information on coping with everyday life and studying in Germany.

The morning began with various warm-up and familiarisation exercises, which deepened the already good group atmosphere and formed the introduction to an intensive exchange about the concept of culture in general, the respective own culture and sensitisation to cultural perceptions and differences. The development of stereotypes and prejudices has been discussed, as well as the theory and handling of the topic of "culture shock", which was based on various cultural studies models and definitions as well as the personal experiences of the participants. The topics were also illustrated in the video of Chimamando Ngozi Adichie's speech ("The danger of a single story").

In the afternoon, the second part of the workshop provided the scholarship holders with valuable information and "survival tips" for everyday life and studying. Everyday things such as public transport, helpful apps and cheap shopping options were covered, as well as more specialised things such as necessary visits to the authorities, the German health and insurance system and the often difficult search for accommodation. The day was livened up with practical exercises and movement games as well as a shared lunch, which was prepared by the Benedictine nuns. A reflection in the form of a "letter to oneself" at the end of the workshop helped the day to take effect once again. At the end, the participants looked back on the day with satisfaction and enrichment, despite the density and intensity of the workshop.