On your marks, get set, go: starting signal for the 18th International Summer School

28 students from 14 nations as guests at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences

This year's International Summer School at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences kicked off with a handcart race. Almost 30 students from 14 countries came to the seaside city to spend two weeks critically reflecting on global economic, social and technological challenges and working on solutions in workshops and seminars. The International Summer School 2024 is dedicated to the late founders Atie and Wout Siddré.

The mood of Team 5 is exuberant. When the starting signal sounds, the general babble of voices in the event room at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences is briefly drowned out by the loud cheers as the students steer their colourfully decorated handcart through the cone course. When they reach the finish line, there is great jubilation: they have won the race.

The fact that the International Summer School starts with a small sporting event is a cherished tradition: the handcart kits from the furniture store have been helping the students to get to know each other better for many years. "When they build the carts together, they are forced to talk to each other. This breaks down language barriers immediately and the participants get to talk to each other," says organiser Prof. Dr Dr Gerhard Feldmeier, Dean of Faculty 2. That's why the overall winner is not only determined by who gets through the course the fastest, but also by which team communicates best and works together as a group.

"Changes, challenges and sensitivities in unpredictable times" - this is the title of the 18th Summer School. A varied programme of seminars, workshops and excursions awaits the participants until 17 August. Seven local student buddies will accompany them and will be on hand to answer any questions, especially those from abroad "For the students, the International Summer School is a great opportunity for intercultural exchange. Nowhere else do so many nations come together in this density to get to know each other and make friends," says Prof Feldmeier. In addition to students from 14 countries, including Japan, China, Thailand, Pakistan, India, Yemen and various European countries, lecturers from Indonesia, Colombia, Thailand, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France and Germany are also taking part.

The first Summer School took place in Rotterdam in 2002 and was moved to Bremerhaven the following year. After a break due to the pandemic, the tradition will now also end there - at least in the usual way. "It is the last summer school that will take place with this programme and these participants and also the last one that I will organise. But for the future, some of my colleagues at the university are already thinking about how the event can continue in a different format," says Prof Feldmeier. Since 2003, over 1000 students and lecturers from more than 20 countries have taken part in the intercultural event in the northern German seaside city. This year's International Summer School is dedicated to the late founders Atie and Wouter Siddré from Rotterdam, who came up with the idea for the event.

The Bremerhaven International Summer School is organised by the Institute of Economics and Management (IME) at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences and financially supported by the Verein zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Weiterbildung an der Hochschule Bremerhaven e.V. (Association for the Promotion of Academic Continuing Education at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences).

You can find a TV report from Sat.1 under this link (in German).