This week, 22 young people started their Voluntary Academic Year at the university - more than ever before. The volunteers are working on both campuses of the university as well as in the university clinics.
They are between 17 and 24 years old, hungry for science and want to volunteer: 22 people have been completing a Voluntary Scientific Year (FWJ) at the University of Oldenburg since this week. This is the eleventh time the university has taken on FWJ volunteers. The 22 volunteers represent a new record in terms of the number of participants.
Marina Bartels from Division 3: Student and Academic Affairs is the contact person for the volunteers. The programme coordinator advises the volunteers: "Nervousness at the beginning is completely normal. Stay curious and open-minded - you don't have to understand everything at the beginning, but you are allowed to ask questions." Be courageous, look left and right from time to time, talk to other volunteers and, of course, the people at the university: Those who take these tips to heart will take a lot from their FWJ at the university for their future academic appointments and life.
The FWJ is a Federal Volunteer Service and serves to provide personal education, further development and (academic) orientation. In accompanying seminars, which last a total of 25 days, the volunteers reflect on their experiences during the FWJ. The seminar topics include "Welcome to academia", "Time and self-management" and "Intercultural training", as well as days on study and career orientation.
At the University of Oldenburg, the volunteers are deployed in the following organisational units: Department of Economics and Law, Institute of Chemistry and Marine Biology, Institute of Biology and Environmental Sciences, Department of Health Services Research, Department of Psychology and Department for Human Medicine as well as at the BIS - Library and Information System and the GIZ - Start-up and Information Centre.
