The first step has been a success: 27 graduates of the University of Oldenburg’s orientation year for refugees received their certificates of participation in the orientation year’s programme during a ceremony.
Twenty-two of them have passed the German language examination for university admission (DSH examination) and can now commence a university degree in Germany. The remaining five are pursuing other paths to vocational qualification. The 27 graduates are the first participants to have successfully completed the Orientation Year, which was launched in spring 2016.
“I am delighted to be able to present you with your certificates today and I am also a little proud,” said Prof. Dr Sabine Kyora, Vice-President for Student Affairs, Teaching and Gender Equality, during the ceremony. In 2016, the university faced the major challenge of designing a new programme for refugees wishing to pursue higher education in Germany. This has clearly been a success.
Each graduate receives a certificate detailing the courses they attended during the orientation year. These were primarily language courses designed to prepare participants for the DSH examination. Prospective international students need to pass this examination in order to enrol on a degree programme in Germany. In addition to the language courses, the orientation year includes courses on academic work and preparation for studying in Germany, as well as additional activities such as a writing workshop. The majority of graduates come from Syria, though some are also from Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Sudan.
In the coming winter semester, 31 new participants will begin the orientation year. The nine women and 22 men are mainly from Syria. Some have also come to Oldenburg from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.
