The university held a ceremony today to welcome 30 refugees who have enrolled for an orientation year in the winter semester. They are the second group to take advantage of this programme. Over the course of up to three semesters, the university prepares them to take up specialised studies at a German university.
A clear focus of the orientation year is on language acquisition. The course participants spend a large part of their time on intensive language training, which concludes with the DSH, the German language examination for university entrance. From the first semester onwards, they also learn the basics of academic work in specially designed courses offered in German, English and Arabic.
In addition to this, they can take part in guest student programmes and thus gain subject-specific orientation. Furthermore, the university and student services counselling centres as well as various volunteer initiatives offer a whole range of services and leisure activities to support students and integrate them into campus life.
The university has been offering the orientation year since the 2016 summer semester. It starts in the summer and winter semesters. Interested parties who can prove that they currently have a refugee background, a higher education entrance qualification and basic German language skills can apply. The course participants are enrolled as guest students, as this status allows access to higher education even during an ongoing asylum procedure. Participants in the orientation year receive a certificate for their achievements.
