Study programs abroad are divided into vacation and academic, schoolchildren, students and adults can participate in them, you can study in almost any country in the world. Today we will tell you about the German-Russian Exchange program. For schoolchildren, this is a great way to learn German, as they say, in 3D: this is the only way to ensure full immersion in the language environment. After living for several months in another country, making new friends and getting acquainted with a new culture, the guys begin to really understand the German language.
Learning like an adventure
The system works very simply: the Center "Initiative" in Berlin has a reliable partner - the public organization "German-Russian Exchange" ("DRA"), which has existed since 1992. As part of the program, Russian students can travel to one of the cities in Germany and study at a German school for 1 to 3 months (the length of stay can be determined by yourself). All this time the participant of the program will live in a German family.
German schoolchildren, in turn, come to Russia for several months, live with Russian families, and study in Russian schools. They attend classes like regular students. Thus, teachers have the opportunity to attract the "newbie" to school activities and increase the students' interest in learning a foreign language.
This is how Natalya Shishkina, who participated in the program in 2011, recalls her “German” experience:
- By the time I decided to go to Germany on an exchange, my level of knowledge of the language was not very good. I studied German on my own and really wanted to know more about this country. In Berlin, I lived in a house not far from the center, with a German family. And besides the girl, Henrike soon made friends with other students of the school. It was difficult only for the first three days, when I had to get used to constantly hearing German speech. And then it was as if the “brain was rearranged”, and I began to understand the language. The German school surprised me with the abundance of practice and conversations with students. I was not given any grades, but I got acquainted with the education system and attended interesting lessons. And in a month I managed to see, it seems, all the sights of Berlin!
How to participate in the program?
Any student aged 14-17 can go on an exchange to Germany during the school year (in order to cope with the difficulties of adaptation in an unfamiliar country, you need to be independent and self-confident). And since you will have to live with a German family and study in a German school, you need a basic level of knowledge of the language. The program is structured in such a way that students take turns participating in the program. First, a Russian schoolboy goes to Germany, he lives in a German family, where there is his peer. Then a German teenager comes to Russia, who is received by the family of his Russian friend, or vice versa.
Parents together with schoolchildren choose which family they want to “become related” for several months using a questionnaire in which program participants tell about themselves, their family, interests, hobbies, etc.
The requirements for the family are loyal: it may be incomplete, it is not necessary to have a free room for a student. And of course, no one will oblige to turn every day of his stay in the country into a holiday. The German participant lives the ordinary life of a Russian student - this is the essence of the exchange program. Excursions, joint trips to the cinema or dinners with national dishes, you can think of yourself.
Henrike Vogel from Berlin, participant of the program in 2011 recalls her experience:
- Several years ago I firmly decided to learn Russian. My talent for learning foreign languages, my ambition and my photographic memory have led me to great success. The only Russian voice that I constantly heard was my own voice, until my exchange friend Natasha came to visit me, and she never stopped expressing her surprise: “You speak practically without an accent!” After Natasha stayed with me and my family in Berlin for about a month, we both flew to St. Petersburg. During the train ride from St. Petersburg to Petrozavodsk, for a long time I could not understand what was so surprising to me. Doesn't get dark! White nights ... I could enjoy this miracle for a whole month. Natasha and I spent an unforgettable vacation. It was especially pleasant to walk along the lake shore, to walk in the sun. I've never been as tanned as this summer. We also had excursion programs. We reached the Kizhi island on a motor ship and spent the night in the village ... I found new friends in Russia, a new Russian family, my language skills improved, and I was once again convinced of how important openness and tolerance are in our society.
Do you doubt your knowledge of the German language?
For schoolchildren who do not study German or are not sure of their school knowledge of German, but really want to go on an exchange to Germany, the Initiative Center offers the course “German for Exchange”. The program lasts 128 hours - from September to May - and is open to students aged 12-16 with an elementary or basic level of German. After training, the participant can safely apply for participation in the exchange program. The training will begin in September, and you can apply now.
This program will be especially useful for schoolchildren who want to get to know Germany "first-hand" and possibly enter a German university in the future. The trip will give them the opportunity to improve their level of German, “try on” the German way of life and see if they really want to study and work in Germany.
You can learn more about the Russia-Germany exchange program at the Initiative Center. Website: http://centrinit.ru/. Address: st. Red, 30A. Phone: 78-11-30.
Live brightly: study and travel with the Initiative Center!
Many Russian high school students and students are thinking about continuing their education in some European country. Guys who speak German well have the opportunity to go to Germany for an exchange.
German education is considered one of the highest quality worldwide in 2019. Every citizen can get it. Since 1992, the opportunity to study in Germany has also appeared for Russians.
You can go on a one-year study in one of the most prosperous countries of the European Union both independently and by taking part in one of the exchange programs. In the first case, all expenses are borne by the newly-made schoolboy, and in the second, tuition, accommodation and meals are paid by the state.Unofficial statistics claim that today, about 40% of young Russians study in higher educational institutions of this country... Among them there are a lot of guys who left for an exchange in Germany.
Features of exchange programs
There are several exchange programs in Germany. The student exchange program is very popular. High school students can take part in school exchanges.
The student exchange program enables Russian boys and girls to study on the territory of the German state for 6-12 months. Such an exchange is relevant even when there are no corresponding agreements between the two higher education institutions.
High school students are admitted to private German schools. assumes one year living with a host family. In some cases, agreements are signed between the Russian Federation and the German state regarding the exchange of schoolchildren.
There are other exchange programs as well. Today the following programs are very popular:
- Exchange between twin cities.
- Exchange between sports schools.
- Exchange of qualified employees.
Exchange program for high school students
Today Russian schoolchildren have the opportunity to go to study in Germany under the German-Russian Exchange program. This program is provided for courageous students from 14 years old who want to study in a German school. The German-Russian exchange provides for study in Germany from 6 months to one year.
Any Russian aged 14-17 can take part in such an exciting adventure as a school exchange. The main criterion for studying in one of the private schools of the German state is a good knowledge of the state language of the country of entry.
While studying at a German school, a Russian student will live with a family. When applying for the program, parents must indicate if they wish to host a German student with their family. Most families agree, but this is not required to apply.
Upon arrival of a student in Germany, the staff of the NRO and the host family help him to get comfortable. Each participant in the program must attend a school - usually the choice falls on the school that the children of the host country are already attending. The child is enrolled in an equivalent class in which he would study in his home country.
Student program
Today, objectively, the best educational project for university students is AIESEC. It brings together both university students and young professionals in hundreds of countries around the world. Today AIESEC cooperates with 2.4 thousand higher education institutions around the world.
AIESC presents several programs for Russian students to choose from:
- Volunteer program. Students from 18 to 30 can travel to Germany for 4-8 weeks to work on a project.
- Short-term internships up to 3 months. University students and graduates can go to Germany for internships in the fields of marketing, sales or business.
The main condition for participation in the program is, of course, a good knowledge of the German language - at least at the B1 level.
Other programs
The DAAD project is in great demand among Russian students. It allows you to deeply study the German language and culture. The knowledge gained during the course is supported by a certificate.
DAAD assumes an academic exchange of students and young professionals in the field of education. The main advantage of DAAD is that it provides grants for "exchange" programs. A Russian who has received a grant has the opportunity to study in Germany on a budgetary basis. In some cases, tuition involves partial payment. You can get a grant only based on the results of a competition.
DAAD invites Russian students and graduates to pay attention to the following projects:
- summer university language courses (the period of stay in Germany varies from 21 to 30 days);
- study trips (period - from 7 to 12 days);
- PAD (training period - 12 months).
The vast majority of Russian students take part in the DAAD summer program. The amount of the scholarship is approximately 900 euros. This allows you to cover the costs associated with the student's accommodation and meals.
Another student exchange program in Germany is Erasmus +. This program exists between partner universities in different countries. Therefore, the requirements for completing one semester at a German university may differ from each other. The program may partially cover student housing and board costs.
Such a program can be attended by a student who is enrolled in a second (or senior year) at a partner university. It is also worth noting that you need to know German (or in rare cases English) to participate.
You can find out the partner of your university on its official website.
Today in the Erasmus project, in addition to the Russian Federation, more than 30 countries from all over the world take part.
“On the French side, on an alien planet, I will have to study at the university” ... For the younger generation today, the text of the well-known “Student's Song” more and more often coincides with reality. Spending an exchange semester in the French or German side is easier today than it was twenty or thirty years ago. A semester abroad can be organized independently, or you can resort to the support of already known programs.
Erasmusunited Europe
"Patron" of the student exchange program - Erasmus of Rotterdam
For European students, a semester abroad is no longer an exception, but rather the norm. Academic exchange in Europe began to develop rapidly with the introduction of the Erasmus program in 1987. Its goal is organizational and financial support during the exchange semester for students from the EU countries, as well as from Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Turkey.
Students from Russia, as well as from a number of other non-EU countries, have the opportunity to take part in the Erasmus Mundus (External Cooperation Window) program, aimed at improving cooperation between universities in Western Europe and universities in countries with emerging economies.
University partnerships play into the hands of students
Exchange student Anna Smolyarova
Some students choose perhaps the most convenient way: study at a partner university. This is what Anna Smolyarova, a graduate student of the Faculty of Journalism of St. Petersburg State University, did. At the moment, Anna is studying at the Technical University of Dortmund (Technische Universität Dortmund). The signing of a partnership agreement between the Faculties of Journalism of the Universities of St. Petersburg and Dortmund took place in 2005.
Anna is not wasting her time and is looking not only for friends among her new classmates, but also for materials for her master's thesis on the role of the German media in the integration of the Russian-speaking community in Germany. “On the very first day, I found some interesting books on the topic. Moreover, one of the authors of the book teaches at the University of Dortmund. I signed up for his seminar,” says the student.
ProgramDAAD- a chance for German students
Exchange student Natalia Golovina
If your university does not have partner universities abroad, then you can try to get a scholarship from any organization. One of the most famous is the DAAD Academic Exchange Service "Semester Scholarships for Germanists-Philologists" program. Scholarship applicants must send a package of documents to DAAD, a list of which can be found at the link at the bottom of the page.
Thanks to the DAAD scholarship, Natalia Golovina from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv became a semester student at the University of Duisburg-Essen. Its main goal is to improve the German language.
Natalia wants to become a translator. After completing her bachelor's degree in Kiev, she plans to apply for a master's degree in Germany. "An exchange semester will help me to establish contacts with teachers. The professor's recommendation will greatly simplify getting a place in a German master's program," the student from Kiev expects to be successful.
Copernicus= Erasmus for Eastern Europe
Astronomer Copernicus named student exchange program
The Copernicus Scholarship Program (Copernicus Stipendium) allows humanities students from Russia and Belarus to spend an exchange semester at universities in Berlin, Hamburg or Munich. The conditions for applying are good command of German and two completed courses of study at the home university. The deadline for submission of documents is annually until March 1 and September 1.
Copernicus program is organized by students for students. The fellows live with a host family during their studies. At the end of the semester, students undergo practical training in one of the organizations. The program is funded by sponsorship as well as internship salaries received by the fellows.
Whether on your own or with a scholarship, an exchange semester in Germany will be a winning line on your resume. However, as exchange student Anna Smolyarova rightly notes, the experience gained during the exchange semester is measured not only by the lines on the resume. "You begin to hold on much more confidently. It is much easier for you to defend your interests in front of the employer. You understand that you have many more alternatives in this life," the St. Petersburg student is sure.
How often do we hear recently that foreign education is much better than domestic. Even if we ourselves have never been abroad, and none of our acquaintances told us about their experiences, we are absolutely sure that on the other side "the grass is greener."
On the one hand, it is simply wonderful when a person has something to strive for. On the other hand, to take the first step and just go to enter a higher educational institution in the same, for example, Germany, is quite scary. Indeed, this is a rather serious step, starting from choosing a university, ending with calculating the upcoming costs and, of course, the level of language proficiency.
A dilemma arises of how to proceed in order to make the right choice and not lose on any of the fronts? For you, dear students, currently there are many ways out of this situation. Students of higher education institutions have many unique opportunities to become a participant in alternative exchange programs abroad. For those wishing to further continue their education abroad, participation in international exchange, unlike a tourist trip, can irreplaceably help in the further choice of a university, as well as in understanding whether it is worth enrolling and continuing education in this country at all.
We present to you the most famous at the moment exchange programs for students of Russian universities, which are also focused on Germany.
AIESEC is an international youth public organization that unites students and recent graduates of universities, unites 86,000 young people in 113 countries of the world and cooperates with more than 2,400 universities. The organization has existed in the world for 65 years, and since 1989 Russia (at that time the USSR) has also joined the work of the organization.
Why do students volunteer to join AIESEC?
The main purpose of the organization is the disclosure and development of the leadership and professional potential of young people and the introduction of a positive contribution to society. How is it achieved? One of the mechanisms is international youth exchanges or internships. There are two types of them in AIESEC: volunteer and professional.
The first type - an internship lasts a month and a half, a bit like the work of a counselor in a summer camp, only abroad. The intern organizes activities and leisure for children, talks about the culture of his country. Such a volunteer does not receive a salary, but often such an internship covers the costs of accommodation and meals. The second type is already an exchange for older students: the opportunity to gain experience in their specialty. In this case, the student goes abroad for a longer period of time (from 3 months to a year), receives a salary, however, in most cases, the costs of accommodation and meals will no longer be reimbursed.
Cities where local branches and representative offices of AIESEC Russia operate: Arkhangelsk, Voronezh, Vladivostok, Ivanovo, Izhevsk, Irkutsk, Kaliningrad, Kemerovo, Krasnodar, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Samara, St. Petersburg, Sochi, Tolyatti, Tomsk, Ulan-Ude , Ulyanovsk, Ufa, Chelyabinsk.
Cities where local branches and representative offices of AIESEC Germany operate: Aachen, Augsburg, Bamberg, Bayreuth, Berlin, Bremen, Darmstadt, Dortmund, Dresden, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Fraburg, Hamburg, Hannover, Jena, Kaiserslautern, Karslruhe Cologne, Leipzig, Magdeburg, Mainzburg, Münensürn , Stuttgart.
The topic of volunteering is becoming more and more popular these days. Especially after the Sochi 2014 Olympics and Paralympics, the number of volunteers in which has surpassed 30 thousand people in total. It would seem, who wants to do work, sometimes quite hard physically "for nothing"? On the other hand, as a volunteer you have a unique opportunity to meet new interesting people who work for the idea and enjoy it.
What about volunteering for a project abroad? Just imagine, an international project, the participants of which are real enthusiasts, united by a special team spirit: they cook, wash, clean, paint fences or play with children together, and spend leisure time together after work. Who, no matter how much a volunteer, will get to know and learn from the inside the country in which he works?
For those who are close to this gambling, but at the same time creative spirit, there is an organization World4U, which is engaged in volunteer projects. World4U is a fairly fast-growing Russian volunteer association operating since 1998, which is a member of the Alliance of European Voluntary Services international volunteer platform.
The average cost of a volunteer project consists of the following points:
- World4U membership fee - 5900 rubles,
- visa (usually 35-40 €),
- insurance (on average 1 € per day),
- cost of the road to the camp - air ticket - pocket money (min 100 €).
In some projects, with a special program, there is an additional payment for the work, which is usually indicated in the project description in advance. Meals, accommodation, work organization and cultural program are provided by the host.
If you are not satisfied with the independent study of the language in the so-called "wild conditions", and you prefer to get deeper and more extensive knowledge, supported by a certificate, then turn to programs aimed at academic exchange. There are, in fact, a lot of such programs, however, speaking about Germany, it is worth paying special attention to such an organization as DAAD.
DAAD (German Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst) - German Academic Exchange Service. It is an independent self-governing organization of higher education institutions in Germany, created to support international academic exchanges, students and university staff.
DAAD specializes in providing scholarships for exchange programs. The scholarship, here, is not what a Russian student studying on a budget is said to receive monthly. A scholarship is actually an opportunity to study (or take a certain short or long term course of study) for free or with a partial fee, which is usually given on a competitive basis.
The most famous DAAD scholarship is the scholarship for students who want to visit Germany in the summer... For such students, there is a recruitment for a summer course, during which the main task is to improve the knowledge of the German language, acquaintance with the culture and traditions of the country. As a rule, the duration of such a course is 3-4 weeks, the amount of the scholarship for this period is about 900 euros, which can almost completely cover the costs of housing, food and transport.
In addition to student orientation programs, DAAD also awards scholarships for postgraduate study programs and programs for graduate students and academics.
Learn more about the conditions and deadlines for applying for DAAD scholarship programs can be found on the website daad.ru
Let's assume that at the moment you are not interested in learning a language and you just want to taste foreign education... But what to do if at the moment you are already a student of a Russian university? To take it and give it up is a rather risky step and does not give guarantees either for admission to a university abroad, or that this education will be to your liking.
For those who want to try something new, there is the exchange program between the countries of the European Union Erasmus (Erasmus Mundus for the exchange of Russia with the European Union).
How does it work?
In order to apply for participation (obtaining a mobility grant), a student must contact the international department of his university. Please note that not all universities are Erasmus partners (Erasmus Mundus).
Must be a student of at least second year of study at home university,
Must have a grade point average above the average university-defined level,
Must have sufficient knowledge of the language of instruction at the host university.
Students participating in the program do not pay tuition fees at the host university, all costs are covered by the European Union and the home university... However, often, the student has to independently cover the costs of travel and visa.
More than 4 thousand educational institutions from 33 countries participate in Erasmus... Since the program was launched in 1987, more than 2.2 million students have enrolled in the program. Germany, in turn, is among the top three countries (together with France and Spain) that have accepted the largest number of international students in Erasmus.
If suddenly your university is not a partner of Erasmus Mundus, contact the international department of the university and find out what foreign partner universities and contacts are available, and what opportunities they provide. In accordance with Chapter 5 of Art. 33 of the Federal Law "On Higher and Postgraduate Professional Education" of August 22, 1996 N 125-FZ, higher educational institutions have the right to participate in international cooperation of the Russian Federation in the field of higher and postgraduate professional education through participation in programs of bilateral and multilateral exchange of students, postgraduate students , doctoral students, pedagogical and scientific workers. Often, this item is an indicator of the competitiveness of a university and adds a certain amount of prestige to it in comparison with universities that do not participate in international exchange programs.
The choice of the program, first of all, depends on what expectations you set for yourself from the experience you want to get. Pay special attention that such programs are by no means aimed, as people often believe, to encourage a person (student, graduate student) to migrate to the country where he is going to study.
Such programs strengthen cultural integration in the world, foster a spirit of openness, courage and mutual understanding in young people. Moreover, employers welcome such a bonus to a resume as participation in an international exchange, as this characterizes the candidate not only from the academic side, but also speaks of his broadened outlook and ability to adapt to environmental conditions.
Of course, you can study at home and complain about the lack of knowledge of the language and other external obstacles and hardships, but remember that learning a language from a book within four walls is just the foundation, theory without practice is like instructions for applying to some modern gadget. Agree, if you have instructions on how to use, say, a newfangled tablet in your hands, but the tablet itself is not in your hands, there will hardly be any sense from it.
Vitalia Shvarchenko, Deutsch-online
The exchange program for schoolchildren in Germany is a year of study at a public school in Germany.
The exchange program for schoolchildren in Germany is an excellent opportunity to get acquainted with the German education system, the culture of the country, integrate into European society, and also find new friends from different parts of the world.
Studying at a public school in Germany on an exchange program, students receive a unique life experience that will help them develop communication skills and reveal their best qualities, such as independence, self-reliance, decision-making, flexibility and attention to people. During their studies, students improve their language skills in a way that they could not have improved them in several years in Russia. Full immersion in the language environment guarantees maximum language results. During their participation in the exchange program in Germany, many schoolchildren will learn the full breadth of the opportunities existing in the world, which allows them to determine their future direction of professional activity.
Study at a German school:
Depending on the language training, foreign students are admitted to the 9th, 10th or 11th grade of public schools in Germany, where they study on an equal basis with their German peers. Foreign students cannot study in the final class and are not allowed to pass the final exams (Abitur).
Requirements:
The applicant must have excellent academic performance and a good level of German language proficiency (B2 and above). Important qualities of the applicant: independence, ability to adapt and quickly adapt to new conditions. Before admission, all students take a compulsory written test for the level of German language proficiency.
Duration of training according to the program:
The length of the 2-semester academic year depends on which federal state the school is located in.
Accommodation:
Participants of the exchange program in Germany are accommodated in specially selected host families, which are thoroughly checked and constantly inspected by authorized bodies. Schoolchildren are accommodated in a separate room on a full board basis (breakfast, lunch, dinner). All host families are conveniently located for school or transport.
Documents confirming the completion of training.
Upon successful completion of the course, exchange participants receive a diploma or certificate from a German school.
Insurance:
All students are provided with compulsory life insurance against accidents and liability insurance. The insurance covers the entire period of stay and is valid in Germany and other EU countries, which the student can visit in their free time.
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Start dates of the program: |
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