When does a university become a place where people feel at home?
An afternoon that showed how integration can succeed – through listening, dialogue and a willingness to welcome one another
Perhaps not when the first semester begins, nor when you pass your first exam. Perhaps this feeling arises instead in the little moments in between – when a question turns into a conversation, an encounter becomes a new network, and a strange place slowly becomes a bit of home.
It was precisely these moments that took centre stage at the ‘Shaping the Year Ahead Together’ meet-up organised by the ‘Schwimm Kultur’ initiative of the Student Health Management (SGM), which took place recently in the University Library. Twenty-five international students came together with representatives from student bodies and committed members of the university community to engage in conversation. The meet-ups are organised as part of the initiative by Maneesh Murukan, a student assistant on the project, and take place on a regular basis.
The focus was on questions that concern many students, particularly at the start of their studies: What support services are available at the university? How does student participation work? What opportunities are there to learn German? And what ways are there to get actively involved in university life?
Yet the real value of the afternoon lay not solely in the answers. It lay in the encounters. Experiences were shared, challenges were openly discussed and ideas were developed on how to make university life even more accessible for international students. People listened, asked questions and explored ideas together. It is precisely these kinds of conversations that provide guidance – not because they eliminate every uncertainty, but because they show that no one is alone with their questions.
The ‘Schwimm Kultur’ initiative combines swimming sessions for international students with activities designed to encourage exchange and help people get to know one another. The Student Health Management (SGM) and the University Sports Center are working together on this – the ‘Schwimm Kultur’ project has been an integral part of the university’s structure since October last year. Behind this lies the conviction of the two student assistants, Michelle Dölling and Maneesh Murukan, that integration cannot be achieved through information alone. It flourishes where people meet, trust is built and a sense of community is experienced.
The library as a space for dialogue and encounter
It seems almost self-evident that this meeting took place in the University Library. Libraries have long been more than just places where knowledge is gathered. They are places where knowledge is shared. Places where focused work is just as much a given as collaborative learning, cultural events or exchanges between people with very different backgrounds. Whilst everyday life in the library continued undisturbed, a space for dialogue – and thus for precisely those encounters that enrich life at our university – emerged in parallel.
Perhaps this is one of the most rewarding roles of a university: not merely to impart knowledge, but to bring people together. For a university is not defined solely by its buildings or its study programs. Above all, it is shaped by the people who come together there.
TEXT: Carina Kröber