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Experiencing Europe

Erasmus Office hoping to counteract downwards trend

KATHRIN KAUFHOLD

The Erasmus Office at the MLU has been located at Universitätsring 14 for six months and is the information centre for Halle’s students who would like to get a taste of Europe. In summer semester 2009 the Erasmus office also received reinforcement in the form of a new coordinator.

Grit Eisenkopf brings with her her own experience with projects abroad. She first came into contact with the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) as an advisor to the Prorector for Research and Young Scientists. “My first tasks at the Erasmus Office was to become acquainted with day to day business and, of course, to familiarise myself with the procedures for “outgoers”.

“Outgoers” are students from the MLU who go to study for one or two semesters at European universities. There is also the term “incomer” meaning students from European universities which come to Halle. “We advise all of these students and are the main contact point for them in addition to their coordinators,” says Friderike Lange, who works at the Erasmus Office along with Anna Emelyanova. Both also studied at European universities through the Erasmus programme as MLU students.

When computer science student Martin Feineis arrived in Valencia, Spain in January, he saw the palm trees and blazing sun and could hardly believe that he would be living there for the next few months. “I was warmly received by my three Spanish flatmates even though there were a few communication difficulties at the beginning,” he remembers. Martin had wanted to study abroad since his schooldays and was able to fulfil his dreams thanks to the Erasmus programme. His host university, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, is one of the most renowned in all of Spain. “Despite, or perhaps because of, the different lifestyle in Spain I felt at home in Valencia and finally learned Spanish,” he says.  

“It is great to see how curious and, sometimes even, euphoric the students are before they go abroad. That makes work fun,” says Grit Eisenkopf. The “incomers” to Halle are also thrilled by the MLU. “One student from France even returned to Halle to start her masters degree after spending an semester here through Erasmus,” Friderike Lange relates.

Josefine Alarich (with the German flag, below), seen here with other exchange students, studied one year with the Erasmus Programme at Umeå University in Sweden. Her impressions: “It was the best time of my life.” Private photo

Ulrike Hager spent a semester at the Université 13 in Paris. “I wanted to learn French properly and the language training at uni just isn’t enough,” says the 24-year-old who is minoring in French. The Halle student believes it was important to experience the French culture and society. “Of course life in Paris is much more expensive than in Halle, but to be able to live for a few months in such a vibrant metropolis, to meet other Erasmus students, and to feel like a European in so many situations was just great,” raves Ulrike.

During the 2008/2009 academic year exactly 125 students studied abroad through the Erasmus programme including 34 in France and 24 in Spain. “However there is a decline in the number of students going abroad.  Since the Bachelor/Master system was introduced there have unfortunately been fewer students in Halle who have chosen to go abroad through the Erasmus programme due to the intensive nature of the curriculum,” Friderike Lange reports.

The three colleagues would like to counteract this trend. A new homepage has been set up for the Erasmus office which is more clearly laid out and in keeping with the design of the university’s website. We are also excited about our new flyer which advertises Erasmus, offering brief information about applying to the programme and impressions from former “outgoers”, reports Grit Eisenkopf.

For the first time the Erasmus office had a booth at the enrolment celebration on 15 October 2009. “It is important that the bachelor students are informed right from the beginning about the opportunities Erasmus has to offer. We want to get them thinking about studying abroad before they find themselves at the end of their studies and with no more time left,” she explains.

The European Commission has also noticed the decline in student mobility and wants to work towards more recognition at the universities for course achievements abroad.

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