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Mark your calendar! DAAD North America staff will present programs and funding for internships in Germany. All academic disciplines are eligible and DAAD offers grants for summer, semester and year-long stays in Germany. You don’t need to speak German to be eligible.

DAAD webinars are targeted at faculty and administrators in the U.S. and Canada who advise on study and research abroad, as well as students and scholars in Canada and the U.S. interested in applying for DAAD funding themselves.  You must register for the webinars below in advance (all times are EST).

DAAD Grants for Graduate Students - Wed. October 19, 2pm
DAAD Chat on Studying Computer Science in Germany.  You may submit and discuss your questions in English or German. Chat will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 19th at 9:45pm EDT.

DAAD Funding Programs (all) – Wed. October 26, 12:30pm

Internships in Germany – Wed. November 2, 2pm

Undergraduate Grants for Germany – Wed. November 9, 12:30pm

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Today’s guest post is written by Arnd Wächter from Crossing Borders Education.  Arnd writes about the transformative power of international experiences and he offers a glimpse into his personal experience on the subject. Arnd is one of the most fascinating people that I’ve met on this international education journey; we have talked for hours about how meeting people from other parts of the world and hearing different perspectives have shaped us. Arnd has not only become a friend to me and my family, but is also a part of Melibee Global’s international speakers series. He can be booked to present his film, Crossing Borders, and is scheduled to be in the US from mid-March through mid-April 2011, so reach out if you are interested.  (His film is also available for screening in other parts of the world.)

As an educator, I believe that intercultural experiences have an important role to play in a world situation that is – to say the least – very confusing. This year, 2011, marks a decade since the tragic events of September 11. Today’s undergraduate college students were eight to twelve years old in 2001 and consequently have spent their intellectually formative years with post-9/11 media coverage, little of which addressed the need for intercultural understanding. I believe that we have the demanding opportunity to support this  generation of students and future leaders to deeper understand the major challenges of cross-cultural conflicts and to develop the capabilities, commitment and grit to address them.

Personal experiences that are transformative are often the driving force behind the passions in our lives.  I would love to share a glimpse of mine. I was born in communist East Germany and grew up next to the Berlin Wall. Sometimes my brother and I climbed trees to see boats going by on the river on the other side of the wall. We watched people having barbecue in their gardens but were never able to go there. I was 19 years old when the wall came tumbling down. At that time and in the following years, I experienced drastically in my own story the reality of the Anais Nin’s statement: “We see the world not as it is, but as we are.”

When traveling the world, I realized with amazement how much my images of history, countries and current affairs have been shaped by the context I had lived in. Intercultural experiences became one of the key teachers for my personal development and for learning about other cultures and people. My fascination grew about the process of what happens to our perception and awareness when we enter another culture with appreciation and open senses. I sensed that the world can look entirely different from a different cultural perspective when I am engaging openly in deep dialogue with people of other cultures. And I realized in these conversations that I am learning as much about the “Other” as I am learning about myself.

In the following years, I became passionate about intercultural immersion experiences and backpacked on tiny budgets across the world – often choosing solo trips in order to intensify the intercultural impact. These personal travel experiences became the vibrant background for my passion to create cross-cultural immersion programs, activities and films, which encourage, support and challenge university students to cross borders internally and externally. I would love to share a few of my observations on these activities:

Student Experiences on the Morocco Exchange programs of our organization triggered often very different responses of American students when they stayed at Moroccan family homes and interacted personally with Moroccan students. American students from a more liberal background were often surprised about the positive experiences they had. Some of them identified themselves as being very literate with critical thinking skills and were then surprised finding out how much they had been affected by images of Muslims in the US media.

Conservative students who traveled with us often had to process the shock of experiencing openness, hospitality and warmth in Morocco in sharp contrast to the hostile view their entire families held of the region. I remember a student sharing with me: “My parents and grandparents are not talking to me at the moment. They are evangelical Christians and are deeply upset with me that I am visiting a Muslim country.” After a while she added with a quiet voice: “They consider this religion as evil.”

Over the past years I saw in my own story and in the story of students that experiences themselves are the best teacher to confront existing preconceptions. It is a defining and creative moment when students encounter for themselves something that is in contrast to their accustomed perception, because it empowers them to discover themselves first hand and enhances critical thinking skills. It is powerful to experience hospitality in a Muslim country and then to reflect on: How come we hear so much about the reality of terrorism while hearing very little about the reality and beauty of the other culture? How come we saw post 9/11 on US media images of a small group of 10-20  Muslims celebrating, creating an image as if the entire Muslim world was celebrating? How come we saw these images repeated over and over again? How come we did not see 60,000 Iranians holding a Peace Vigil for the victims of 9/11? How come we did not see the images of over 1 million Moroccans demonstrating against the use of violence in the name of their faith after the bombing in Casablanca in which no American was hurt?

These are moments in which I have a lot of compassion with my students. I remember how much inner work it was after the Communist system imploded to come to terms with my entire education being incomplete or a distorted image. To change such perception does not happen in one conversation it needs eye opening experiences and time to reflect and process.

What I truly love about American students is the quality to get emotionally involved and care about issues and people. I noticed that most students who traveled with us knew very little about the region. I also experienced that the majority really cared from the moment they connected to a person or an issue on a personal level. It is a quality I deeply appreciate in the American culture.

The Educators Role: My experience is that most of the time we do not need to tell students what to think or do. We only need to encourage and support them to step into experiences that are challenging and widening. I experienced many times that the goodness within students takes over and makes them choose their next chapters of learning themselves by going into volunteer work, study abroad or long term services such as the Peace Corps. I experienced that students can discover their passion and task in this world where they are connected to their own power. So I would like to close with a quote that I love sharing with students when they ask “So what can I do?”, a quote which became key to my personal process of growing ideas and visions into creative realities.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs.

Ask yourself what makes you come alive

and then go and do that.

Because what the world needs

is people who have come alive.”

H. T. Whitman

About the Author: Arnd received his school education in Communist East Germany. As a conscientious objector to military service, he was not allowed to study at university and became a carpenter. After the fall of the Berlin Wall he started to travel the world beyond Eastern Europe and was able to study abroad in London. There he completed his MA in Religious Studies and Post Graduate Certificate of Education. Since 1996 he has worked and lived in the UK, Japan, Australia, the US, Spain and Morocco and traveled extensively on six continents. The impact these journeys had on him personally made him aware of the transformative power of cross-cultural interactions. Being on a visit to Morocco during the build-up to the US intervention in Iraq, he was deeply moved by personal conversations with Moroccans. This inspired him to create an educational NGO that by now has taken over 3600 American students on programs to interact with Moroccan families, students, professors, Peace Corps volunteers, and Fulbright scholars on a personal level. In 2007-2009 he produced and directed the feature documentary “Crossing Borders”as a cross cultural tool to initiate dialogue between students in the Western and Muslim worlds. The film was selected at 12 international film festivals and won several awards.

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DAAD recently announced this exciting opportunity for educators and scientists to visit Germany in December 2010. Having traveled with DAAD before, I cannot recommend the experience enough! They are well organized, very connected and extremely generous with their funding.  Did I mention they’re also a great group of people?  Please read the following information from DAAD and note that the FIRM application deadline is October 6, 2010. 

“In December 2010, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) will sponsor an informational visit on current developments in chemistry research and higher education in Germany. The tour is for North American faculty, scientists and administrators and will take place from December 5th to December 11th, 2010. The main focal points are environmentally-friendly synthesis, production and recycling processes with a special focus on catalysis, new polymers and nanomaterials. Participants will visit various institutions to learn about cutting-edge research and its application. There will be visits to renowned universities and research institutions, including Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, RWTH Aachen, Heidelberg University, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, and Max-Planck Institute for Polymer Chemistry) as well as BASF, the world’s leading chemical company. With this tour DAAD offers scientists and administrators an opportunity to learn about the present situation in chemistry research and higher education in Germany. We hope to enable them to identify common interests and starting points for cooperation in these areas as well as possible funding opportunities. The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Germany (accommodations, travel, most meals) will be borne by the DAAD. Intercontinental travel is at the participants’ expense. Applicants must be US or Canadian citizens or residents, have a special interest in Germany and transatlantic cooperation, and a relevant professional position. They should not have recently participated in another information trip to Germany. APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY October 6, 2010. For further information, please go to: www.daad.org/page/sciencetour/ or contact Uta Gaedeke in New York at 212-758-3223 x:209 or via e-mail at gaedeke@daad.org.”

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I was fortunate to be a participant in DAAD‘s Germany Today program in June 2009. It was an outstanding professional development opportunity. DAAD did an excellent job at balancing the lectures/presentations with venturing out into the historic cities; one of the highlights was a tour of the Aachen cathedral. If you are accepted, plan to spend extra time in Berlin – it was my favorite stop along the way and I needed weeks there, not days!

This year’s program will focus on The Bologna Reforms. Applications are due by March 5, 2010.  See details below:

Bologna Turns Ten:  Transatlantic Student Mobility in the German and European Higher Education Context
Bonn – Brussels – Berlin
June 12 – 19, 2010

Since 1979, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) has sponsored an annual information visit on current developments in Germany and Europe for high-level North American policy experts and decision makers. This year’s program will focus on the latest efforts and developments in internationalizing higher education in Germany and Europe, and on how your students can benefit from it.

North American participants in this program are typically senior administrators at leading universities in the U.S. and Canada (such as vice-presidents for international affairs or heads of international offices), policy makers in federal and state/provincial governments or associations, and other experts in the higher education field.

The program will be in English. All program-related costs in Europe (accommodation, domestic travel, most meals) will be covered by DAAD. (The program will end on Friday, June 18, in Berlin but accommodation through Saturday morning will be covered by DAAD, as well). Intercontinental travel is at the participant’s expense.

Please visit www.daad.org/?p=germanytoday for further information.

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I have periodically taught Second Language (ESL) throughout my career. I’ve taught in classrooms and tutored individual students, but I’m quite certain that the students teach me more than I could ever teach them.  They come from a variety of countries and life experiences, sharing information about their daily routines, political issues in their home countries, gender roles and cultural norms.  They are very inspiring and humble, and are typically very dedicated to learning the English language.

One of my most memorable students was the spouse of a non-immigrant expatriate on assignment. Angela is from Germany; she and her husband and their young daughter were relocated to Westchester County (NY) by his employer. Although she did not know anyone in this community, Angela went out every day and practiced what little English she knew at local shops and the library.  She quickly joined the local gym in an effort to meet people.  Her daughter went to school for several hours each day and rapidly picked up English without any formal lessons.  This little four year old girl walked into the classroom, as fearless as her mother, and absorbed her surroundings like a sponge.

I do not speak German, so Angela and I initially relied on non-verbal cues to communicate with one another early on. Something as simple as playing “Simon Says” with Angela and her daughter became a vocabulary lesson.  Sometimes during our lessons we would read letters and forms that were sent home by her daughter’s school. Many of these were simple reminders about holidays, school parties and activities.  However, there were  the occasional health letters that entered into our lesson.  Angela asked me to help her with a letter that served as a reminder not to send children to school if they were “vomiting or had diarrhea.”  One can only imagine how awkward it is to explain these two ailments to a non-native English speaker.  Needless to say, non-verbal communication was key!

As Angela’s English improved, I assigned a short book for her to read while at home.  Then, at each lesson, she would read aloud and we would discuss the plot.  It was a tricky challenge for her, as she was exploring new letter combinations that forced her to use her mouth and tongue in a different way than she would in German.  One of the biggest challenges for Angela was to master the “th” sound. For Germans, the tendency is for the tongue to reside inside the teeth when attempting this sound, forcing more of a “z” sound (e.g. “zis” vs “this”.) I reminded her to stick out her tongue, and she and I giggled often as she made a face to get this difficult sound from her mouth.

I taught Angela for nearly two years and I am humbled by how quickly she progressed. She went from being a woman who was afraid to answer her phone to one who can articulate her thoughts, feelings, wishes and desires with confidence. I was honored to contribute to her ability to navigate the waters of this new culture.

Teaching ESL has reminded of important life lessons when living abroad:

1.  Be Fearless:  The point of being abroad is to see and do something that you would not experience at home.  Staying in because you don’t know the language  is not an excuse to miss out on the adventure. Get out, get a bit lost and listen to your surroundings. Throw caution to the wind!  At the very least,  you’ll have a great story to tell later!

2. Shift the View: You’ll see the world through a new set of lenses and it is important to embrace this new view. When I lived in London, I remember observing all of the buildings so carefully, as the city was so much older than almost anything I had seen in the US. Every time I stepped out of my flat (apartment), I experienced visual overload. It was wonderful! When I did eventually return home, I was able to see the world through a new set of eyes, which made home a ‘new’ place too and helped tremendously with the re-entry shock.

3. Humor: Be open to making mistakes and be willing to laugh when you make them. Laughing at yourself in these situations is definitely more fun than crying and often a better coping technique.

If you are interested in learning more about Teaching English as a Second Language and the places it can take you, the 44th Annual TESOL Convention and Exhibit will take place in Boston, Massachusetts from March 24 – 27, 2010.

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This past June, I had the honor of participating in the Germany Today Program, sponsored by the DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst – The German Academic Exchange Service.)  I was part of a delegation of faculty and administrators from various universities in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The DAAD generously provided a comprehensive program with very little direct cost to participants.  The program started in Bonn, traveled to Brussels and ended in Berlin.  Each day we met with DAAD’s local staff, researchers, university faculty and administrators, grants organizations and DAAD funded students and scholars.  There was a strong emphasis on the Bologna Process and current policy discussions in the member countries. Dialogue was particularly meaningful because we had nearly a week to continue our discussions with colleagues over lunch, dinner and bus journeys. We were able to not only reflect on our experiences during the week, but to also learn about trends and best practices on their campuses and in their home countries.  The added bonus of this program was networking within the structure of a very strong training experience.

I was able to bring DAAD to my campus at WCSU this past October for the International Education Conference.  Jane Fu, from DAAD (based in NYC), gave an excellent presentation about the wide range of funding opportunities for undergraduates, graduates, PhD candidates and Post Docs, and Faculty/Researchers. DAAD is an incredibly well organized and generous organization.  Funding is available for German language study, internships, research, short term lectureship, and even group study.

As I prepare for my pre-conference workshop presentation, “Fundamentals of Short Term Education Abroad Programming”, I am reminded of the importance of program start-up funding. Short term programs, while increasingly popular, often run at a financial loss in year one.  In my opinion, this is something that should be anticipated and is perhaps necessary in the first year in to develop an audience for a sustainable program.  Once a successful cohort returns from a short course abroad, they inadvertently serve as your course’s marketing team.  Their positive experiences move like wildfire across social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and the chances of recruiting in year two are significantly heightened.

Through my recent trip to Germany I was quickly able to discern that it is a particularly viable destination for short courses in business, sciences and social sciences/humanities.  DAAD offers financial support for academic information visits to Germany that are organized by faculty members for groups of students.  The group should consist  of 10 – 15 students plus one faculty and the trip abroad should last between 7 and 12 days.   DAAD offers approximately 6,720 Euros to subsidize room and board.  For institutions that struggle with a lack of seed money for program development, this particular funding represents an excellent opportunity to decrease direct costs to students.

For more information and application deadlines, visit www.daad.org/?p=groupvisits. Based on my experience in Germany this past summer with the DAAD, you will not be disappointed.