Solidarity with Ukraine

Spring 2022 marked the start of terribly challenging times for me and my fellow citizens: War broke into our lives. A new reality forced us to find a way to survive. My work has become the main driving force in my life. I have never enjoyed Zoom lessons as much as I did this spring. Against this backdrop, the Erasmus exchange at the Language Center at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg from April 25 to April 29, 2022 was hugely significant for me. Working in the library, meeting friends and making new acquaintances all gave me a major impetus to develop new ideas. My batteries are now charged and I am all set to put what I have learned into practice while teaching German as a foreign language at Karasin University in Kharkiv.

Liliia Bezugla

I am very pleased to have had the experience of studying in a country that has one of the best education systems in the world. I am studying <em>Development Economics and International Studies</em> and all of the courses I have taken have been exciting and full of valuable information that will help me during the rest of my studies and when I start to work. The Erasmus program has enabled me to meet new friends, try out new hobbies and get to know the German culture better. It was a real joy to meet such nice people. I enjoyed every minute.

Ihor Bairak

I was admitted to the Erasmus summer exchange program 2022 at FAU and it was great. During my program, I fell in love with the German culture and the German people. The staff and students at the university are very friendly and helpful. I had no problem making new friends. I met a lot of interesting new people and took part in a number of university events such as trips to other areas of Germany, sporting events and celebrations. I also really liked the fact FAU has so many international students and you can meet people from all over the world. FAU and Erlangen will always have a special place in my heart.

Yuliia Buhaieva

During my stay, I have not only learned a lot about the local education system, but I now also understand the “German perspective” on world politics better. I hope I can use this knowledge to strengthen the intercultural dialog between Germany and Ukraine.

Polina Pienkina

My stay as a guest lecturer was definitely beneficial to me on both a personal and professional level. During the course of one week, I taught a group of highly-motivated students in Ukrainian, which gave me the opportunity to gain insights into how learning is organized at FAU and to reflect on my own role as a teacher. I am extremely grateful to the staff at the Language Center for the opportunity to exchange information and ideas and all the organizational, technical and content-related assistance they provided. For the future, I hope that not only the relationships between our universities flourish in the long term, but also that they will awaken an interest in learning Ukrainian at FAU and in learning German at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University thanks to the personal encounters that take place during the Erasmus+ program.

Maryna Miroshnychenko

Firstly, I would like to say how grateful I am for the opportunity to complete my studies in safety. This internship not only enabled me to make friends from all over the world, but also supported me in developing and improving my strengths and language skills. In addition to taking part in the courses, I really enjoyed all the excursions I was able to participate in. I would like to thank all the staff at the International Office who helped me and the other students. I would recommend an experience like this to all my friends, and especially in Erlangen.

Kateryna Rebenko

I was honored to be able to take part in the Erasmus + training program for staff from March 21 to April 1, 2022. This was offered as part of an exchange between FAU and Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. After fleeing my home country, I found a safe place to live in Erlangen and was offered the wonderful opportunity of participating in professional development at the FAU Language Center with Dr. Kristina Maul and her colleagues. The methods I learned during the training were not only of benefit for me personally, but are also valuable for staff at my home university when it comes to making a greater contribution to international projects.

Maryna Rebenko

During my visit, I presented the module “Transition economics: The case of Ukraine” in which I cover the emergence of Ukraine as an independent, democratic state as well as the related processes at the public, economic, social and academic levels. I am grateful for the students who were interested in the topic and attended my course, and who worked together productively, interactively and effectively with a positive group dynamic. I would also like to thank all the faculties at FAU who helped make my stay at the university so pleasant. Everyone was very supportive and willing to help, I really appreciate it. I would particularly like to thank Prof. Jürgen Kähler for his hospitality, academic support, professional advice and for organizing my workplace, as well as Prof. Andreas Landmann, Olga Pattern and Sophie Tartler for all their assistance.

Nataliia Gavkalova

This was the perfect opportunity for me to meet people from other cultures, to learn together and to travel together. I will never forget the experience. It goes without saying that it is not the only thing that I will remember, but one of the good things I experienced in Germany was the cheerful attitude of the people. People here work hard, but they don’t forget to have a good time. They know how to enjoy the present and find different ways to make the most of their free time. I also really appreciated the comfortable library. The atmosphere was so motivating, it made me want to keep returning there to study. Borrowing books is so easy, it made my whole learning process easier and more productive. Thank you for giving me this opportunity!

Yana Piddubna

During the Erasmus+ Academic Mobility program at FAU, the lecturers Ivashchenko and Kiselyova from Kharkiv National University were able to present the design and initial findings of their oral history project “Movement to the West: Ukrainian scientists in conditions of forced migration (2014-2022)”. By sharing their experiences regarding academic working in the area of oral history and by exploring exciting issues, the authors not only gained a valuable impulse for continuing their work, it also gave them ideas for researching the topic from a different angle. The researchers were also able to conduct interviews with other researchers and Ukrainian students at FAU. A wide-ranging cultural program and the opportunity to visit museums and tourist attractions taught us about the culture and history of Germany. Thank you for this experience!

Yulia Kiselyova