An interdisciplinary and international group of 12 students from Hochschule RheinMain (HSRM) in Germany and 9 students from Savonia University of Applied Sciences (Savonia UAS) in Finland met for the first time in Kuopio, Finland. Why did they meet? Because August 26, 2024 was the first day of an intensive summer school week focusing on intercultural communication, competence and theory, hosted by Savonia UAS and co-taught by four lecturers – two from Savonia UAS and two from HSRM – another premiere.

The actual summer school was preceded by more than a year of intensive preparation and cooperation between colleagues from the Language Teaching Team of Savonia UAS, HSRM's Center for Teaching and Learning (LLZ) and the International Offices of both universities, in order to develop course objectives, content and assessment, organize budgets and framework programs, deal with paperwork, communicate with and coordinate participants, arrange Erasmus funding for students traveling to Kuopio, etc. At the end of the week, on Friday 30 August, the feedback from the summer school participants showed that the hard work paid off for everyone – the students, the teachers and the organizers.

Here are some student voices:

• Interviewee: Nick Hinze (HSRM, Bachelor Business Informatics)

For me, it was so good to speak English the whole week. Even back at the hotel, I sometimes started speaking English with my German buddies. I would also like to add the different experiences we had together on and off campus. The Savonia Campus in Kuopio is super modern and good for group work outside the classroom.

•  Interviewee: Joni Puranen (Savonia UAS, Bachelor Energy Engineering)

Of course, using a foreign language was helpful for me. It took a few days to get used to it, but by the end of the week it was quite normal to speak English. Also, the mix of cultures within the group meant that you had to adapt and understand the different styles of studying and learning, and to not judge when someone does something you are not used to. I also learned about some of the reasons behind the different behaviors of different people.

• Interviewee: Emina Manic (HSRM, Bachelor Business Administration)

I participated in this intensive week because I am thinking about going abroad for a semester or a year. I thought that this week might encourage me to actually do it, and it did. I met a lot of nice people and learned about Finnish and Nordic culture. The topics of this intensive week were interesting and I got a lot of new information for my studies and future. This week was really exciting and a nice experience.

• Interviewee: Zara Marium (Savonia UAS, Bachelor International Business)

I was excited when I heard about this intensive week. I did a similar intensive week last fall, so I already knew that it was a good opportunity to meet new people and learn something new. For me, these kinds of weeks are more interesting than normal classes. I have learned new things and methods that are useful for my future. For example, I learned how to communicate better internationally. Last but not least, I met nice people.

In summary, all participants – teachers and students alike – noted that the many life skills learned in working and communicating with the summer school participants from different cultures was one of the most important takeaways from the week.

Writers and interviewers: Iina Räisänen and Juuso Leskinen (students at Savonia UAS and participants of the intensive week)

Additional information provided by: Sanna Savela (Language Teaching Team, Savonia UAS), Anna-Janina Wittan (LLZ, HSRM)