STUDY INTERNATIONAL: INFORMATION FOR LECTURERS AND PARTICIPANTS
What is the "Study International" certificate program?
The "Study International" certificate program was launched in winter semester 2022/23 by the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences. The goal of the program is to provide students an additional opportunity to build a profile in the area of international perspectives on social work beyond the individual degree program. The program combines four areas of competencies: subject and methodological knowledge, language and regional knowledge, professional ethical and (world) political positioning, and reflection on international experience. Students will have to attend courses and lectures and complete other practical activities in these areas.
What is the certificate program about?
The certificate program includes the following topics, among others:
- Comparative and transnational aspects of social work, social policy
- International cooperation, international organizations in social and health care
- Migration social work, intersectional inequality based on origin and mobility
- Anti-racism and empowerment, development education, dialogue and mediation, critical cultural work, radicalization prevention
- Diversity sensitivity, dealing with foreignness and privilege, self-reflection
How does the certificate program work?
Students perform activities in addition to their regular studies and receive a number of certificate points corresponding to the workload. Students are free to choose the activities they would like to complete, allowing them to adapt the content of the certificate program to their interests. The process consists of three steps:
- Students register by submitting the registration form via international-sw[at]hs-rm.de. They can register at any point during their studies up to the moment they apply for the degree certificate.
- Students compile an individual portfolio of their activities in the course of their studies. A list of activities with the corresponding number of points that can be acquired to obtain the certificate is published on the faculty's website at "International". Students will provide evidence of their additional achievements in the portfolio with proofs of completion, e.g. confirmation of attendance and reflection or confirmation of specialist presentation
- If students achieve 50 certificate points in the compulsory area and a total of at least 100 points in the elective area, they receive a certificate. The certificate, including a list of completed activities in the program, will be issued to students upon review of the portfolio along with their degree certificate. If students have not yet achieved a sufficient number of points upon completion of the bachelor's degree, the program can be continued with subsequent master's studies at RheinMain University of Applied Sciences.
What do I have to do as lecturer?
For you as lecturers or external participants, the effort should remain as low as possible. That is why we manage the certificate program centrally in the Internationalization Team. Nevertheless, there are a few things you can contribute to its success:
- Please report at the beginning of the semester, which activities you offer that could be advertised for the “Study International” certificate program (e.g. an excursion, study trip, an international guest lecture within your seminar). Let us know about interesting events that pop up during the semester (e.g. lectures and panel discussions, continuing education offerings). We will point out these offers to students and how they relate to the program. If necessary, we will also contact you directly if we learn of an offer that could fit the program.
- Enable and certify students' activities, if they ask you to confirm a presentation, an additional paper, a project outline or an active workshop participation for the certificate program. An overview of the activities that students can complete can be found on the faculty’s website at “International” under “Study International”. You do not have to evaluate the content of the student's work. It is sufficient to compare the performance with the requirement described in the credit overview and to check it for completeness and gross violations of academic propriety.
How can I, as a lecturer, actively participate in the certificate program?
You can actively shape the certificate program and fill it with life by:
- offering courses in a foreign language or filling them with foreign language components by inviting guests or co-teaching. In the Language Center, you will receive individual offers for your course preparation (e.g. interactive editing of your material, coffee talks).
- offering relevant content (reflection and expertise of transcultural contexts, anti-racism/migration/extremism prevention, international cooperation, post-migrant society, exchange of people of different origins, self-awareness of foreignness and privilege, include international research, enable student research in transcultural settings).
- being available as a point of contact when planning small student projects within the program. The program invites students to develop and implement their own small project ideas. This may require expertise from professionals or contacts to organizations where a mini-project (e.g., a one-day workshop, a recreational activity) can be implemented. As lecturers, you often have more expertise or opportunities that can contribute to the success of such a project.
- forwarding offers outside the university that fit into the certificate program. When you hear about lectures and panel discussions, continuing education opportunities, or participatory activities with an international theme, encourage students to attend and feel free to forward information.
- drawing attention to the certificate program in your courses, so that students become aware of the program. A flyer with information about the program is available for download on the faculty’s website in the International section under "Study International". Hard copies with the QR code to the information website are available for your events. For further details, please refer to Bei Detailfragen verweisen Sie gern auf international-sw[at]hs-rm.de.
- giving us feedback so that the processes can be gradually improved and simplified. We do not know yet which obstacles might arise once the program is running. Your perspective is important to get a comprehensive view of the process.
Any unanswered questions?
A more detailed description of the "Study International" certificate program as well as all required forms for registration, proof of completion and submission of the portfolio can be found on the faculty’s website in the International section under "Study International".
Please direct any individual questions about the program to international-sw[at]hs-rm.de.
