International Summer School with about 600 participants has started
3 August 2017
Language course with framework programme on "Cultural Diversity and Identity"
Nearly 600 young people from 57 countries are currently attending the International Summer School of German Language and Culture being held from 3 to 30 August 2017 at Heidelberg University. The four-week courses are designed for students and others from abroad who wish to learn German or broaden their existing language skills. Under the umbrella theme of "Cultural Diversity and Identity", this year's Summer School was officially opened in a small ceremony in the Great Hall of the New University. There Dr. Joachim Gerke, head of the International Relations Division, welcomed the guests from abroad.
As in previous years, there are three different course tracks. The traditional "German as a Foreign Language" course offers training at the elementary, intermediate and advanced level. There is also a continuing education course for non-native German teachers, university lecturers and Germanists, as well as a special course in Business German. After core language classes in the morning, participants can attend a variety of course-related classes, general lectures such as "Cultural Diversity and Identity in German Literature", or workshops in journalism, video production, and theatre. Weekend excursions offered include Lake Constance, a boat trip on the Rhine river, or city tours of Cologne, Trier, and others. German students will advise the visitors, who hail from four continents, and assist with questions on everyday life and leisure activities.
The programme also includes events that are open to Heidelberg residents. On 17 August, Prof. Dr Gertrud M. Rösch of Heidelberg University's Institute for German as a Foreign Language Philology will discuss "The big money. Industry and commerce in German-language novels of the 20th century". The lecture will begin at 5:15pm in lecture hall 13 of the New University.
Three concerts are also open to the public. On August 10, Pianist Arash Rokni will play works of Bach, Schumann and Schönberg in a programme entitled "Piano Pieces from Three Centuries". The "Nachtigallen" Ensemble will present "Pop Music – Glamorous, Capricious and Grandiose" on 17 August. These concerts will be held in the Great Hall of the Old University. The music series concludes on 22 August with a summer concert for flute and organ. Barbara Rosnitschek and Peter Schumann will perform in the Peterskirche (Plöck 70). All concerts begin at 8pm.
Among the attendees of this year's International Summer School of German Language and Culture are numerous scholarship holders from partner universities in Great Britain, India, Israel, Myanmar, Poland, Spain, Czechia and Hungary. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) also awarded scholarships to approximately 90 students. Heidelberg University’s Summer School took place for the first time in 1926. Since then, starting with 60, the number of participants has increased tenfold until today.
