Fostering Intercultural Competence with Great Success

“Virtual International Exchange and Learning (VIEL) Kenya-Ireland-Germany” is part of the Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM for University Students – BWS plus, a programme of the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung. The project runs from October 2021 until September 2024 and is financed with an amount of 145.000 €.

Successful sixth round of the VIEL project

In March 2024, the sixth round of the VIEL project kicked off with the start of a new virtual semester that brought together students from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA), the University of Limerick (UL) and Pwani University (PU). The innovative hybrid concept of the project enables a total of six students from the three partner universities Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (HKA), University of Limerick (UL) and Pwani University (PU) to spend a semester together virtually and then get to know each other in person during a short-term stay at the end.

Virtual semester and intercultural workshops

Over the course of the semester, the VIEL students took part in four different workshops dealing with technical communication topics. Each of these workshops was prepared and conducted by one of the three participating universities. The students not only learned theoretical knowledge, but also applied it in joint tasks, which strengthened their intercultural cooperation and promoted exchange. In addition to the VIEL students, students from the sixth semester of the bachelor’s degree course in Communication and Media Management (KMM) also took part. They collaborated with Kenyan Bachelor students from various disciplines and created joint podcasts, among other things.

Focusing on personal relationships

In addition to professional exchange, the VIEL project emphasizes the promotion of personal relationships. A central contact person supports the students in intensifying personal contact. The participants actively communicated in a WhatsApp group and met weekly for virtual Zoom meetings. These meetings offered the opportunity to exchange their everyday lives and cultures and to get to know each other on a personal level.

Highlight of the semester: Short-term stay in Germany

The highlight of the semester was the VIEL short-term stay, which took place in Germany from July 18 to 24, 2024. The German HKA students had the opportunity to show their Irish and Kenyan fellow students places in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in Germany. A special highlight was the visit to the festival "Das Fest" in Karlsruhe, which took place at the same time. The students spent intense days together, got to know each other better and quickly grew closer. After the virtual semester, many felt as if they had known each other forever. The crowning glory of the stay and the end of the semester was the official presentation of the certificates in the presence of all project members from the three universities.

Strengthening cultural sensitivity

The VIEL program has once again shown how valuable intercultural cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and experience are. The participants were able to grow not only professionally but also personally and make new friends across continents. The intensive stay together also strengthened the cultural sensitivity of the participants. Paul from the University of Limerick aptly sums up the significance of the project: „The world these days seems to be pulling everybody away from each other, whether it's sociological, religious or political differences. So programs like this are so important because they bring people together from different communities that wouldn't track otherwise. “

VIEL will go on for another year

“Virtual International Exchange and Learning (VIEL) Kenya-Ireland-Germany” is a trinational project initiated by Prof. Sissi Closs from Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences in cooperation with Pwani University in Kenya and the University of Limerick in Ireland. The aim of the project is to facilitate a cultural and professional exchange for students in a future-oriented, virtual setting. Students acquire important skills in the field of technical communication and gain valuable experience in intercultural exchange. The project started in October 2021 and was originally scheduled to end in September 2024.

However, costs were saved during project implementation, as coronavirus was still preventing travel and physical meetings at the start of the project and a cyberattack on the HKA in October 2023 severely restricted administration, in particular staff recruitment was not possible.
Due to the success of the project, it was possible to extend the project for a further year without incurring any costs. Students of the KMM course at HKA therefore still have the opportunity to take part in this unique and innovative project. Applications are now open.

The experience reports of VIEL students can also be read on the joint exchange platform karlifi.org. All further information on the VIEL project can be found on the karlifi.org-Lernplattform and on Instagram. The experience reports of VIEL students can also be read on the joint exchange platform karlifi.org.

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Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM
The Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM supports the international exchange of students and vocationally qualified people. Since 2001, it has enabled more than 28,000 young people from Baden-Württemberg to gain experience abroad and allowed scholarship holders from other countries to visit Baden-Württemberg. Approximately 1,500 young people receive a Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM each year.

Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM for University Cooperations – BWS plus
With the Baden-Württemberg-STIPENDIUM for University Cooperations – BWS plus, the Baden-Württemberg Stiftung supports joint projects between universities from Baden-Württemberg and their international partners. The programme is endowed with approximately 1 million Euros annually. Since 2011, more than 130 BWS plus projects have been supported at universities in Baden-Württemberg.

The Baden-Württemberg Stiftung
advocates a vital Baden-Württemberg with a high quality of life for all its residents. It helps pave the way for advanced technological progress, high quality education, and a responsible relationship with fellow human beings. The Baden-Württemberg Stiftung is one of the major foundations in Germany. It is the only foundation which exclusively and above party lines invests in the future of the state of Baden-Württemberg – and thus in the future of its citizens.