Since 2014, we have taught over 200 children and adolescents per week.

Independent of school form or subject, aspiring teachers studying at the UoC teach children and adolescents from refugee families as well as unaccompanied minor refugees in the framework of a practical internship. The children and adolescents receive lessons from the time they arrive at an emergency shelter in Germany. Lessons take place in small groups with a focus on “learning German”. The programme’s aim is to prepare children and adolescents for entry into the German school system and to ease their transition into the new urban and social setting.

It is obligatory for teacher trainees to do an internship. Aspiring teachers obtain valuable insights into practical professional settings that prepare them to teach a heterogeneous student body.

This offer is being implemented in cooperation with the City of Cologne and the staff of the German Red Cross/Malteser Hilfsdienst on sight at the emergency shelters. Besides preparatory seminars, the project also offers support for the teacher trainees and the refugee children and adolescents by the Centre for Teacher Training (ZfL) at the University of Cologne.

Currently, lessons are being held at various emergency shelters in Cologne and Düsseldorf.

Further Information (German): zfl.uni-koeln.de/prompt.html

Please learn more on our pages about Support for Scholars with a Refugee Background.

Beginning in the winter semester 2015/16, teacher trainees will also support the teachers of newly arrived students attending regular schools – in welcome or preparatory classes or during after-school care. Schools can turn to the City of Cologne (Department for Housing and School Board) to register their need of teacher trainee interns. The information is collected there and then passed on to the UoC’s Centre for Teacher Training (ZfL). The ZfL then distributes internship places at the schools and offers a specific accompanying event in which professionals with experience in teaching welcome or preparatory classes prepare and support teacher trainees.

The Refugee Law Clinic is a project conducted by law students from Cologne which supports migrants, in particular refugees and asylum seekers. They offer pro bono legal and non-legal advice and other support, e.g. they accompany and give guidance to their clients when attending appointments at city council. To that end they collaborate with qualified lawyers and other charity organizations.

The Refugee Law Clinic achieved the PHINEO impact-label for their civic engagement for the purpose of common welfare.

With the programme 'Mathematics for Refugees', the University of Cologne aims to help refugees aquire basic knowledge needed for a successful start of their studies in Germany.

Therefore, we offer a mathematic course as well as a programming course. Both will teach elematary topics which are required for many study courses.

For further information visit our website Mathematics for Refugees

Programme for teachers with refugee background

The International Office, the Mercator Institute for Literacy and Language Education and the Centre for Teacher Education („Zentrum für LehrerInnenbildung“, Zfl) of the University of Cologne initiated a programme for teachers with refugee background in July 2018. This programme aims to support the professional opportunities within the German education system. The offering consists of a German language course and a pedagogical complementary programme. Additional to their existing professional expertise, they learn about the German school system.
Schools can benefit from teachers with refugee backgrounds by skills in different languages, knowledge about different school systems and a high sensibility in the life situation of refugee families.
The Study-Preparatory German courses are financed by the German Academic Exchange Service („Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst“, DAAD) with the help of the Ministry of Culture and Science of the German State of North Rhine-Westphalia („Ministeriums für Kultur und Wissenschaft des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen“).

Network of newly immigrated children and adolescents in school

In the beginning of the year 2014, scientists of the Mercator Institute, the Centre for Teacher Education and the intercultural Research on Qualifications and Training of the University of Cologne created the network of newly immigrated children and adolescents in school.
The network aims to get information about the school situation of refugees and how science can contribute research which combines practice and politics in a sensible way. One of the first activities was a national conference in June 2015 and the publication of a study with the name „Newly immigradted children and adolescents in school“ in October 2015. A newer version of this article is available since October 2016.
In March 2017, there was an international symposium and in the beginning of 2018, the network published a anthology with the name „Immigration and Education – an interdisciplinary perspective on transitions to the German Education system“.

More information and contacts here:
https://www.mercator-institut-sprachfoerderung.de/en/research-development/completed-projects/newly-arrived-migrant-children-in-schools/

Ethnography on Your Doorstep: Refugees in and around Cologne
 

2 semester for Master’s and advanced Bachelor students of Ethnology, „Sprachen und Kulturen der Islamischen Welt (SKIW)“ and Intercultural Communication and Education (IKB)
lecturers: Prof. Dr. Michaela Pelican, Prof. Dr. Sabine Damir-Geilsdorf

Ethnology and Islamic Studies are offereing the educational research programme „Ethnography right on our doorsteps“, which builds upon a methodical concept of ethnographical field research. Participants should choose a research topic with a current interest in social policy and collect data by themselves. Current projects in the field research are about the situation of refugees in Cologne and its surrounding. There are topics like: medical care, church asylum, study and professional training, voluntary service as well as the broader field of flight-family-friends.

Please find more information about past and present offers:
http://ethnologie.phil-fak.uni-koeln.de/content.php?lang=en&kid=325

The S.U.C.RE. Programme is an Erasmus + initiative granted by the European Commision.  The consortium consists of the University of Cologne (Universität zu Köln), the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (project coordinator) and the VU Amsterdam (Vrije Universeteit Amsterdam) as well as the Greek Council for Refugees.  The Programme is a two-year KA2 Erasmus+ Strategic Partenership in the field of Higher Education.

S.U.C.RE. focuses on the response of universities to the needs of refugees/migrants students and scholars. Specifically, S.U.C.RE. focuses on the processes (linguistic support, knowledge level, etc.) required for the proper integration of refugees/migrants in higher education as well as on their academic support after their acceptance/entrance in a University. In addition, the programme focuses on the psychosocial integration/support of refugees/migrants and their proper information on legal and medical issues. S.U.C.RE. aims at creating educational/training material to be properly used by trainers for the above stated purposes.

For more information please visit: http://sucre.auth.gr

and like our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SUCRE.programme/

Contact:

Mariana Arjona Soberón, M.Sc.

International Office

m.arjona-soberon@verw.uni-koeln.de