Program Overview

We offer a variety of courses during our summer program which will take place from June 1 until July 19, 2024. Students select their course preferences from this list. Two courses are included in the participation fee, thus we recommend all students to participate in at least these two courses in order to make full use of their academic stay abroad. Additional courses can be booked (please see Costs & Fees)

All courses equal an overall of around 30 contact hours. In order to successfully complete a course, students must participate regularly in class (at least 80% attendance), give a presentation if required and eventually take an exam (oral/written) or write a series of essays. Students will receive an official transcript of records stating their participation in the programme and indicating ECTS credit points.

An essential part of the program are the workshops and activities that go beyond the academic courses. These offers are designed to perfect your participation in the Summer School and to give you an extensive experience during your stay. The non-academic activities are included in the participation fee and are mandatory.

Extracurricular Activities

• Welcome Dinner
  
  

• Intercultural Training
  To optimally benefit from one’s stay, it is useful to explore the distinctive features of German culture. Using methods from intercultural trainings, participants will have the opportunity to exchange their impressions and perceptions as well as their goals and expectations regarding their time at the European University Viadrina. This workshop will be highly interactive; participants' contributions during discussions, exercises and roleplaying will be expected and most welcome.
  
  
• Language Crash Courses for German & Polish
  An important part of the introduction days will be two language crash-courses. Within these courses you will acquire basic knowledge in both the German and Polish everyday language that shall help you to get along well during your stay in this border region. Each crash-course will be completed with a practical application.
  
  
• Weekly Academic Counseling
  To help you to get to know the German academic system and its standards, a weekly academic counseling is implemented in the schedule. These courses and workshops will deal with topics such as writing, presenting, intercultural competence as well as working in groups.
  
  
• Boat trip on the river Oder
  The Oder, with a total length of 854 kilometers, is one of Europe’s most important rivers. Originating in the Czech Republic it is the natural border of Germany and Poland. We would like to invite  you on a boat ride!
  
  
• Excursion to Berlin
  Creative, fast-paced, open-minded: since the fall of the Berlin Wall, Berlin has developed into one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in Europe. The metropolis of 3.8 million inhabitants, Germany's capital, is fast-paced. Every day, more than a thousand events take place in Berlin, including concerts, theater performances, art exhibition openings, multicultural festivals and more. And let's not forget the nightlife...
  
  
• Excursion to Poznan
  Poznan is Poland's 5th largest city and one of its oldest. Situated halfway between Warsaw and Berlin, it combines a unique heritage with rich cultural offer, lively atmosphere and spirit of entrepreneurship. This is the very place where Polish statehood was born in the 10th century. Among the must-see attractions you will find Stary Rynek (The Old Market Square) with its magnificent Renaissance Town Hall and the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the oldest cathedral in Poland.
  
  
• Excursion to Dresden
  On the banks of the lovely Elbe River, the German city of Dresden, capital of Saxony, is lush and green, filled with forests and gardens and parks. The Golden Age of Dresden was in the 18th century when the rulers invested in lavish architectural projects in their capital and supported artists of worldwide renown. All but leveled in the Allied firebombing of 1945, Dresden has been rebuilding for decades. Dresden’s beauty is characterised by an irresistible combination of romantic landscape, baroque architecture and one of the most beautiful historic city centres in Germany.
  
  
• Farewell Barbecue
  
  

"It was the character of Viadrina that affected me the most. I met and made friends with people from all over the world, people I’d never imagined I would meet, all treating each other with an outpouring of mutual respect. Viadrina may be in Germany, but it was there that I became a citizen of the world."

Alec Carver, participant 2015