From Saturday, March 19, 2022Ukrainian and Russian refugees can take free digital welcome and orientation courses in Ukrainian, Russian, German and English at futurelearnlab.de/welcome To take. The Institute for Interactive Systems (ISy) of the Technical University (TH) Lübeck produced the courses to support people fleeing to Germany.
Arne Welsch, Managing Director of the ISy, reports: “During the humanitarian crisis of 2015, we immediately developed digital welcome and orientation courses for the many refugees from Arabic-speaking countries. It is a matter of course for us as a university to offer help upon arrival, given the acute need of people fleeing Ukraine and Russia.”
Project developer Juleka Schulte-Ostermann from the ISy adds: “The ‘Arriving in Germany’ course we developed contains all the relevant information for the refugees at a glance. The topics range from a general orientation in Germany, for example looking for an apartment and means of transport, right of residence, health system, childcare, school, training, studies, work, learning German to the Corona regulations and media that apply to us. Welcome to Schleswig-Holstein” provides additional state-specific information on the topics of cultural exchange, language partnerships, refugee projects or, for example, help and advice centers in Schleswig-Holstein. “The option to choose between German, English, Ukrainian and Russian is of particular importance in both courses,” explains Stefanie Bock, head of the integration project at the ISy.
The courses “Arriving in Germany” and “Welcome to Schleswig-Holstein” are part of the program funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein integration project developed at the ISy and are available on the ISy’s Future Learn Lab learning platform futurelearnlab.de/welcome from the March 19, 2022 set.
Anna Lena Möller and Till Bornemann, media didactics at the ISy, conclude: “People flee from war and dictatorship to us in a foreign country with unknown rules. They have been torn from their everyday life from now on and are afraid for their relatives. In this situation, it is helpful if our guests can find out in their own language what the upcoming steps in Germany will be like for them. In this way, they regain a certain amount of sovereignty and control over their lives and can arrive with us in peace.”
About the ISy
The ISy is one of the competence centers of the TH Lübeck. With around 30 employees, under the direction of Professor Dr. Monique Janneck numerous third-party funded research projects related to the development of interactive systems and technologies. One focus is on the topics of digital education, computer-aided communication as well as cooperation and human-centered design.