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The workshop 'Concepts and Tools in Cultural Transfer Research. Case: Travel Writing' took place in Göttingen on 16-17 of May. The workshop was organised by the Cultural Transfer Research Group, which was initiated by Petra Broomans in Groningen.

In this fourth edition of the workshop Barbara Schaff, Professor for English Philology at the University of Göttingen and Petra Broomans organised four panels that each focused on a different topic. The panels illuminated theoretical connection between concepts of cultural transfer and the genre of travelling literature as well as highlighted the importance of concepts of identity in cultural exchange and another focused on the performative and literary aspects of cultural exchange in literary pieces on travels to Scandinavia in the 18th to 20th century.

Currently, around 35% of the students at the University of Göttingen go abroad during their studies and spend a semester at our partner institutions, participate in short term programmes, do an internship or conduct research for their (final) papers. As not all of our students will be able to participate in mobility options, the internationalisation of the curricula enables students to acquire academic knowledge in reference to international contexts and practice a change in perspective in the academic activities they undertake. At the same time, the internationalisation of the curricula fosters students’ and academics’ linkages with international partner institutions and promotes the collaboration between local and incoming students.

It therefore holds great potential for extended connections in teaching and learning amongst the U4Society partner universities. The University of Göttingen is one of the first German universities to develop a systematic approach of internationalisation of the curricula. It supports academics in their internationalisation efforts and joins forces with its international partners to further develop curricula.

Experience geographical and academic diversity. The University of Tratu offers an outstanding selection of interdisciplinary and subject specific summer programmes with versatile content.

Check them out on https://www.ut.ee/en/studies/international-summer-university-0

At the Summer School 'Creating a Climate for Change' - Lecturer Edition: U4 for SDG4 - (Groningen, 2-5 June 2019), we focus on the central theme of sustainability education; we critically analyze our experiences, share our best practices and develop new solutions a series of participatory and interactive workshops.

The aim of this summer school is to train lecturers so that they are able to convey sustainability knowledge/skills to their students. We ask participants to bring in their cases and experiences. Over the course of the two-and-a-half-day school the cases may cover a whole arry of topics. 

Sharing experiences and learning from one another are fundamental goals of U4 network activities. In this respect, the IPT&L-programme supports staff members of the U4 Universities to connect and to enhance understanding on how teaching in an international classroom and working in an increasingly international academic environment can be improved.

Conducted as yearly event for teaching staff, programme coordinators and curriculum developers the IPT&L conference seeks to provide training on what is required to organize and facilitate a high-quality degree programme from an international point of view. The conference is arranged in order to combine interdisciplinary perspectives and different didactical approaches. It invites scholars and programme coordinators, academic lecturers and consultants in international programmes to discuss their teaching experiences, methodologies and ideas.

The 2019 conference theme was 'From Theory to Practice. From Discussion to Cooperation'. Both IPT&L-alumni and new U4 colleagues were invited to contribute and to take part in the discussions.