Five days. Six cities. Two countries. Eight educational institutions. Travel by taxi, bus, ferry, train, and on foot (50,000+ steps). Five AACRAO members and ten NAFSA members received a whirlwind introduction to the German educational system sponsored by the Baden-Württemberg government and hosted by the University of Konstanz.
The opportunity to network with the seminar participants, our wonderful hosts from the University of Konstanz, and representatives from the institutions we visited was, of course, a highlight. Other highlights, for me, included participation in an eighth grade history class that’s part of a bilingual education program at Ellenreider Gymnasium in Konstanz - the students were extremely impressive and not at all intimidated by the visitors – and a visit to a class at the High Energy Lab at the University of Applied Sciences, Konstanz, featuring demonstrations of the effects of a lightning strikes on a Ken doll and a model house. (The lessons being: don’t stand under a tree in a lightning storm and have lightning rods on your home.)
We visited a variety of institutions, including research universities, a university of applied sciences, two universities of education (one in Switzerland), a university that focused on cooperative education, a Gymnasium (academically-focused high school), and a Chamber of Handicrafts (vocational training center). We also participated in a program with the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research, and the Arts and the nine research universities in Baden-Württemberg.