Past events
Social events winter term 2023/24
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As the weekly market at "Alter Wiehrebahnhof" was packing its last boxes, we were ready to enter the scenery and play some hard fought table tennis matches. The location is special because of the multiple uses that co-exist throughout the day. In this bohemian environment, we enjoyed many matches in different playing modes, focusing on singles and doubles, playing each rally with great determination, focus and fun. |
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A wonderful start into March! We explored the Augustinermuseum and immersed ourselves in its captivating exhibitions and architectural charm. The special exhibition showcasing Wilhelm Hasemann's "The invention of the Black Forest" featured a wide range of photographs and sketches capturing traditional costumes, idyllic landscapes of Gutach, and the men and women of the Black Forest in their daily pursuits or at special events. |
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Our last trip took us to the beautiful Titisee. During our nature walk, we experienced almost all seasons, a bit of sun, a bit of cloud and a bit of snow. |
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Narri! Narro! Another culturally unique event for us was the Rose Monday parade in the city center of Freiburg. Not only the parade itself, with well over 100 groups of "Narren" and witches, was very exciting to watch, but also all the hustle and bustle surrounding it. photo by: Sejal Jadhav, ICM Mentee |
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During our visit to the Museum of Modern Art, we were not only able to view various objects and paintings in the special exhibition "Heads - masked, transformed", but also immerse ourselves in a masked ball. In this sense, our human face reflects our personality, reveals emotions and sensitivities - sometimes even things that we would rather hide. On the other hand, it can be alienated or reshaped by make-up or masks. We moved in this field of tension between showing, hiding and transforming and experienced a fascinating evening with a photo booth, creative masks, make-up, silent disco and free finger food. photo by: Theofilus Steven Luisan, ICM Mentee |
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On 1st of Feb, we gathered in the Aula (KGI) to mark the conclusion of another enriching season of the Intercultural Mentoring Program (ICM) at the University of Freiburg # Service Center Studium for Winter Semester 23/24. It was a time to reflect on the incredible journey we undertook together and on the diverse experiences shared during the program. The ICM Program, a microcosm of the diverse cultures within our university, has been a testament to the richness that arises when people from various backgrounds come together. photo by: Theofilus Steven Luisan, ICM Mentee |
More about the ICM closing event WS 23/24!
The evening began with formalities, where we acknowledged the collective effort that each participant contributed to the success of the Intercultural Mentoring Program. It was heartening to witness the achievements of our participants, whether in overcoming language barriers, navigating academic challenges, or fostering cross-cultural understanding.
The event seamlessly transitioned into a lively International Finger Food Buffet and Social Get-Together, where participants shared dishes from their home countries. This shared experience of flavors and aromas further strengthened the bonds we had built over the course of the program.
We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to our mentors, mentees, and student assistants for their invaluable contributions during WS 23/24. Let's carry the lessons learned and connections made into our future endeavors, fostering a more interconnected and understanding community.
Anticipation fills the air as we look forward to the upcoming round of ICM, featuring interesting training, insightful workshops, and various social events, all designed to further enrich our intercultural experiences.
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To kick off a series of cultural events, we recently visited the Museum of Nature and Mankind. At the museum we discovered a diverse combination of natural and cultural environments. In addition to our tours of the permanent exhibition rooms, we were able to interact with some of the things on display. |
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In the spirit of the new year with all its new challenges, we challenged each other and put each other to the test with bouldering. |
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Scene one, take on - action ... Scene twenty-four, take on - action! Oh dear, and already a murder has happened... |
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A flash back to the joyous Christmas party hosted by the Intercultural Mentoring Program and the International Club on Dec 14. The turnout exceeded expectations, fostering a night filled with positive Christmas vibes. Students immersed themselves in crafting, cookie decorating, and singing carols from around the world. The evening became a melting pot of intercultural delight as students passionately performed various songs, creating an international symphony of festive joy. Special thanks to all performers who took the stage. Wishing everyone a season filled with cross-cultural warmth! |
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The last intercultural training of the year 2023 was all about working successfully in intercultural teams. |
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During our last visit to the english book club of the Ludwig book store, we discussed or rather talked in depth about "The Buddha in the Attic" written by Julie Otsuka. |
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ICM's visit to the planetarium was an illuminating experience, quite literally! The show focused on auroras, those mesmerizing polar lights. As the lights dimmed, we were transported to the Arctic, where vibrant hues danced across the sky. It was like attending a cosmic light show, complete with dazzling greens and purples. From magnetic storms to celestial ballets, we left the planetarium with a newfound appreciation for the beauty and science of these celestial light displays. A stellar time was had by all! photo by: Farid Ghodrati, ICM Mentee |
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The intercultural training on Nov. 23 was a dynamic exploration of effective cross-cultural communication. Participants engaged in lively discussions and interactive scenarios, adding a playful touch to the learning experience. From decoding gestures to navigating diverse communication styles, the session was both enlightening and entertaining. The training provided practical insights and strategies, empowering participants to navigate intercultural interactions more successfully. |
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To explore the outskirts of Freiburg a little more, we took the bus towards Mundenhof. |
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Shortly before Halloween, we met up in the cozy StuSie Lounge to put our German language skills to the test. With our heads stuck together, we puzzled over trivia, which turned out to be a great challenge. |
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The Intercultural Mentoring Program breaks all records: in WS 2023/24 ICM has connected over 300 students with their mentoring partners! This semester, the Intercultural Mentoring Program (ICM) of the University of Freiburg has reached a new high with over 300 participants. On Wednesday, 18th of Oct., ICM celebrated its new success with its official kick-off. It was an evening filled with positive vibes and enthusiasm: More than 140 mentors and 160 mentees from all departments of the university met in person for the first time. |
More about the ICM kick-off 2023/24!ICM is an exceptionally fast-growing mentoring program in which over 1200 students have benefited from participation since its initial launch in the winter semester 17/18. This makes ICM an essential component in the support of international students at the University of Freiburg. This semester, to complement the peer mentoring relationships, ICM has planned various networking opportunities, as well as diverse trainings and workshops for its mentors and mentees. The ICM-Team is thrilled with the outcome of the Kick-off and it is looking forward to supporting its participants with its numerous offers in WS 23/24:
If you want to get to know our community, you are welcome to get in touch with us by emailing us at: icm@zv.uni-freiburg.de. |
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It's a rainy day in Freiburg, but as the German saying goes: "We're not made of sugar!". So we unpacked our rain jackets and waterproofs and met up anyway. Our goal for the day was to explore the beautiful city center of Freiburg. We were able to learn a few new things about university buildings, the Pillar of Tolerance, the crocodile and the Minster through challenges in form of small presentations. We definitely had a lot of fun, despite the rain. |
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ICM was at the Stadium! This time not to play any soccer though. On 13.10.2023 the University of Freiburg was welcoming its students at the SC Freiburg stadium. After the Welcome Talk by our rector, students visited the “Market of Opportunities”, with their family and friends. ICM team was very happy to see and chat with so many of its participants at its booth. |
Social events summer term 2023
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The ice hockey event was a great experience. It was so much fun to watch and cheer on Freiburg in their 3-0 win against the Lausitzer Füchse. The crowd was also singing and chanting the whole time. There were even drums! |
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Our participation in the book club of the bookstore "Ludwig" showed us that "The Midnight Library" by Matt Haig inspires a lot of thought and discussion. The group appreciated the concept of exploring alternative lives to find happiness, and the central message was well received. We also realized that different readers interpret and appreciate a book in different ways. So it's great to hear different points of view on this novel.
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The other day, we met at Seepark to have a summer picnic and enjoy the beautiful weather. |
On a summery day, the mentors of this year’s program met for the first time at the “mentors get-together” on Tuesday, August 15, 2023. It was fantastic to get to meet our committed and enthusiastic mentors. A big thank you to all mentors who participated regardless of the summer break and the current exam preparations! |
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More about the mentors get-together 2023! We are very happy to welcome over 140 mentors to the Intercultural Mentoring Program (ICM) in the winter term 23/24. Students from different faculties of the University of Freiburg have joined the pool of mentors, among them many former participants of ICM, offering their previous experience as mentors or mentees. All united in their goal to help international students get off to the best possible start within a mentoring relationship, ICM mentors support the new comers with their transition and integration into the new academic and social system in Germany and offer mentees a study-related exchange of experience and knowledge. In a one-to-one mentoring relationship or within small groups, the mentees will have the opportunity to explore this new culture. |
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Have you noticed that apparently the summer returned? To use that appropriately we traveled to Titisee within the Black Forest. Together we went for a walk around the lake. Afterwards we were able to observe some of the most touristy places of Titisee, while we treated ourselves to an ice cream. It was a great outing! |
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Strike/ spare/ split - who will achieve the most points? We went to the Bowlingpark in Freiburg and tried to knock down as many pins as possible. The competition was nice. However, we also got to talk and get to know each other, which made the afternoon even more fun! |
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We were playing frisbee in the shadow and got to know each other by chatting about our lifes and hobbies. We finished this nice chillout off with some ice cream. |
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So we were able to take full advantage of the unrainy hours in the evening! |
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For this we visited the so-called aka-Filmclub, a student flimclub that offers a varied and sophisticated film program at affordable prices. Based on our experience, it is a recommendable event for all students. |
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In the Intercultural Training the participants learned to develop intercultural competences to enhance teamwork and to collaborate with diverse team members. |
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In a variety of ways, whether with singing, dancing, comedy or a Kahoot quiz, we were treated to a very inspiring evening while tasting different Indian snacks and enjoying an after-party with the most popular hits of India. Thank you to our Indian ICM mentors who put all their heart and soul into the preparation of this evening and to all those of you who prepared a performance. |
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We were all rather critical of the book and therefore had a lively discussion with new, interesting aspects and ideas about it. Thank you to the book shop "Ludwig" for letting us join this great event! |
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How nice is it to enjoy the warm spring weather, go outside and get our bodies moving? That’s precisely what we did - we met in Stadtpark and did a little workout together. The goal of the workout was to just feel good and do something good for our bodies, health and mind. |
Social events winter term 2022/2023
At our face-to-face closing event on 11th of February 2023, we celebrated another successful semester of ICM. We would like to thank all mentees and mentors for being part of this kind, supportive and welcoming community. |
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More about the closing event 2022/23! At our face-to-face closing event on 11th of February, we celebrated another successful semester of ICM: More than 150 international students participated as mentees this semester and mastered the challenge of starting their studies in a new country. They were supported by about 150 mentors who were always happy to share their own experiences with their mentee(s) and to offer advice. We would like to thank all mentees and mentors for being part of this kind, supportive and welcoming community. ICM – a win-win situation for both mentees and mentors At the closing event, we were especially delighted by the personal reports of two of our longstanding mentors. They shared their personal mentoring experience and emphasized that being a mentor not only is a great way to support newcomers but it also provides so many benefits for mentors themselves. Not to forget it can be a lot of fun! International Fingerfood Party After the formal part and a short feedback session we turned our closing event into an international fingerfood party. Many participants contributed a dish or snack from their home country and we were incredibly impressed by the beautiful and delicious international finger food buffet we created together. Trying those different dishes from all over the world was a real highlight of the event. Thank you for all the effort you put into this! |
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In the museum, we got to know more about how the holiday arose, which meanings the costumes have and how Fasnet is celebrated in different areas of Germany. We were given a tour by a great guide and it was really interesting for the international students to immerse in German culture and customs. |
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The book club was incredible, we did not only have an interesting discussion about the book but also laughed and chatted a lot with the other participants. Thank you to the book shop "Ludwig" for letting us join this great event! |
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With this win and the goals of Lucas Höler and Michael Gregoritsch, the team of coach Christian Streich now is at fourth place of the German Bundesliga! We watched the match together on a big screen in a bar. |
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Isn't it crazy how you might be living in a city for years but still don't know all parts of it? That's why we played our "discovery game - hidden gems of Freiburg". With the help of l ittle fun tasks and challenges, we discovered Freiburg's sustainable district Vauban and really had a great time! |
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We were first playing the game "Qwirkle", at which you have to place colourful tiles to collect points. After that, we played the game "Codenames", a game that makes you guess the right cards in teams. |
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Well, that's what we found out when we went to the theater play "top girls", written by Caryl Churchill and performed by the student theater group "maniACTs". The play was performed in a really lively and impressive way and the actors were doing a marvellous job! |
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We walked through the snowy forest, took a photo break at the Wasserschlössle in Wiehre and finished off with a cup of coffee to warm up after the walk. |
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We met at a nice little café, talked about daily life and had some really interesting realizations about the differences between our cultures. While talking, we also had some delicious coffee, hot chocolate, bagels and muesli. |
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We started off by getting to know each other over a mug of nice, hot drinks. Later, we got some food and strolled around the market, which is spread all over the city center. What a nice way to come into the christmas spirit! |
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Later, we were all sharing our opinions about the movie and comparing it with other detective story plots. In the amidst of hectic study and work schedule, it was relaxing to watch a movie with our fellow mates. |
We went to a grappling fight! Grappling is a kind of material arts at which two people fight against each other and try to collect as many points as possible. We watched the fight of our local team RKG Freiburg against TuS Adelhausen. Most of us have never been to a grappling fight so although Freiburg lost the fight, it was still exciting to watch and we had a great time! |
Social events summer term 2022
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The computer graphics used throughout the show was amazing and made us understand the topics easily. While watching the show, each one of us felt like living in a different world. The overall experience was mind-blowing! |
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We had an amazing experience having lunch together at Lake Constance with a nice cold breeze blowing on us! Later, we saw the rotating Imperia which is situated at the entrance of the harbor of Konstanz. Followed by that, we walked through the streets of Neiderburg which has old, crooked buildings and winding streets where we got some nice books under give away (zu verschenken). We also visited Münster and Altstadt and wrapped the trip with some ice cream! |
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After some time, we found ourselves in the middle of the labyrinth, surrounded by plants. While trying to find our way out, we also searched for the answers of a quiz about climate, which were hidden inside the labyrinth. To cool us down after this fun activity, we had some delicious locally produced ice cream. |
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It has been a really intersting trip and we especially enjoyed the exhibition about the responsibility museums have when exhibiting cultural artefacts from other countries. |
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We found it a really nice challenge to climb the routes and it's been such a great feeling to (after some time) finally succeed and reach the top! |
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On Tuesday, our outdoor games took place at Seepark! We played three great games: The numbers game, "Who has the bottle" and a rock-paper-scissors race. As it was nice and sunny, it's been really great to be outside and spend time together! |
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We discovered the city and got to know its people by trying to master little challenges. We ate Bretzels, took selfies with soccer fans, ran around the Münster, talked to street artists and more! |
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ICM went to the last home match of FT 1844 Freiburg. The team played really well and managed to win against the clear favourite Karlsruhe (3:1)! |
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Social events winter term 2021/22
We did it! Another successful semester of ICM is in the books. With this semester, we've hit a whopping milestone of 1,000 participants! Thank you to everyone who participated in our closing event and re-registered to become a mentor in this upcoming winter semester. |
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More about the closing event 2021/22!At our ICM closing event, we celebrated the success of the more than 160 mentees who were there in winter term 2021/22 and who quickly settled down in Freiburg and had a good start at our university. We also celebrated our more than 130 mentors who put all their energy into sharing their own experiences and who offer advice and support to their mentees in terms of integration and orientation. Many mentors have been mentees before and exactly know what is important when starting your studies. Many have even mentored more than one mentee. We had a short review about our weekly social events that we offered this winter term in addition to the individual relationships and which helped to grow together into a real ICM community. We were very happy about the lively participation and the great feedback on our numerous events. ICM – fit during your studies and beyond! We were particularly pleased about the guest speech by a former participant who is now successful in his professional life. As an ICM alumni he let us know how the ICM helps to develop excellent intercultural skills and communication skills - key qualifications that are needed in your studies, in everyday life, but also in later professional life, especially when it comes to working in intercultural and diverse teams. If you want to learn more, please check our section ICM alumni. After the formal part and a feedback round we played our new game Connect Extension and enjoyed this further networking activity. If you also like to be part of the ICM community, register now as a mentor and benefit from exciting events that we are offering over the course of the summer semester. We look very much forward to seeing you!
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On Saturday, we went to a café and had panini, salad, fruit and some coffee. We were having a really nice conversation and time literally flew by! |
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At the "countries of ICM" social event we embraced our cultural diversity by discussing, looking at pictures and listening to stories of our home countries. |
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That’s what we did - we visited the “Museum für Neue Kunst” and saw pieces of art by August Macke, Otto Dix, Karl Hofer and other artists. Seeing the paintings, sculptures, art installations and movies of the two exhibitions was both an inspiring and calming way to spend the afternoon! |
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Mundenhof is Baden-Würrtembergs largest zoo and holds about 30 species in large paddocks. On our trip, we saw camels, buffalos, monkeys, ostriches and - everyone's favourite - llamas. It's been incredible seeing the animals and spending time together! |
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To get in the festive spirit, ICM hosted a Christmas baking event, where we made German sweets together. While we prepared our treats, we also shared Christmas music from our home countries, learned about German and international Christmas traditions, and overall brought a festive feeling into our homes. |
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We hiked through the area around Schlossberg, survived the stairs to Schlossberg tower and rewarded ourselves with some nice coffee and cake after the hike. |
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"The scavenger hunt gave us the chance to do really cool, unusual things like taking a selfie with someone who’s wearing a blue type of clothing or finding someone who’s exactly 30 years old! It was so much fun!" |
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After the workshop for mentees, we welcomed our mentors for the kick-off of the Intercultural Mentoring Program as the official beginnning of the mentoring relationship. This winter semester 21/22, more than 130 mentors support our new international students. This means we have a new record with a number of around 300 students. We are very happy about this success, which proves that the ICM is highly appreciated. |
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More about the ICM kick-off 2021/22!First, we gave useful information about the program and our upcoming trainings, workshops and events, then a former mentor and a former mentee shared their own experiences in a very personal report. Both perspectives showed how important the support of the mentors is and how grateful the mentees are to have a contact person who is available to them with questions concerning studies but also with everyday questions. Many mentors and mentees had already met personally before the kick-off as we match them as early as possible, in many cases before the mentees arrive in Germany. After the kick-off we played Explore, so that mentors and mentees were able to connect with other students from all faculties and from all over the world. We thank everyone for the great exchange and wish all of our mentors and mentees an enriching and inspiring mentoring relationship this winter term. |