Indian students discover Brandenburg: An exchange full of experiences!

Indian students discover Brandenburg: An exchange full of experiences!

Mayor Steffen Scheller welcomed a group of Indian students to the Brandenburg town hall on Thursday. This exciting encounter takes place as part of the “Deutschland Plus” exchange program of the Pedagogical Exchange Service. The students, who come from cities like Mumbai and New Delhi, are in Brandenburg an der Havel for two weeks and live with host families. Not only have they gained a well-deserved place in the city, they are also immersing themselves deeply in German culture and school life.

The group will stay in Brandenburg until July 10th and will then spend four days in Berlin. During their stay, they have the opportunity to explore the countryside and enjoy life with the host families, although getting up early to go to school is a challenge for many. “We think the environment is great, but getting up early is really hard,” said one student, describing his impressions.

Insight into the Indian educational world

During the reception, Scheller found out about the Indian school system, which often takes in up to 8,000 students per school. Students from the first to the eighth grade are taught in three languages. “This is a completely different dimension than ours,” remarked one participant in the exchange. The Indian students are also used to the yellow school buses and enjoy their spicy and savory menu.

A meal where Indian and German students can enjoy delicious food together is also being planned - in the “Malabar” restaurant. This is where cultures meet and there is room for exchange and understanding.

Cultural activities and experiences

A varied program awaits the Indian guests. These include visits to the Brandenburg University of Technology (THB), an organ concert in the cathedral, a city rally and a boat trip on the Havel. The “Sonnensegel” gallery is also on the program. Many Indian students are showing great interest in considering studying in Germany, particularly in Brandenburg an der Havel.

A highlight is likely to be the mountain festival on the first weekend in July on the Marienberg, where the students have the opportunity to experience local life up close. Steffen Scheller expressed his joy at the opportunity to see the students again at the mountain festival and emphasized the importance of such exchanges for intercultural dialogue.

Promoting exchange in Brandenburg

These programs are part of a comprehensive coalition agreement that was signed between the SPD, CDU and Alliance 90/Greens in Brandenburg under the motto “Cohesion, Sustainability, Security”. The focus here is on international student and youth exchanges to give young people the opportunity to get to know different cultures and get in touch with each other. Supporting school partnerships and the possibility of establishing German-Polish schools are just some of the measures that will be sought in the future to promote exchange and improve the networking of educational institutions. Exchange sets a precedent offers valuable information and support for interested families and students.

The importance of exchange programs should not be underestimated. On platforms like Student exchange.net Numerous programs can be compared so that students and their families can find the right option. Here you will not only find reviews from former exchange students, but also helpful tips for preparing for the exchange.