Exchange between senior citizen students and international students

The senior students’ programme is a continuing education initiative offered by some universities in Germany for older people who wish to pursue academic studies even after their working lives have ended. Participants, known as senior students, attend lectures, seminars or special events as part of lifelong learning. However, not all universities offer such programmes, and their scope and structure vary from one institution to another. At TU Dortmund University, there is an established continuing education programme for senior citizens which, in addition to courses, also facilitates projects and exchange initiatives. This also creates opportunities for intergenerational interaction within the university.

It was against this backdrop that the programme was established. It was launched in 2008 by a group of committed senior students. Today, it is a collaborative project run by Faculty 17 – Continuing Education for Senior Citizens – in partnership with the International Affairs Department at TU Dortmund and the International Office at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences. A distinctive feature of this programme is its intergenerational approach. Whilst many universities offer buddy or mentoring programmes in which students support international students, this programme specifically brings international students together with senior students.

A total of almost 50,000 people from over 100 countries are studying at TU Dortmund University and Dortmund University of Applied Sciences. For many international students, studying in Germany also means finding their feet in a new cultural environment. The programme helps them to make contacts outside the campus and to get to know social life in Germany better.

At the same time, the programme offers older students the opportunity to meet young people from different countries, learn about new cultures and exchange fascinating perspectives. Support with study-related matters, such as written assignments or application letters, can also be provided on a case-by-case basis.

The aim of the programme is to foster intergenerational encounters and promote intercultural exchange. International students gain insights into German culture and everyday life in Dortmund. At the same time, older students learn about new cultures and are able to view their own culture from a fresh perspective.

Senior citizen students are older adults who are undertaking a degree programme for mature students at TU Dortmund University or attending courses there after graduating.

As well as offering a very interesting opportunity to exchange ideas with the students, the event also gives senior students on continuing education programmes the chance to have their participation recognised as a work placement. Further information can be found at: www.seniorenstudium.tu-dortmund.de 

If you’re interested in getting to know international students, you’re warmly invited to attend one of our regular meetings. There, you can get to know the group, have some initial conversations and get a feel for the programme.

The focus is on socialising, conversations and shared activities. You won’t be assigned any specific tasks; instead, you can tailor your involvement to suit your availability and interests. Joint activities, conversations about everyday life, studies, culture or language, and sharing personal experiences are all part of the programme.

Knowledge of foreign languages is not required. Many international students would like to practise their German in everyday situations and are happy to have conversations in German.

If you’d like to take part regularly, we’d be delighted to have your long-term commitment and active participation in the meetings and activities. If you do take part regularly, we’ll be happy to add you to our WhatsApp group and ask you to fill in a personal details form. This helps us to get to know the participants better, facilitates communication and enables us to organise the programme effectively.

If you are an international student at TU Dortmund or FH Dortmund and are interested in interacting with senior students, you can start by getting to know our programme with no obligation at one of our regular meetings.

There are several steps to getting started:

1. A no-obligation introduction
You attend one of our meetings, get to know the group and gain an initial impression of the programme.
2. Joining the WhatsApp group
If you’re still interested, you can be added to our WhatsApp group. There, we’ll keep you updated on dates, activities and organisational details.
3. Regular participation
If you’d like to take part regularly, we’ll ask you to fill in a personal details form. This helps with organisation and makes communication within the programme easier.

We’re delighted that you’re interested and look forward to meeting you at one of our meetings.