Module 4: Academic or Professional Stay Abroad

Language

The courses of the module are held in German and English.

Frequency and format of the course

The module M4 consists of two course achievements (preparatory seminar / stay abroad) and one examination achievement (reflection report). Students must apply for a study or internship placement independently and in good time. The nature of the planned activities must be confirmed by the internship provider in the case of the internship. Students are strongly advised to sign an appropriate contract with the receiving company or institution in the case of an internship. The student's actual residency experience will be documented.

Participation Requirements

Students of afriZert are admitted to course achievement 1 of the module M4 as soon as the module M1 has been completed successfully. Students of afriZert are admitted to course achievement 2 of the module M4 when they completed course achievement 1. Students are automatically admitted and registered for the examination as soon as they have completed course achievement 1 & 2.

Learning content

Module M4 consists of an academic or professional stay abroad of a duration of at least eight weeks. The academic or professional stay abroad offers students the opportunity to reflect on what they have learned so far in the study program in a lived exchange, to develop appropriate forms of cooperation and encounters with local partners on this basis, and thus to test their own ability to act. Possible options here are, for example, a study visit, an internship, voluntary service, or another form of gaining practical professional experience. Fundamental for the academic or professional stay abroad is the actual experience, the self-reflection stimulated thereby, and the active search for solutions to the challenges of cooperation under conditions of difference.

Learning objectives

At the end of the preparatory phase, the students have a clear idea of the course and goals for their academic or professional stay abroad. They have dealt self-critically and realistically with possible (psychological, physical, material, ethical, etc.) challenges and have clarified organizational issues. During the academic or professional stay abroad, they learn to critically reflect on their own actions and reactions to them and to develop solutions even in challenging situations. By writing the report, students learn to connect their practical experiences with the previously learned professional and self-critical knowledge. Overall, in this module, students acquire the ability to relate knowledge from the certificate program to their undergraduate studies and learn about opportunities for future Africa-related work during their time abroad.

More information about study and examination procedures, the calculation of credit points and student work performance as well as the potential possibility to have external courses (e.g. at the home university) recognized for afriZert be found in the module handbook.