XVIII. International Summer School

Despite the willingness of all universities to explore every possible option to travel even last minute to Hannover, the travel regulations, the need to quarantine and the federal instructions made the planning of the summer school, as an exclusively virtual event, inevitable. However, the organisation was eased by the familiarity among the participant professors and their high levels of enthusiasm to make it happen. The spirit and ethos of the Summer School’s core team were the driving force that brought together this event in which all went smoothly from start to finish.

The first day began with the opening greeting of the Vice President for Study and Teaching, Diversity and International Relations, Mrs. Prof. Dr. Heüveldop, followed by the Dean of the Faculty V Mrs. Prof. Dr. Ernst and finally by the Dean of Studies of the Department of Nursing and Health Care Mr. Prof. Dr. Bonse-Rohmann. It was followed by a presentation from Tamara Arutyunyants, who highlighted the international orientation of the Hochschule Hannover (HsH). After that, all participants played an A or B-question-game to get to know each other, before the programmed presentations would start. Afterwards, Prof. Bonse-Rohmann, Claudia Rabenberg and Dr. Vasiliki Kolovou presented the new project of the HsH department: the network of health promoting universities NORD.

At midday, the participants had the option of a sweating workout with the physiotherapist and student of HsH, Lea Gandyra, who energetically instructed an online high intensity interval training with exercise options for all levels. The day was completed with two simultaneous sessions: the session for teachers who would also set the agenda of the next year and the session for students. The session of students included a presentation of the students of the Hochschule Hannover Niklas Brähler, who presented the projects of the department and Mareike Berhmann, who practiced together with the students a stress relief sequence of exercises. Both students then moderated a lively discussion among all students with aim to get to know each other and exchange their experiences after two years of studying under COVID pandemic circumstances.

The second day included very interesting presentations from Esslingen University of Applied Sciences (Germany) who opened the day with the best way. It was followed by the Fontys University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) with Dr. Frans Vergeer and his team united, ‘broadcasting’ from the same university room, and the Howest University of Applied Sciences (Belgium) and the students of Dr. Sigrid van den Branden who presented an exciting project followed by interactive discussions with the participants in four virtual rooms. The session was moderated exceptionally by Dr. Ewelina Chawlowska and Dr. Jan Domaradzki from Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland). The students were very comfortable to use interactive tools and gamification methods such as links to videos which made knowledge transfer easy and enjoyable. The presentations included polls and surveys, which promoted interaction and kept the interest. The day closed with Prof. Dr. Berta Paz from University of the Balearic Islands (Spain) and her students who had stimulating things to show and tell.

The third day included a morning wake-up easy training with Lea Gandyra, before participants returned to their screens to attend the interesting presentation from Dr. Ewelina Chawlowska from Poznan University of Medical Sciences (Poland). The third day the moderation was undertaken by Dr. Vasiliki Kolovou, who then gave the floor to an interesting presentation made by the students of the University of the Balearic Islands (Spain). Next, were the students from the HAN University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) with their interesting presentation and the program closed with the University of Esslingen and the three students of Dr. Lotte Kaba-Schönstein. After their thought-provoking presentations, the participants were allocated into two virtual rooms to discuss the two city projects.

The summer school came to an end with a closing speech by Prof. Bonse-Rohmann and an informal assessment of the event by thumbs up, which created so much euphoria, and as well a cheerful picture of all participants, as can been seen in the pictures below, with a lot of optimism and hope to meet in Esslingen in May 2022.

The HsH team:

• Pia Meissner who took care of all the agenda-program organisation of the summer school
• Anna Lena Sting who made a sparkling video of the campus to show to the participants, sent water bottles with HsH logo to all teachers of the summer school and together with Pia organised the booking to an online tour of Hannover city during the first day
• Niklas Brähler who was the technical support during the three days of the summer school and made sure all went technically smooth
• Victoria Mateo Hurtado who was keeping protocol of the discussions
• Lea Gandyra who instructed two hours of physical activity
• Claudia Rabenberg who supported as a team member the planning and organisation of the summer school
• Annika Köhler who organised with Vasiliki Kolovou the preparation in English language of the student participants of HsH
• Prof. Mathias Bonse-Rohmann who sets the rhythm and the spirit for summer school for many years now.

We all want to thank very much …

• Tamara Arutyunyants (International Faculty Office) and
• Melanie Köster (Advisory Services - International, Hochschule Hannover).