Table of contents

1. 1. Component „International experience@home“
   2. Where exactly at home can you become internationally active?
   3. For what and how can you credit for your international experience@home within the SprInt program?

Component „International experience@home“

Regardless of mobility abroad, we would like to recommend to all SprInt participants the opportunity to try out their theoretical knowledge in practice through useful and intentional intercultural experiences, thus offering opportunity for professional, personal and interpersonal development. Conceived in particular for participants for whom a stay abroad is not an easy or optimal decision, we now offer an option equivalent to mobility in a foreign country that has the same character of internationalization and inclusion: international experience@home.

With this new component, we would like to create an equivalent alternative for anyone who would have difficulty traveling abroad or who would like to engage with internationalization and intercultural work at the local level. We would also like to motivate all SprInt participants to get involved at home – whether on campus, in Dresden and in the surrounding areas – with a focus on internationalism, interculturalism, diversity and other global topics (e.g. sustainability). This brings us one step closer to our aspiration of linking social commitment with TU Dresden’s internationalization process. You can read more about this (in German) in this article from the Sächsische Zeitung newspaper: "International – das geht auch von zu Hause aus" (published on 6th October 2022).

So, what exactly does international experience@home mean? Organizing a welcome activity for international students, colleagues or guests; becoming a mentor to an international mentee; supporting a biology workshop at a school in Dresden led by an international researcher as part of the DIPP project “Science Goes to School”; volunteer work in a club, initiative, food bank, retirement home or school with and for people from different cultural backgrounds – these are just a few examples of the many possibilities available for your international experience@home.

Where exactly at home can you become internationally active?

To facilitate your transition from theory to practice, you can find a list of relevant activities, contact points and locations here. If you are uncertain whether your planned or completed international experience@home is eligible for credit toward a SprInt certificate, simply contact us!  

For what and how can you credit for your international experience@home within the SprInt program?

International experience@home is an important component and elective module (the module "Experience abroad" offers an alternative) of the "Cultural Expertise" as well as the "Excellence" certificate. The minimum scope of your international experience@home, which can consist of several activities and engagements, should be 20 TU (i.e. 15 hours). Furthermore, at the time of applying for the certificate, your international experience@home should not be longer than 1.5 years ago.

After the completed experience@home, please fill out the following template as confirmation of your engagement. In case of mixed activities at different organizations or in different projects and programs, please use a separate template for each activity.

Afterwards, submit the confirmation(s) to us via email, together with other documents required to obtain the selected SprInt certificate. After reviewing the documents, we will credit you with the appropriate achievement for the certificate.

Funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Free State of Saxony under the Excellence Strategy of the Federal and State Governments