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UAS7 Virtual Academy

The UAS7 Virtual Academy brings together students from Germany and the US in virtual and blended mobility formats. In its pilot phase, starting November 2020, eight transatlantic projects in six disciplines have laid the foundations for a future digital collaboration format to be expanded over the coming months and years.

UAS7 assists interested lecturers from the seven German Universities of Applied Sciences in finding a potential partner at one of our partner universities. Currently, students of the UAS7 universities can attend a Virtual Academy module if they are enrolled in a participating class at their home university. For further information on how to become a part of the Virtual Academy, please reach out to us!

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Objectives

Logo: UAS7 Virtual Academy

The "UAS7 Virtual Academy" pilot phase was rolled out in cooperation with the long-standing US consortium partner SUNY (State University of New York). It aims to redesign international university cooperation across all disciplines and establish new innovative teaching and learning formats. We are looking to further expand the network to other international partner universities.

 

Designing a new model for international virtual exchange

Currently, collaborative virtual teaching is the only way to offer lecturers and students an international experience. However, we plan to expand the Virtual Academy beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and develop a model to be applied to all UAS7 universities and departments. After evaluating the first round of projects, we will share our collectively gathered expertise in the form of Best Practices, to make our learnings available to other interested faculty members.

Inclusive international experiences through virtualization

Virtual teaching will enable an even broader group of students from the universities on both sides of the Atlantic to participate in exchange opportunities and international learning formats. They will gain valuable intercultural experience unimpeded by geographic or time restrictions, preparing them for future professional collaborations.

Professionalizing virtual teaching

Participating lecturers will benefit from the US partner's many years of experience in the area of Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). They will take part in individual training courses, facilitated by the SUNY COIL Center, in order to develop well-structured syllabi and be able to overcome intercultural differences in a virtual teaching environment.

News

icebreaker
27/08/21 -
  • Erica Callery

Digital Icebreakers – How to Kill the Chill in International Contexts

During the COVID-19 pandemic the International Office like other members of the HWR Berlin has had to rethink how it engages with our international partners and incoming exchange students. Thankfully the virtual tools at our disposal have meant that we could engage in creative solutions for the onboarding of students involved in online international exchange. The HWR Berlin’s participation in the UAS7 Virtual Academy has also allowed us to continue international exchange activities online with partners from countries where in-person exchange was unfeasible during the pandemic.
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Ries_Screenshot
28/06/21 -
  • Erica Callery

Warming up for a unique intercultural experience

April 2021 was an intense month of learning and cross-cultural interaction for students of the course Different Approaches to Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility in the US and the EU at the Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Recht Berlin (HWR Berlin). Students joined selected counterparts from the University at Albany in the US for a month-long interactive online course that placed international collaboration at its heart.
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online learning
14/06/21 -
  • Sara Blum

Getting to know a university on the other side of the Atlantic

As part of the UAS7 Virtual Academy Bremen University of Applied Sciences and the University at Albany held a joint seminar entitled “Air Pollution Control for Environmental Engineering” for majors in the summer semester of 2021. The seminar was offered as an elective module for students in their seventh semester in Bremen. During the seminar, students conducted case studies on the air quality of US and German cities before and during the Corona lockdown. The results from German cities were then compared with cities from the other continent.
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