Fachhochschule Campus Wien

German and inclusion project miteinander.Bildung.leben at FH Campus Wien

The project supported asylum seekers with access to higher education through intensive German lessons (B2/C1 level) and social work in order to enable nostrification and further education.

Objectives

The basic idea of the project was to promote the diverse potentials of refugees in Vienna and to contribute to the graduates of the course being able to build on their academic qualifications, have them recognized or continue their education through intensive German lessons during the asylum procedure. The aim was therefore also to promote access for refugees in those areas that are often denied to them due to structural conditions: universities, highly qualified fields of work or the media.

Background

The FH Campus Wien carried out the project in cooperation with the Vienna Social Fund as the funding body, whereby the existing infrastructure (teaching and counseling rooms, cafeteria, etc.) could be used. The project team consisted of two German teachers, two social workers/coordinators and the project manager. The target group consisted of asylum seekers and people receiving basic welfare support in Vienna, who also had to have a university entrance qualification valid in Austria and an interest in starting or continuing their studies. The course was free of charge for participants.

(Implemented) Activities

Good German language skills are a prerequisite for the above-mentioned goals, which is why daily German lessons were at the heart of the project. In groups of 18 people, the participants each attended German lessons over the course of an academic year and completed the program with external exams at B2 or C1 level of the European Framework of Reference for Languages. In addition, social work support in group and individual settings, life-world activities, tandem networks with students and employees of FH Campus Wien and educational counseling (including writing letters of application, support with admission processes for degree courses) formed the core of the project.

Results

The miteinander.Bildung.leben project was launched in 2016 and supported over 100 refugees with tertiary educational backgrounds from countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Iraq, Egypt, Chechnya/Russia, Cameroon and Kenya on the premises of FH Campus Wien over the course of seven years. Some graduates were able to have their degrees recognised, to start further studies or training, or to find jobs that match their well-qualified backgrounds thanks to their good knowledge of German after receiving an asylum decision. In addition, the project contributed to intensive networking among the participants and graduates, which continues to act as a resource.

Lessons learned

Experience has shown that people in ongoing asylum procedures are confronted with a variety of stresses, which is why ongoing social work support has become particularly important in order to promote successful course attendance as much as possible through crisis interventions, psychosocial discussions, support and networking. The project made an important contribution to greater diversity at FH Campus Wien by including students with refugee experience in the university context.

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