Specialised Elective "Total Immersion Week - Advanced Regional and Transversal Skills" goes abroad for the first time

Within the framework of the new ERASMUS+ programme generation Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) for the promotion of short-term mobilities with blended learning components, a BIP of this type took place for the first time at Aschaffenburg UAS in March 2022. In December 2022, the follow-up BIP could be held as a Winter School on site at the campus of Mid Sweden University, a partner university of Aschaffenburg UAS.

As in March, the BIP was based on the concept of a Total Immersion Week in cooperation with four European partner universities of Aschaffenburg UAS within the framework of the specialised elective module (FWPM): In addition to the organising Mid Sweden University, students and lecturers from Turku University of Applied Sciences, Universidad de Málaga and Université de Bretagne Sud were also involved.

The underlying BIP concept was developed by Prof. Dr. Renate Link in the spirit of Total Immersion. In addition to subject-specific and intercultural content, it also provides for introductory courses in the national language of the host university (Swedish at the BIP in Östersund) as well as regio-cultural activities, such as excursions matching the motto. The taster courses in particular are intended to establish international language tandem partnerships and promote friendships. In this way, Aschaffenburg UAS wants to create incentives for students to also participate in future BIPs or to spend a semester abroad at one of the participating partner universities and learn the local language there. This is in line with the promotion of multilingualism enshrined in the Higher Education Innovation Act.

The BIP week in Sweden was dedicated to the theme "Sustainable Business Development Across Industries - The Trends of Tomorrow". Around 30 students from the above-mentioned European universities, including seven from Aschaffenburg UAS, approached the topic of sustainability through specialist presentations by eight lecturers from all five participating BIP partner universities. The spectrum of impulses ranged from sustainable recycling, sustainability in tourism, gastronomy, cultural and creative industries, and building planning to a sustainable leadership style as well as intercultural aspects of sustainability. As a project task, the students worked in pan-European teams to develop a sustainability concept for a Swedish destination of their choice. They have already presented their draft at the launch of the BIP in Sweden. Now they are still working it out in writing and will present it online in a final BIP debriefing later this month.

In a complementary social program, the BIP participants learned about examples of sustainable gastronomy concepts during an excursion and visited the world-famous biathlon arena in Östersund. The guests also gained an insight into an important pre-Christmas tradition in Sweden, the Festival of Lights in honour of Saint Lucia. It was also celebrated on December 13, St. Lucia's Day, at both campuses of Mid Sweden University: Video of the Festival of Lights at MSU 

The Swedish regional newspaper "Jämtlands Tidning" also reported on the Blended Intensive Programme at Mid Sweden University initiated by Aschaffenburg UAS. You can find the newspaper article online in Swedish.

The next Pan-European Total Immersion BIP will be held as Spring School under the theme "Resilience - Thriving through Crisis" at Turku University of Applied Sciences from April 24-28, 2023. Students of Aschaffenburg UAS can have their participation in the Total Immersion BIPs recognized as a specialised elective module and credited towards the additional qualification "BW/ BWR with an international profile". Further information can be found in the following documents:

Application for the BIP at Turku University of Applied Sciences is possible from now until February 15, 2023.

For more information on the current BIP, visit the following website: