NEOLAiA

In May, Europe Day provides an opportunity to reflect on Europe and its achievements. Bielefeld University is part of the European university alliance NEOLAiA, which opens up new ways for students to gain international experience. The focus is on innovative mobility formats—including so-called “Blended Intensive Programmes” and summer schools—which deliberately differ from familiar formats such as study semesters or internships abroad. These short stays abroad combine digital preparation with intensive on-site phases at partner universities across Europe. For many students, they serve as an accessible entry point into the international academic world—manageable in terms of organization and personally transformative.

What such experiences look like in practice is described by three students from Bielefeld University who visited NEOLAiA partner institutions abroad: Sofia Rothenburg Picas in Örebro, Sweden, as well as Maline Lüer and Saskia Ebert in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Read the interview here.