The students met for the first time on Monday and started right off with their language classes and the cultural programme. At the official opening for the summer school in the afternoon, the students were welcomed by Professor Olaf Bärenfänger, director of the Language Center at Leipzig University as well as leader of the Arqus work package Plurilingualism and Interculturalism. He gave a short introduction into Leipzig University’s history, prominent alumni, and professors, and invited the Spanish students to take advantage of this opportunity to experience Leipzig’s diverse culture. Professor Bärenfänger’s focus on history included the following: “Spanish students came to Leipzig over 600 years ago – they withdrew from the University of Prague to come here and help found Leipzig University.” Dr Ewa Adamkiewicz, the Arqus coordinator at Leipzig University, then gave an overview of the Arqus Alliance and its programmes for students at the partner universities – for example, this amazing summer school.
The German students will travel to the University of Granada next week and spend the remainder of the summer school (three weeks) there while the Spanish students will stay on in Leipzig for another two weeks. This is the fourteenth German–Spanish Summer School that the University of Granada and Leipzig University have organised together.
To get a closer look at the summer school from a participant this week, follow Leipzig University on Instagram.