Preparation year: A small initiative with a big impact
The preparation year allows school leavers who had to flee the war in Ukraine to prepare them for their university studies. The year is packed with language courses and introductory classes to study methods, transferable skills and much more. Martina Carolus, head of exchange programmes, and Jana Müller, project manager of the preparation year, explain how the preparation year differs from other ways how the University of Bern is helping Ukrainian refugees.
Jana and Martina, could you please explain what the preparation year is and how it came about?
Martina: After the war in Ukraine started, we had days when we received 30-40 E-Mails from Ukrainians who asked about studying at the University of Bern. The preparation year is intended for school leavers who had to flee the war in Ukraine and are neither eligible for an exchange semester nor for regular enrolment.
The preparation year for Ukrainian school leavers was set up in the space of two months. We brought actors from the Canton of Bern and different parts of the university together, such as the admission office (ZIB), the career guidance centre in Bern (BIZ) and the development of academic programs (SAE), who all contributed to finding a solution.
The interest in the preparation year was initially very high, but the language placement test reduced the number of candidates significantly. They had to pass a test on level B1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Now we have 12 participants who have spent the summer studying for an intensive course in German. Eventually, they will have to reach level C1 to be allowed to study at the University of Bern
Why can’t Ukrainian school leavers attend university?
Martina: They cannot register as exchange students because they were not enrolled at a university in Ukraine. Neither are they allowed to enrol as regular students because they need to have studied for two years in Ukraine. In addition, they need to speak German on level C1 to fulfil the admission requirements for a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Bern.
Jana: For those who pass the preparation year it will replace the enrolment criteria of having studied for two years. They will also attend German courses to prepare them for their studies. All the teachers at the Language Centre at the University of Bern have worked extremely hard to set up courses quickly. They put together a demanding but well-structured language schedule that will help them reach C1 within one year.
Do exchange students from Ukraine receive a different status than regular exchange students?
Martina: No. The crucial difference is that our Ukrainian exchange students did not choose to come here. They are fleeing a war. Regular exchange students come here for an adventure and are part of a programme that in many cases supports them financially and regulates the accreditation of courses at their home university. They are selected by their home universities which also support them in administrative matters.
For the autumn semester of 2022, we received 143 applications from students currently enrolled at Ukrainian universities for an exchange at the University of Bern. This has doubled the usual number of exchange applications, which we handled without having any additional resources. This shows the big commitment of everyone involved at UniBE International and of the departmental exchange coordinators at the faculties.
What will the participants learn during the preparation year?
Jana: The first semester consists of German courses, intercultural competences, research methods, academic skills, an introduction to campus and life in Switzerland. It also includes a mentoring programme with the SUB, Unisport, and social activities.
For the spring semester of 2023 we are preparing a range of subject-specific introductory classes. For that we are currently in discussions with different lecturers to find suitable courses. Of course, the German courses will continue. We want to offer the participants the best possible grounding in different fields to prepare them for their studies.
What is planned for next year?
Jana: The preparation year was a response to the war in Ukraine. We will take many of the learnings forward into the pilot phase of a new project called “Compass UniBE”, which will prepare refugees from any country for studying at the University of Bern.
Preparation year for people who had to flee Ukraine
The preparatory year is designed to qualify participants for admission to a bachelor’s degree program at the University of Bern (except human and dental medicine and sports science). A German level of C1 is achieved through intensive German courses. Courses taken during the preparatory year cannot be credited to a later bachelor’s degree program.
Compass UniBE – University preparation for refugee students
The path to a university degree is full of challenges for refugees. Compass UniBE will enable refugees to hone their language, methodological, and organizational skills in preparation for studying at the University of Bern.
Text: Caspar Bienek
Image: Tetyana Fedorchuk