The EUniWell program (the European University for Well-Being) is an alliance of European universities that work together on the topic of well-being: aims to develop a common research and teaching agenda on well-being, following our core mission to understand, improve, measure, and rebalance the well-being of individuals, our own community, our environment and society as a whole on a regional, European, and global level.
The András Pető Faculty of Semmelweis University is included in this process through the Teachers Education Arena, a smaller workgroup of universities focusing on education. As part of this project students of our Faculty had the opportunity to travel to our partners and take part in common practice, plenary sessions, institution visits and workshops.
Now we would like to share their experiences:
One of the main themes of the program in Cologne was inclusion, the extent and the way of which varied widely according to the different national reports. As a student at the Faculty of András Pető at Semmelweis University, the concept of inclusion is very close to our hearts. The theory and practical application of inclusiveness was not difficult for us as student conductors, as we spend our everyday life within the walls of the institution. The main task of the program was to organize an activity. The venue for the activity was the Ecologic Rhine Station on the banks of the Rhine, which offers visiting student groups the opportunity to carry out a wide range of science experiments. The activity was preceded by an online preparatory meeting and a face-to-face field visit, as well as the writing of an activity plan. A group of five children with cognitive disabilities participated in the activity. The students participating in the program delivered different activities in micro-groups to the children. We also visited different local high schools where we had the opportunity to observe lessons. After visiting the lessons, we also had the opportunity to consult the teachers about what we had seen. We also visited the entire campus of the University of Cologne and had the opportunity to see the science faculty’s classrooms. During the program, we got to know and make friends with the students involved in the program. This trip has therefore helped us to build international professional contacts. Teamwork was not new to us as student conductors, but the program also taught us how to work effectively in a team, even with language difficulties. As a student specializing in pre-school specialization, it was also instructive for us to gain an insight into the educational institutions of the school-age group. We highly recommend participation in the programme to all special education students who are interested in the international context of education and training. – Suba Csenge & Nagy Laura 3rd year students.
For several reasons, I really enjoyed the five days I spent in Florence, Italy, at the “Education towards a sustainable future” program organized by EUniWell. For one, I was able to travel to a wonderful city with a wealth of cultural attractions on incredibly affordable terms. I was able to visit places of great artistic, historical and architectural interest, which was a great experience for me. On the other hand, I met a lot of fantastic people with similar interests and visions as myself, so I made important friendships, not to mention that the contacts I built up with teachers and students from foreign universities could prove useful in the future, even from a professional point of view. In putting together the program, I really liked the fact that we also took part in social events such as dinners and walks together. In addition to relaxing, we also had the opportunity to discover the local gastronomy, tasting typical Tuscan food and drinks, which I also enjoyed very much. In addition to our leisure time to explore the wonders of the city, the educational venues were also quite special, with some lectures taking place in old church buildings and villas, for example, Villa Demidoff, a villa formerly owned by the Medici family. I met many new people, visited many wonderful places, saw important works of art in person, tasted delicious food and took part in very interesting activities, all while having a lot of fun during the week. – Réka Jakab – 3rd year student.