**Welcome to the Department for Internationalization and Support for International Students!**
Within the Social Affairs division, we address students' social needs, represent the student body on socio-political issues (e.g., BAföG reforms, funding for student services organizations), and offer a wide range of advisory services. Additionally, selected members of the Social Affairs department process hardship applications.
Within this division, the department focuses specifically on supporting international students, addressing international higher education policy issues, and facilitating the internationalization process.
The Department/ Unit for Internationalization and Support for International Students has the following three main areas of responsibility:
The integration and support of international students at TU Dresden,
Helping to shape the process of internationalizing the student body and TU Dresden as a whole, and
Exchange and cooperation regarding international (student-related) issues in Dresden, Saxony, at the national level, and internationally, including maintaining contacts with student representative bodies abroad.
This entails, among other things, the following tasks:
Fostering support for international students and their integration into campus life
Contributing to a climate of tolerance and openness to the world, as well as to intercultural competence within university institutions
Serving as a point of contact for all international students regarding problems or experiences of discrimination
Informing and educating international students about their rights and obligations
Cooperation with the TU Dresden International Office
Organizing or supporting suitable cultural exchange events
Enhancing the internationalization of degree programs (e.g., stays abroad, multilingualism, exchange programs) in collaboration with the Student Council’s (StuRa) Department of Teaching and Studies
Supporting activities within the framework of the EUTOPIA university alliance
To fulfill its tasks, the department networks with representative bodies for international students and with organizations dedicated to internationalization. These include, for example, Erasmus coordinators, the Federal Association of International Students (BAS), the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), and AEGEE.
The members of the department advocate for international students at TU Dresden. They gather information on needs, problems, obstacles, and seek ways to improve life and studies in Dresden.
Within the department, we support committee work—for instance, in TU Dresden’s International Affairs Commission—and participate in the Senate Commission on Teaching and the selection committee for the DAAD Prize, which is awarded annually at TU Dresden.
Wherever possible, we support students with various questions and issues, thereby contributing to the advisory services offered by the Student Council (StuRa).
For example, the Student Council (StuRa) is a member of nationwide umbrella organizations in the international sphere, such as the DAAD and the BAS. Furthermore, the StuRa participates in the European university alliance 'EUTOPIA' (e.g., through its representatives in the EUTOPIA's Student Council). Members of the relevant department provide support in these efforts.
The projects undertaken by the Social Affairs division are diverse. We provide advice, offer lectures, and organize information events; often, however, we simply identify problems that we want to address. Consequently, drafting an open letter to Members of the Bundestag (German federal parliament) can quickly turn into a meeting with one of them, or a call for better funding for student services can evolve into a demonstration involving hundreds of people.
**Interested in getting involved?**
Whether it’s playing a major role in a nationwide campaign or helping out with our advisory services—you are always welcome! Feel free to contact us at rf.istud@stura.tu-dresden.de.
You can find more information here on how to get involved with the StuRa.
