On September 26th, 2025, the UC Berkeley Institute of European Studies Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (URAP) team welcomed the Transatlantic Student Initiative (TSI) from Kiel, Germany to our campus for a group cultural exchange discussion and a campus tour. The Transatlantic Student Initiative is a student association that was created to foster transatlantic relations, and is supported by the Christian Albrecht University of Kiel (alternatively known as Kiel University) and the city of Kiel.
Rina Cikaqi and Emilia Kurilova, student representatives of TSI, presented on behalf of the ten visiting students and introduced what life as a German student looks like. The presentation highlighted the structure of university, such as courses, class sizes, tuition, and student life outside of the lecture halls. Kiel University, otherwise known as the “University by the Sea,” has a research focus on the ocean and climate, and the city is known to host Kieler Woche, one of the largest sailing festivals in the world. The students explained that a usual day at university consists of large classes, meeting friends and eating at mensas (university cafeterias), and biking home to a shared flat. They also taught the participants a popular way of ending class: knocking on desks when the lecture is over as a sign of respect for the professor.
Shelby Coleman, the Editor-in-Chief of the IES URAP, presented a similar slideshow depicting life as a UC Berkeley student, as well as provided discussion questions for the combined group. The students then broke off into small groups to share the similarities and differences they observed from the presentations, as well as to ask each other questions about their respective universities, cities, and countries. The room was loud with enthusiastic introductions and overlapping conversations that ended with a group photo outside of Philosophy Hall.
After the conclusion of the hour-long presentation and discussion time in Philosophy Hall among the twenty-two students, the guests were invited to join a campus tour led by IES URAPs Shelby Coleman, Amélia Avila, and Soliana Samson.
