German cultural institution Goethe-Institute hosted a virtual conference with principals for the first time to bring together the top staff of the schools supported by the organization.
With the tagline of ‘German ways and ways with Germany’, some 40 principals from North and South Asia participated in the three day conference, stated a press release of Goethe Institut.
Cultural and Visa Department of the German Embassy in New Delhi supported the virtual conference. The conference is a part of ‘The Initiative Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) project, a project to connect German educational institutions with educational institutions in the South Asian region.
During the three-day conference, the PASCH Initiative and its goals were discussed in detail and the resulting perspectives for students in South Asia were explored together with the school principals.
The initiative Schools: Partners for the Future (PASCH) was launched by then German Foreign Minister Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier in 2008.
PASCH Head of South Asia Veronika Taranzinskaja, said the conference brought discourse and reflection on interconnecting educational issues.
“The digital format of the conference did not allow for real encounters, but we were able to create an intimate exchange between principals and their representatives across the borders of India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Iran," Veronika added.
On the opening day of the conference, Director of the Goethe-Institut South Asia region Dr. Berthold Franke, Head of Language Department at Headoffice Munich Christoph Veldhues shared thoughts on the school-oriented conference.
The main objectives of Pasch Initiative were introduced such as awakening interest and enthusiasm for Germany, motivating young people to learn German and to create intercultural understanding.
The school principals also received information from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) on living, studying and working in Germany.
Representatives of the AHK with the pro-recognition project showed which professional perspectives, graduates from South Asia can expect, especially with regard to apprenticeships and what support for the recognition of qualifications from Pro Recognition looks like in concrete terms.
A model was also presented on how professional orientation at PASCH schools could take place. Numerous school principals showed interest in the same.
On the second day, school principals brought up current educational topics from everyday school life. Motivating contributions were made on the topics of building the alumni network, learning in the new world and classroom management in online learning, which led to constructive discussions.
Dr. Steinmetz, a co-author of German for Engineers, explained the promotion of technical language in STEM clubs at Pasch schools could be done and the topic holds a lot of importance for the South Asian high school graduates.
Head German in 1000 Schools Puneet Kaur conducted a workshop titled ‘these strange German ways while principals also appreciated the session on learn German 1 course.
PASCH is an initiative of the Federal Foreign Office in cooperation with the Central Agency for Schools Abroad, the Goethe-Institut, the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and the Educational Exchange Service (PAD) of the Secretariat of the Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany.