Intercultural preparation for our Finland interns
Our trainees' next Erasmus+ internship is already within reach: the flights to Oulu/Finland have been booked, the temperatures in the far north are being monitored for clothing selection, and yesterday the interns received intercultural preparation for their stay in Finland from two employees of the Finnish Institute Berlin.
Emilia and Olli, both Finnish students, gave a two-hour seminar on typical Finnish customs and cultural characteristics. Finland has been the happiest country in the world for years and is especially known for its northern lights, impressive nature and untamed wilderness. It is therefore not surprising that Finns want to protect their homeland and are working towards carbon neutrality. For example, Finns ride their bikes in all weathers - even in sub-zero temperatures. It is well known that they like large temperature differences, which is why Olli refrained from going into detail about saunas and ice baths, but instead talked about the popular Finnish design: the way in which harmony and design are integrated into aspects of everyday life, how the interplay between the constantly changing light and the breathtaking nature is emphasized, makes Finland a popular destination for architecture and design lovers.
At the end of the seminar, our trainees were given a small Finnish-German dictionary to help them memorize the most common words before they leave.
In May, two different groups will be traveling to Oulu for the first time: One group consists of five gardening and landscaping trainees and two supervisors. They will complete their internship at the Botanical Garden in Oulu. The second group consists of five trainees from different professions and two supervisors. They will either be placed in the relevant areas of our partner institution Luovi Vocational College or in suitable companies in Oulu. Both mobilities are part of the Erasmus+ program.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank Emilia and Olli once again for their support!
