International Experience and Reflection in Teacher Education (INTER)

In a globalised world, teachers need the skills to deal with socio-cultural complexity. Building on the successful projects ‘Diversity Contexts in Teacher Education’ (DiCoT) and ‘Tricontinental Teacher Training’ (TTT), a comprehensive, curriculum-integrated programme is being created that can be sustained in the long term (without external funding). The academically supervised orientation placements abroad (DiCoT) will be continued and further developed within the framework of INTER. The Tricontinental Teacher Training (TTT) exchange programme will be expanded to include several new project partners and continued as Intercontinental Teacher Education (ITE). In addition to placement stays abroad, students have the opportunity to choose individual internationalisation components or to complete the full programme and obtain an internationalisation certificate. This programme aims to enable students to gain international experience that they can incorporate into their teaching practice in a theoretically sound and reflective manner.

Our partner universities are located in various parts of the world, including:

• Universidad de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires (Argentina)
• Griffith University (Australia)
• Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brasil)
• University of Education Winneba (Ghana)
• National Institute of Education (Singapore)
• Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
• University of Pretoria (South Africa)
• Dar es Salaam University College of Education (Tansania)
• Indiana University (USA) (pausiert)
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA) (paused)
• University of North Carolina Greensboro (USA) (paused)
• Tashkent University of Economics and Pedagogy (Uzbekistan)
• Uzbekistan State World Languages University (Uzbekistan)
• Ho Chi Minh City University of Education (Vietnam)

Further partnerships are planned and are currently being developed!

INTER is integrated into the structure and progression of teacher training programmes. The measures include:

• Internships abroad in the Bachelor and Master
• Reflection seminars on internships abroad
• Theory-focused courses on diversity and interculturality
• Digital international seminars
• Research workshops and further implementation in Master's theses
• Central international study camps in Hamburg

Overview of the internationalization measures that can be used variably in the internationalization band. English version not available.

In addition, we have the opportunity to invite international guest lecturers to our faculty every year. The project also offers scholarships for research stays abroad as part of final theses.

The project is based on several theoretical pillars:

• Colonialism and post-colonialism: Students are expected to develop the ability to recognise and reflect on colonial power structures within educational institutions.
• Diversity, anti-bias and transcultural sensitivity: Through the anti-bias approach and modern intercultural theories, students learn to recognise and question their own prejudices and stereotypes.
• Teacher professionalisation and dealing with uncertainty: The ability to act in uncertain situations is taught using various pedagogical theories.
• Theory-based and self-directed reflection: Bringing together different levels of reflection fosters a profound understanding of international experiences.

Participating students have the option of taking individual modules according to their interests or completing the entire programme. Upon successful completion of the internationalisation modules, students receive an official internationalisation certificate from the University of Hamburg. This certificate documents the international and intercultural skills acquired and can serve as a valuable addition to a professional portfolio. It highlights the graduates’ commitment and willingness to work in a globalised educational environment and to engage critically with cultural diversity.

INTER will further strengthen the links between our international partner universities and create expanded mobility opportunities for students. The aim is to fully integrate the internationalisation component into the curricula of teacher training programmes by 2029, so that an in-depth engagement with cultural diversity becomes an integral part of teacher training at the University of Hamburg in the long term.