Language Centre

Bringing Kosovo to the Classroom: ISEE Project Partner Visits H-BRS

Thursday 13 August 2026

When International Collaboration Comes Full Circle, From Collaboration to Reflection: An ISEE Success Story
Projektpartnerin Zinaide Gruda zu Besuch 2026, Foto: Blerta Mustafa.
Project partner Zinaide Gruda on a visit 2026, Image: Blerta Mustafa.

As part of the ongoing ISEE (Intercultural & Social Entrepreneurship Exchange) project, WiPsy students at Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg recently had the opportunity to welcome a special guest: Zinaide Gruda a lecturer from the University of Pristina (UP) in Kosovo who has been leading the ISEE project on the Kosovo side, with her counterpart Eileen Küpper.

During her visit to the ICC class, Zinaide Gruda shared insights into how the exchange project unfolded from the perspective of the students in Pristina. She presented the results of the collaboration, highlighting the cultural exchange activities, communication challenges, and moments of connection that shaped her students' experience working with their German partners.

Zinaide Gruda beim Vortrag 2026, Foto: Blerta Mustafa.
Zinaide Gruda giving a talk, Image: Blerta Mustafa.

Particularly valuable for the H-BRS students was hearing direct feedback from their Kosovar counterparts; what worked well, what surprised them, and what they took away from months of virtual collaboration. This kind of two-sided reflection is central to the ISEE project's goals: it's not enough to learn about another culture, students need to understand how they themselves are perceived and experienced by their international partners.

The visit offered a rare and rewarding opportunity for students to see their own project from the other side, as Eileen Küpper SPZ stated “This visit highlighted one of the core lessons of intercultural communication: that meaningful exchange is always a two-way process.”

The dialogue will continue in the coming weeks, as Eileen Küpper visits the University of Pristina to share the reflections, feedback, and ideas gathered from the H-BRS students. These insights will contribute to discussions with colleagues and students in Kosovo and help shape the next phase of the ISEE project, ensuring that the programme continues to evolve in response to the experiences of participants on both sides.

 

The ISEE project continues to strengthen the partnership between H-BRS and the University of Pristina, combining language learning, intercultural competence, and social entrepreneurship in a hands-on, collaborative format.

Contact

Porträt von Eileen Küpper, Sprachenzentrum

Eileen Küpper

M.Sc., Lecturer in English and Intercultural Communication, Coordinator of the English programme (Department of Management Sciences)

Location

Rheinbach

Room

A 156

Address

von-Liebig-Straße 20

53359 Rheinbach

Contact hours

wednesdays, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. (only during the lecture, by phone): by appointment (to be arranged by email or phone)

Telephone

+49 2241 865 765