From November 13 to 16, 2025, we, Prof. Dr. Elke Kraus and Prof. Dr. Heinz Stapf-Finé, traveled to Tours in France with seven Master's students. Aurélie le Flem, the lecturer and cooperation partner of the occupational therapy students, organized the visit. November 13 and 16 were the arrival and departure days. On Friday, November 14, the ASH students met with the Tours students for the first time. The morning was spent getting to know each other and visiting the university. In the afternoon, there was an overview of the upcoming program for the next ten weeks of the module. In the evening, everyone met up for a walk through the city of Tours and dinner together.
What impressed ASH students the most?
"The initial doubts about the study trip quickly dissipated. The two days were very valuable for me - both professionally and personally. In the group work, we quickly found a common way of working and I was surprised how quickly my inhibitions about speaking English disappeared. The direct conversation helped me a lot, because speaking spontaneously is very different from reading or listening. I also find it easier to understand French accents now because you can communicate better in person and questions and body language help. As it is hardly possible to get to know each other privately in the ongoing project, this meeting has made our collaboration much easier: problems can now be addressed more openly and we have a common basis for further work. The activities on the second day in particular boosted my confidence in communication because I was able to talk to everyone, even in small groups. The cultural program and especially the raclette dinner together in a personal atmosphere were great opportunities to develop intercultural sensitivity and openly dispel misunderstandings." (Anna Jalaß, 2nd semester MQG)
"The study trip to Tours - France was very successful overall. The arrival and departure as well as the accommodation were organized individually, so we were able to experience another day in Paris. We stayed at The People Hostel in Tours. The joint workshop at the university was professionally enriching and offered a good exchange with the French students. The evening together with students and professors in the games bar was open, appreciative and brought the group noticeably closer together. On the second day, the French students showed us the last place where Leonardo da Vinci lived in Amboise - a place of interest that provides an insight into his entire life's work. On the second evening, a student invited us to a raclette, which gave us a lively insight into her perspectives and everyday life. Overall, the trip was well organized, well structured in terms of content and very valuable on a personal level. I took away many positive impressions and suggestions." (Nadine Dressler, 4th semester MQG)
"The study trip to the partner university in Tours as part of the "Euro-Education: Employability For All (EEE4all) International" project enriched my Master's degree course. The guided tour of the university was interesting and gave us valuable insights into the study and work environment of the French students. The open exchange and the valuable impulses were particularly enriching, as we were able to form a basis for joint cooperation with the French students. Overall, the weekend was a very valuable experience that will significantly strengthen our upcoming collaboration." (Erik Blome, 2nd semester MQG)
"I enjoyed the study trip, especially because we were able to get to know the other project participants personally. The joint event resulted in a deeper mutual understanding and it became clear that we share similar values and needs - especially with regard to organizational structures and the question of how we can work successfully. In my view, this meeting will strengthen cross-border cooperation in the long term. I was also impressed by the university building in Tours, especially the many opportunities for collaboration in small groups and the basement area where a small "hospital" is set up for training purposes. I also gained a much clearer understanding of what EEE4all stands for. Overall, I took away from the study trip a deeper understanding of the French training structures, a stronger sense of belonging to the project and new motivation for the joint work." (Christine Schädle, 2nd semester MQG)
"The study trip to Tours was a special experience for me, as it was my first encounter with a foreign university. I was particularly impressed by the welcoming design of the university and the variety of training opportunities in different healthcare professions. As a healthcare and nursing student, I found the practical and extremely detailed rooms for nursing particularly exciting. However, the exchange with the French students was the best part of the trip. I always felt welcome and was able to learn a lot about the city of Tours and French culture. I'm really looking forward to welcoming our French fellow students here in Berlin in February and returning the positive experiences. Overall, the study trip was a valuable and inspiring experience that I can highly recommend to everyone." (Sarah Steuer, 2nd semester MQG)
"It is very important to me to gain as much experience abroad as possible. However, despite scholarships and funding, it is not so easy financially and organizationally to take a whole semester or even a whole year off for an ERASMUS programme. So I was all the more pleased to be able to go to France for a few days and experience real cultural exchange there." (Hien Phan, 4th semester MQG)
"I was very enthusiastic about the study trip, because traveling together with my fellow students from my degree program meant that we were able to exchange our views on the German/international healthcare system and also on our occupations on the job market. Which are also our values. I take with me how a training institution in the healthcare sector can be structured and organized in other countries. The exchange with the colleagues from Tours was valuable, who reported on their training and careers and also talked about their second educational pathways, for example, whereby it also happened that a colleague previously studied psychology and then decided to complete training as a Registered Nurse. I have never experienced this in Germany due to the low recognition of the nursing profession." (Tina Kahlert, 2nd semester MQG)
On Saturday, the students and lecturers went their separate ways. The students traveled to the small town of Ambrois just outside Tours, where Leonardo da Vinci spent the last three years of his life as a close friend of the then King of France, Francis I.
All in all, it was a successful trip that provided a good, albeit small, insight into another country with its customs and traditions.
Anyone interested can contact the responsible professors Dr. Elke Kraus(kraus@ash-berlin.eu) or Dr. Heinz Stapf-Finé(stapf-fine@ash-berlin.eu) directly for further information.
Background to the EEE4all project
The continuous research project module EEE4all of the two consecutive Master's degree programs Practice Research in Social Work and Education (1st-3rd semester) and Management and Quality Development in Healthcare (2nd-4th semester) at ASH Berlin is an interdisciplinary and internationally oriented module. Here, students deal with the employability of people with a migration background or other disadvantages on the labor market. Local partners are recruited, usually institutions or initiatives that are active in the fields of education, work and migration. This enables students to establish their research project within a larger, already established project and provide targeted support. This is done, for example, through evaluations, needs analyses or surveys of participants. This year, the European Institute for Social and Health Research in Berlin is the EEE4all partner with the project "Crisis as an opportunity?". Further information can be found on the website of the Europa-Institut.
The international part of the EEE4all module is blocked over 10 weeks in the first semester and framed by periods of attendance in the respective countries. As part of the cooperation with the Bachelor's degree course in Occupational Therapy at the Croix-Rouge Compétence Centre-Val de Loire in France, a study trip to Tours took place. In February, the French students visited Berlin, where the annual EEE4all final conference took place on February 5, 2026 at ASH Berlin. The international virtual exchange is mainly conducted in English.
