Integration thrives on exchange

“To be honest, at first I thought I was going to Marburg, not Magdeburg,” laughs Luiza Sant Anna Düsedau. Born in Brazil, she came to Germany in 2016 as part of the AIESEC internship programme – and ended up in Magdeburg. “It wasn’t until a month before I arrived that I realised I’d got the cities mixed up. But I was pleasantly surprised straight away.”

The 33-year-old, who originally comes from a small town in Brazil, immediately felt at home in Magdeburg – particularly by the River Elbe. “It’s a great place to develop and you have the opportunity to meet lots of people,” she says. Intercultural exchange and gaining an understanding of different perspectives also form the basis of her work at the University of Magdeburg.

Luiza has been working at the International Career Service since 2024, where she is particularly responsible for the newly developed career certificate for international students. As part of a DAAD-funded project, she helps students acquire additional qualifications designed to ease their transition into the German labour market.

“My first task was to analyse the current situation: where do the students stand, and what are they lacking?” she explains. On this basis, various measures were developed to help students improve their language skills and develop their intercultural competencies. Since March 2025, regular German language courses have been running, along with programmes to develop social and cultural skills. Field trips and a summer school are also planned, where students can network and prepare for their career start.

“So my day-to-day work largely consists of project management, optimising existing initiatives and internal networking,” explains Luiza. She works closely with the Studentenwerk, the International Office, the faculties and also the President’s Office to continuously improve the support on offer for international students. “It’s very much about asking: What’s still missing? Where can we improve?”

The biggest challenge Luiza has identified in her analysis of the situation facing international students is the language barrier. Many students from non-German-speaking countries struggle to achieve the language skills required for the German labour market – their language skills often fall short of companies’ requirements. “They are often accused of not wanting to integrate, but that’s not true. The hurdles are simply high: bureaucratic, social and financial,” explains Luiza.

Many students have to send money to their families whilst studying, and finding accommodation and setting up a blocked account for their visa also place additional burdens on them. “What’s often missing is a point of contact to whom you can honestly say: ‘I need help’,” she explains.

Intercultural exchange is also a key part of what Luiza particularly values about her work. “I’ve always been interested in cultures – I’m fascinated by getting to know new things,” she says. In her view, intercultural understanding promotes integration, which for her does not mean completely reinventing oneself, but rather “seeing what you recognise from your own everyday life and how you can carry that forward here.”

As well as the career certificate for international students, Luiza has plenty more ideas up her sleeve. These include monthly meetings where students can share their experiences, as well as networking with companies and internship opportunities. Another highlight is events such as ‘Jobs here’, where international students can make contact with companies to explore career options.

Student participation is high. “We started with 25 students, and 19 are very committed,” says Luiza happily. The positive feedback so far motivates her to keep developing the project. “We also seek feedback to improve the programme and better address the students’ needs.”

For Luiza, the University of Magdeburg is a place of diversity and encounters. “The university is vibrant, creative and a space for exchange,” she says, describing her impressions. She herself has learnt a great deal here, not only professionally but also personally, and has built up a good network.

In future, she would like to develop a programme that better prepares international students for life in Germany – similar to a ‘Germany 101’ course, offering an introduction to German culture and everyday life. “Many international students arrive here without knowing what to expect. They often don’t have a flat and aren’t familiar with the procedures,” she explains. With the support of the International Office and other stakeholders, she hopes to launch this project to further promote the integration of students.