by Leonie Oettler
Students from various disciplines can apply for the new between the and the Israeli . Despite the extraordinary conditions of 2020, the first three students from Landau have now completed a semester in Haifa. Leonie Oettler is one of them and reports here on her stay abroad.
The interview with Leonie Oettler was conducted before the current escalation of violence in May 2021. We stand by our partners who have been working for peace together since 1949.
Ms Oettler, you can now look back on almost six months abroad in the Israeli coastal city of Haifa. What did you take back with you?
I visited beautiful places steeped in history, got to know a different kind of university teaching, tasted Middle Eastern cuisine and enjoyed many sunny days. Of course, what I will remember most are the personal encounters and exchanges with students from all over the world. As a European, I have learned to appreciate being part of a union in which countries want to unite and unite. The conflicts and political issues that concern young people from other countries have made me aware of my "European bubble" and also made me re-evaluate my own origins.
How did you decide to spend a semester abroad at the University of Haifa?
In January 2020, the Peace Academy's call for applications for three places in the new Erasmus+ program was sent out in the university mailing list. Israel, with its conflict-ridden past and present, has always interested me immensely as a travel destination. So I applied straight away - a few weeks later I was accepted. Due to the pandemic, it was unclear for a while whether and how the semester abroad would even be possible. Fortunately, everything worked out and at the beginning of October I was finally on a plane to Tel Aviv - straight into an Israeli lockdown.
The focus of the exchange was on the Peace and Conflict Management Master's program. What was the content of your courses?
The courses lasted three and a half hours each, so my semester program comprised three seminars. For example, one course from the Peace and Conflict Master's program was called "Building Consensus: Basic Negotiation, 海角直播tion and Facilitation Skills". As the name suggests, it dealt with the question of how conflicts between people and groups can be resolved in such a way that there is no winner and loser, as is the case in legal disputes, but that a satisfactory solution is reached for all parties involved in the best case scenario. This may sound overly optimistic at first, but it was a very enriching experience to deal with this approach to conflict resolution. We were able to try out our skills as mediators in many group exercises. I also had a course on the socio-cultural history of the Middle East and a Hebrew course almost every day. It was important for me to learn about the history of the region and the language of the country. Starting from scratch in a language and learning completely new letters wasn't easy, but a basic knowledge of Hebrew has always helped me in everyday life. All courses took place online on Zoom. Once there was even a seminar lesson in hybrid format. The International School had set up tables and chairs on its terrace with a set distance between them. Students who were not yet in Haifa due to the entry restrictions were able to join in via zoom. A university course in the sunshine and with a view of the sea - I probably won't experience that again so soon!
Are there any differences in teaching between Landau and Haifa?
Overall, I found the teaching to be somewhat more school-based than at Landau University. We often had to write summaries or journals in which we had to reflect on what we had learned and write it down in our own words. There was also not just one final exam, but one halfway through the lecture period and one at the end. I have to admit, that was challenging, but I think it made me engage more intensively with the content. You just had to keep at it!
Israel is a conflict-ridden country. How did you experience this?
The security measures had a much greater impact on my everyday life than the conflicts themselves. Every time the public bus drove onto the campus grounds, passengers were checked by a security guard and you had to identify yourself when entering the halls of residence. Unfortunately, I also experienced people being asked for their documents and their reason for traveling obviously because of their skin color. We students were forbidden by the University of Haifa to travel to Palestinian areas. I have also met people who have expressed prejudices about other social groups and heard from Arab students that they feel like second-class citizens. The military is also present in everyday life. It is quite common to stand at the bus stop next to a teenage girl with a machine gun around her shoulder, casually scrolling on her smartphone. It was always a bizarre image for me. But I also want to emphasize that there are many young people who want to live together peacefully and include all groups. And that works in many places. The Middle East conflict is far too complex for me to take a position, but my time in Israel showed me what it means for people's lives on the ground.
Israel was also repeatedly in lockdown during the winter semester. Did that restrict your everyday life? Were you still able to see some of the country?
Of course, I got to know Haifa under special conditions. Bars, caf茅s and stores only reopened a few days before I left. During the semester, I lived in the halls of residence on the campus, which was somewhat isolated from the city, as the courses were time-consuming and labor-intensive. Not being able to go out was therefore not a major restriction. It was very sociable, we often cooked together or had coffee together and we used the direct proximity to the national park to go hiking. There was even a guide dog in the residential complex, which I was allowed to walk regularly. After the semester, I moved to the city for the rest of my stay. Despite the continuing restrictions, I enjoyed being able to experience more of life in the city after campus life. There was something going on in the streets, people were drinking coffee, having a chat and doing their shopping. I was finally able to use a few words of Hebrew here and there. At the beach, just 20 minutes away, people were walking, jogging, surfing and swimming. In between, I went on trips with friends to Acre, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, the Golan Heights, the Dead Sea and the Negev Desert. My insight was certainly only part of "normal" life in Haifa and in Israel in general. For example, I would have liked to get to know the art and music scene, which was unfortunately still shut down at the time. After my return to the German lockdown winter, however, I appreciate that I was able to spend so much time outside thanks to the mild climate and that meetings with several people were allowed.
Your stay ended after five and a half months in March. What is your conclusion? Haifa or Landau after all?
It took a few weeks to settle in after my return. My semester in Haifa was a great experience that I will never forget. What remains are the friendships I made and the shared memories. Now I'm looking forward to the summer and my final year of study in the quieter Landau.
About the authors
Leonie Oettler completed an internship at the Peace Academy Rhineland-Palatinate from mid-March to mid-May 2021 and supported the team in the and in the cooperation between the Peace Academy and the University of Haifa, among other things She is a Master's student in Communication and 海角直播 Psychology at the University of Landau. Through the new Erasmus+ program, which was initiated by the Peace Academy and the International Office of the University of Koblenz-Landau, she was one of the first three students from Landau to study at the University of Haifa for a semester. Here she attended courses on the Peace and Conflict Management Master's program.
