Welcome to the Ferienakademie!
The essence of every university lies in the coming-together of teachers and students. That may sound inflated or old-fashioned, but it’s true. Yet this personal contact, which was perhaps taken for granted in the past, is rarely possible nowadays amid our hectic schedules. The sheer numbers of students are one reason, but also the numerous other changes our universities have undergone over the last few decades.
Ever since 1984, the Ferienakademie has put the emphasis firmly back on personal contact by offering a format, an environment in which students and tutors alike (well most of them, at any rate...) get to experience learning the way they’d always imagined it: small groups of enthusiastic, open-minded students; riveting topics with plenty of scope for creative flexibility; course input by the students themselves; plenty of time for discussions and continued conversations, interrupted only, perhaps, by the next mealtime and certainly not by the next scheduled session; the chance to continue those conversations on walks or in the evenings; active project work; opportunities to step outside the usual realm of study by dipping into other disciplines; etc., etc.
The format and inspirational setting – two weeks in the Sarntal valley in South Tyrol amid the golden hues of autumn – have proved ideal and have become a key distinguishing feature for the three universities that co-host the summer school: Erlangen, Stuttgart and TUM. "Elite, but without a suit and tie", is how one participant once described it. Perhaps, in our digital age, our students appreciate more than ever the enrichment opportunities offered by two weeks of full-on academic indulgence!
We’re glad you’re interested in the Ferienakademie! Whether you’re considering attending one of the courses, you’d like to teach a course, or you want to sponsor the Ferienakademie – have a browse through these pages, and feel free to get in touch if you have any questions!
Hans-Joachim Bungartz
Director of the Ferienakademie
