International Exchange for Pharmacy Students: Twinnet Berlin – Barcelona
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Image Credit: Vy Nguyen, Fachschaft Pharmazie Berlin e.V.
Sustainable internationalization begins with students and does not always have to take the form of an entire exchange semester. Formats like the Twinnet exchange of pharmacy students between Berlin and Barcelona can be a first step to taking an international perspective on a subject.
In September 2024, 14 German and 14 Spanish students visited their partner institution as part of an international student project by Pharmazie Berlin e.V. The program entailed five days each in Berlin and Barcelona and offered students the opportunity for professional and cultural exchange. The Twinnet exchange is a European project by the Union of European Pharmacy Students (EPSA), supported by the National Union of Pharmacy Students Germany (BPhD e.V.). Central to the exchange is the pharmaceutical knowledge transfer with workshops, museum visits, lectures, and a soft skill training in time management with an EPSA trainer. In an additional program, personal networking and culture exchange enriches the experience. In addition to funding by the BPhD e.V., the General Students Comittee of FU Berlin (AStA), and the Ernst-Reuter-Gesellschaft e.V., the project was also supported by flexible funds of Freie Universität Berlin. The funding enabled the practical realization of the exchange and facilitated an international experience for students in a compact short-term format.
The format was very popular with the participants. In addition to professional development, the students had the opportunity to get to know the curriculum of the partner country and create long-term international networks.