"Connect" serves as a platform for university students to get engaged with asylum seekers without having to go through a big hassle. We do this by offering tandem partnerships, which we currently advertise at our home university. This makes it possible for university students to actually get in touch with asylum seekers easily. For many university students, being able to meet people in person, of
which they have only heard about in the news, resolves existing prejudice that might exist towards asylum seekers. The Benjamin Franklin Village, which is the largest first admittance refugee camp in Germany, with which we collaborate, gives us the unique opportunity to shorten the time needed for integration. Because there are few other possibilities to learn German and familiarize with the culture at this stage for asylum seekers our tandem partnerships solve this issue allowing for small learning groups, a high standard of individuality and fostering interpersonal relationships. Without doubt, their integration will accelerate. Moreover, we bring people together, which would normally not get to know each other in their ordinary lives. Both asylum seekers and university students will be able to bond with each other and ask questions about each individual home country. At the end of the day there really is so much to learn and so much to teach.
