On Monday, October 5, Rector Prof. Dr. Roland Fischer opened the academic year 2020/21 at Friedensau Theological College, an institution of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. One week later, on October 11, 34 graduates received their certificates and diplomas in a festive ceremony.
Campus University tolerant, trusting, multicultural and cooperative
In his speech at the beginning of the academic year, Rector Fischer switched from German to English. Not least because more than two thirds of the students from non-German-speaking countries begin their studies in Friedensau. Among other things, he said: "We are a campus university where our teachers, staff and students form a trusting, tolerant, multicultural, and cooperative community. We want to promote all members of this community in a holistic way." Equality between men and women is a basic requirement here, as is respect for other religions, world views and cultures. As a family-friendly university, its concern would be to facilitate the compatibility of studies, career and family by providing appropriate framework conditions. The generous structure of the campus with its embedding in nature also contributes to this.
Eight B.A. and M.A. degree programs
According to information from the press office, the new students are enrolled in the following study programs: B.A. Theology and Social Work as well as M.A. Theology (German- and English-speaking), Counseling (marriage, family, and life counselling), Music Therapy and International Social Sciences (English-speaking) as well as the “German as a Foreign Language” course. The B.A. Theology course has been redesigned and is now more practice-oriented from the very beginning. In addition, the B.A. Social Work + Congregational Pedagogy course has been designed with the special needs of local church work in mind. The exact number of newly enrolled students has not yet been determined, since, due to COVID-19, many foreign students are still subject to entry restrictions.
One-Year for Jesus Course
Participants in the One-Year for Jesus (1Y4J) course were also welcomed. They are currently spending part of their special "Voluntary Social Year" in Friedensau, where they can learn about the theory and practice of youth work in local church congregations.
34 graduate students
At the graduation ceremony on Sunday, October 11, 2020, 34 graduates were presented with certificates and diplomas. Christian Molke, managing director of the relief organisation ADRA Deutschland e.V., gave the ceremonial address. The deans of the two departments, Prof. Dr. Thomas Spiegler and Prof. Stefan Höschele, as well as the rector, Prof. Dr. Roland Fischer, congratulated and presented the certificates and various prizes to particularly committed and ambitious students. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) prize for outstanding achievements by foreign students was awarded to Isaac Adjei, M.A. International Social Sciences (degree 2020). The Sponsorship Prize of the Sparkasse Jerichower Land was awarded to Tobias Nitzsche, B.A. student of Social Work, for his special commitment in the field of Christian Social Work. The Waltraud-und-Herbert-Blomstedt Prize for Theology was awarded to Darja Schneider (M.A. Theology) by Heike Fischer, the second chairwoman of the "Freundeskreis Friedensau International" e.V. The Blomstedt Prize for Music was awarded to Melanie Bahr (M.A. Counseling student), Lea Jelinek (B.A. Social Work student), and Mark Ato Baah-Nyarkoh (M.A. International Social Sciences student).
Friedensau Theological College near Magdeburg
The Friedensau Theological Collegehas been a state-recognized university in the sponsorship of the Seventh-day Adventist Church for 30 years. Eight B.A. and M.A. programs can be received here - some of them extra-occupational - in the fields of Christian Social Work and Theology as well as a course in German as a Foreign Language. Around 30 nations are represented among the students and teachers. Prospective students can register for taster days and get to know life in the lecture hall and on campus: https://www.thh-friedensau.de.
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