Internationals

Dear international students, welcome at HoC!

HoC is your point of reference for key competencies. We assist you throughout your studies. We offer around 100 seminars and workshops every semester – divided in five sections of focus:

The section “Lernen” (Learning) is all about time and self-management, learning and working techniques, and effective exam preparation.
“Präsentieren und Kommunizieren” (Presentation and Communication) covers how to communicate in general and how to hold an academic presentation. A quick tip: Some places in the courses on intercultural communication are reserved for participants of the International Students Office’s buddy program.
“Forschen: organisiert, reflektiert, kreativ” (Doing research: organized, reflected and creative) is about how to develop your own research ideas, how to organize projects, how to deal with data and privacy protection and what ethical research means.
“Schreiben” (Writing) deals with writing skills, e.g. how to structure a paper, how to use citations correctly and what good research practice is all about.
“Zukunft gestalten” (Shaping the future) allows you to discover yourself and your life path, and explore leadership and new alternatives – important aspects of a promising and balanced career.

Our courses and our advice are free for students. Many courses also yield ECTS credits, and they can be credited as key competency or additional accomplishment. The seminars are usually held in German. Next to the seminars, advice is offered for most of the sections.

To find what you need in your specific case, please do not hesitate to approach our International Affairs team. We will support you in English as well as German for issues like course registration, content-related questions or simply finding the right course in HoC’s teaching and advising portfolio. Contact us via email: international@hoc.kit.edu

Learning

Presentation &

Communication

doing research: organized, reflected and creative

Writing

Shaping The Future

Here is a selection of our courses to give you a better idea of our program

Courses and advice regarding learning and study techniques:

Online course Lern- und Arbeitstechniken für das Studium (learning and study techniques): Studying requires a high degree of organizational capability and independence. In the different modules of this course, you can familiarize yourself with helpful techniques for time and self-management, try out learning techniques, learn how to avoid the procrastination of tasks, and start to deliberately prepare for the exam phase. Use the following link to join the course (no registration needed): Link
Learning advice (in english): In an individual conversation, our trained learning advisors offer advice relating to learning for students. How do I plan my learning times realistically? What is the best way to take notes during a lecture? How can I structure and connect my knowledge? How do I motivate myself to study? The advice is currently given over the telephone. For more information, visit Lernberatung

Courses and advice regarding presentation skills:

Online course Wissenschaftliches Präsentieren (scientific presentation): In this course you will learn how to create a successful scientific presentation in 7 steps. You will get a number of tips and exercises to improve your skills to create a presentation. The course has a clear structure, simple language and provides material to look up the specifics any time. Use the following link to join the course (no registration needed): Link
Advice on presentations: Trained tutors are ready to support you in preparing a presentation. Your questions can range from “what are the basics of any presentation?” and “how do I structure a scientific presentation?” to “how do I deal with being nervous?” and “how do I maintain a confident appearance?” For more information, visit Präsentationsberatung.

Courses and advice regarding academic writing and good research practice:

Writing advice:

This is where you get support for academic writing in German and English: Appointment booking.

Writing related Courses:

Online course Wissenschaftssprache (scientific language): Scientific language is subject to certain rules that vary depending on the type of text and discipline. In the online course you will deal intensively with the concept of scientific language and its practical application. Writing exercises and individual feedback on your own texts round off the course offerings. In this course you can earn 2-3 ECTS. Registration

You can find various freely accessible online courses on the KIT Open Courses portal. These courses were developed by Schreiblabor in cooperation with the KIT Library.

Online course Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis and Online course Good Research Practice: Students are expected to know and adhere to the recommendations regarding good research practice. This course demonstrates what is important when practicing research. Multiple examples help reducing the fear of accidental mistakes.
Online course Recherchekompetenzen (scientific research competencies): Finding scientifically appropriate sources requires more than a simple Google search. This course teaches the relevant skills for scientific research, evaluating sources, and knowledge management.
Online course Schreib- und Textkompetenzen (scientific writing competencies): Here you will get the necessary tips and tools to successfully write an academic text. The course transfers information about text structure, style of writing, citation standards, and therefore also helps preventing plagiarism.
Online Course Publizieren in der Wissenschaft (publishing in science): This online course is aimed at advanced students, doctoral candidates and young researchers who are at the beginning of their academic career and have little experience in publishing research results. You will learn how and where to publish your scientific contributions and data.

The Sprachenzentrum at KIT also offers various courses on scientific writing: Offer

The International Buddy Program

The International Buddy Programm is intended as a platform for encounters between students from all over the world and local students. It offers a community, which epitomizes the welcome culture at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). Collaboratively organized by the House of Competence, Studierendenwerk, and the International Buddy Program, the International Café takes place on the first Wednesday of every month. This gathering offers a perfect chance to forge new friendships over drinks, all while learning about the diverse range of support services available to KIT students. If you're interested in becoming a local buddy and being paired with an international student at KIT, simply click on the button below to register. The House of Competence and the International Buddy Program offer a (voluntary) comprehensive training for local buddies. This training encompasses two workshops and grants you the opportunity to earn 1 ECTS credit. It's designed to equip you with the necessary skills and insights for your role as a local buddy, laying the foundation for a successful local-international exchange.