As part of the internationalization of Pforzheim University and to deepen our English language skills, the five of us at Pforzheim University applied for the Erasmus + training program and were selected for it.

The group, consisting of Barbara Dofek from the International Office, Evelyn Damm Human Resources Officer, Professor Manuel Aydt Industrial Design, Monika Markert Dipl.-Des. (FH) Creative Program Manager Transportation Design and Susanne Schneider Dipl.-Des. (FH) Equal Opportunities Officer, traveled to Ireland together in July 2025.

Galway is a rather small city on the west coast and has a population of around 84,000. The University of Galway is very present in the beautiful historic cityscape. Every morning at the university, we had further training in English specially tailored to academic language. We had exciting encounters with other university members from Italy, Estonia, Finland, France, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain and Hungary. This exchange was very enriching and we were able to learn a lot about everyday university life in other European countries and their research priorities. In the evenings, we explored the pub culture together with the Spanish and Slovakians. We enjoyed excellent food, live music and the warmth of the Irish people.

We went on excursions to the Cliffs of Moher, Aran Island and the Black Rock Tower in Salthill. We experienced the many shades of green in Ireland in surprisingly mild and rather dry weather.

It was a very successful training trip and we were able to make many European contacts. We learned a lot, worked very well together as a team and took good vibes back to Germany with us.