History of “Studies Without Borders”

On October 29, 2006 , students from Konstanz and Tübingen founded the association Studieren Ohne Grenzen e.V. (Studies Without Borders), following the leadership of political science student Felix Werth. Studies Without Borders is a branch of the French organisation Etudes Sans Frontières, which has enjoyed great success enabling Chechen students to study in France. To date, 23 Chechen students have been supported through the organisations efforts. In the beginning, focus was put primarily on recruiting and organising work groups; however, not long after, the hands-on work of the association started: Assisting students in war-torn regions. To accomplish this Studies without Borders started two projects.

The Chechnya-project was built on the experience of Etudes Sans Frontières in France. One and a half years of ambitious planning and preparation were necessary in order to give Chechen students the opportunity to study in Tübingen and Konstanz. Starting April 1, 2008, Ajub, our first Chechen fellow, arrived in Konstanz. Two more fellows, Ada and Zalina, started their studies in Tübingen in July 2009.

Within one year, the second project, termed the “Congo-Project” was ready to support Congolese students at the University of Kindu in Eastern Congo. Starting with ten scholarships in September 2007, the project has grown to include 25 fellows.

While carrying out these projects, the association and its unique idea of worldwide student solidarity has grown steadily. Not only does Studies Without Borderscontinue to see an increase of dedicated members (mainly students from all kinds of different faculties), the association has additionally become increasingly known regionally and nationwide while enjoying growing support from people involved politics and society. A counselling scholarship by “Start Social” - an initiative helping social projects with expertise and maintained by the German chancellor – has allowed the association to further professionalize and exploit opportunities for successful growth in other student cities in Germany.

After a period of intensive growth in the beginning of 2009, Studies Without Bordersis now active in a dozen German university cities.

In the spring of 2009, Studies Without Borders was given the status of an official project of the United Nations World Decade “Education for Sustainable Development” by the UNESCO for the years 2009/2010.

Today Studies Without Borders has left the fledgling stages and continues to cultivate its work to further support students from war-torn regions with effective upgrades to the program. Simultaneously, the organisation is about to become a German-wide platform for student involvement in effectual and sustainable social projects.