Ukrainian young people on a math excursion at Zwickauer Sparkasse!

Ukrainian young people on a math excursion at Zwickauer Sparkasse!

Zwickau, Deutschland - On February 27, 2025, an important excursion of the Ukrainian math circle of the Technical University of Chemnitz to Sparkasse Zwickau took place. Around 20 Ukrainian young people took part in this event, which of Dr. Serhii Stasyuk, Zhijun Büttner -chen and Prof. Dr. Vladimir Shikman was organized. The math circle was founded in March 2024 to offer Ukrainian refugee children in grades 8 to 12 mathematical deepening in their mother tongue. Dr. Stasyuk is himself a refugee who came to Chemnitz in 2022 from the National Academy of Sciences in Kyiv. His stay is supported by the Philipp Schwartz initiative of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.

The lessons in the math circle take place weekly in Ukrainian to help the students develop academically. As part of the excursion, the young people and their parents were led by various departments of the Sparkasse Zwickau, where they received insights into the working method of a bank. During the approximately four-hour management, the focus was on "Mathematics in the Bank", a topic that was taught by Büttner -chen, a former TUC student. Among other things, she explained interest rate risks and the evaluation of options.

a positive experience for the participants

The excursion also included a visit to the Sparkasse's in -house museum, where historical exhibits were presented. Communication mainly in German required translations, which injected the helpfulness of the supervisors. The feedback from the participants was consistently positive, especially from 14-year-old Andrii Nikolaichuk, who would like further excursions.

The Technical University of Chemnitz is also comprehensively involved in the support of refugee students, especially from Ukraine. A support program was launched shortly after the Russian attack on Ukraine. The Society of Friends of the Technical University of Chemnitz e. V. plays a key role here by supporting up to 40 refugee students. In the summer semester 2022, she took over the semester contributions and provided a total of 10,800 euros. Rector Prof. Dr. Gerd Strohmeier emphasizes the importance of concrete aid measures, while Dr. Peter Seifert, the chairman of the Freundesgesellschaft, describes the support as a humanitarian naturalness.

challenges for refugee students

The challenges for refugees in Germany are diverse and often complex. Many stand in front of an agency jungle that makes it difficult for them to integrate. Especially minor refugees without a family urgently need support to find their way around their new surroundings. Language barriers and negative experiences in the home country help to ensure that refugees have difficulty orienting themselves and bringing their skills. According to the UN refugee aid, responsibility for successful Integration is a task for society as a whole that requires solidarity. Local initiatives strive to offer such support and make an active contribution to integration through networks of volunteers.

Overall, it can be seen that the Technical University of Chemnitz is an important place of hope and integration for refugee students. The efforts, both in the education sector and through practical excursions, help to show the young people perspectives and give them the opportunity to join their new home.