During the first month of the new edition's studies, or better known as the Intensive Phase, a portion of the curriculum includes class trips to various sites around Oldenburg and the Niedersachsen region in Germany.
The first class trip took place on 11 September 2022, during which students visited Moormuseum Moordorf and Esterwegen Concentration Camp Memorial Site.
Fatima Mokdad, E10 student, said about the visit: "To see these beautiful and historical sights was fascinating. What we learned about was something I never knew about before. I can’t wait to learn more about the history and culture in the region."
On 21 September 2022, EMMIR Edition 10 students participated in a packed schedule of activities to explore migration in and around Oldenburg, in what is annually called 'Oldenburg Day'.
For Edition 10's Oldenburg Day, the schedule included a trip to IBIS e.V. or most commonlz known as IBIS Cafe in Klavemannstraße, where students learned about the different projects and activities for migrants and refugees, as well as discussed the asylum system in Germany and it's challenges. This discussion in IBIS was facilitated by Carmen Mayr.
This was followed by a visit to Kloster Blankenburg where the Niedersachsen State Reception Centre (Landesaufnahmebehörde für Geflüchtete) is. The students went around the different facilities in the Centre, along with Stephan Wedemezer of the Centre's Social Services Department.
A number of participants of the trip expressed their surprise about the existence of the reception centre in the same city where the EMMIR programme is coordinated.
Justine Grace Abrugena, EMMIR Programme Coordinator, said of the day: "It was the first time that EMMIR did a visit to IBIS and the refugee reception centre. A number of participants of the trip expressed their surprise about the existence of the reception centre in the same city where the EMMIR programme is coordinated. Students learned a lot about the asylum system in Germany, particularly Niedersachsen. For a study programme in migration studies coordinated in Germany it is crucial that students are informed about the complexities of the various facets of the asylum system and the realities of refugee life in Germany."
It was such an eye-opening experience to see another part of the city where it is not glamorous and fancy but heart-aching and holds a lot of untold stories.
Fatima Mokdad also commented on Oldenburg Day: "Bonding with new classmates over some coffee and Vietnamese food, our trip started at IBISS where we learned about the ways the organisation was helping refugees and offering them language classes. Then we headed out to Kloster Blankenburg where we got to see a refugee camp and witness the living situation of the people staying there. It was such an eye-opening experience to see another part of the city where it is not glamorous and fancy but heart-aching and holds a lot of untold stories."