Teenagers from Latin America experience university life in Jena

From 8 to 19 June 2026, 24 students from Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and other Latin American countries will get to know Jena as a place to study. The 16 to 18-year-olds will attend lectures, explore the university locations and talk to students. They will be accompanied by representatives of the Goethe-Institut São Paulo, which is a long-standing partner of the University of Jena. The stay is part of the DAAD-funded joint project »Study in Paradise«, with which the University of Jena and the University of Applied Sciences Jena aim to reach prospective international students at an early stage.

Study orientation on site

What does it feel like to study in Germany? What study options does Jena offer? And what is everyday life like in a university town? These questions are at the centre of the two-week taster visit for pupils.

The programme includes visits to lectures, »student speed dating« and meetings with students from both institutions of higher education. The young people also visit the JenTower and the Botanical Garden, take part in university sports activities and get to know the dining hall as part of everyday university life.

»With the Discovery Days, we want to show young people at an early stage what study opportunities Jena offers and how open, international and personal the university location is«, says Dr Claudia Hillinger, Head of the International Office at the University of Jena. »Those who experience Jena before leaving school can make a well-informed study decision—and in the best-case scenario will stay with us in the long term.«

The stay is designed as an encounter: At the Café International on 17 June 2026 from 8 pm in the Haus auf der Mauer, guests will introduce their countries of origin with short presentations and culinary contributions. This creates a direct exchange with students and staff of Jena’s institutions of higher education.

DAAD project »Study in Paradise«

This commitment by the two institutions of higher education in Jena is receiving an additional boost from the joint project »Study in Paradise«, which is funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). From 2026 to 2028, around 210,000 euros will be available to expand cooperation with German schools abroad and schools with a German focus.

In addition to stays in Jena, the project includes virtual information programmes for pupils, teachers and parents, digital self-learning formats and participation in school and education fairs abroad. Scholarships are also awarded to former participants of the taster programmes. The current application round for the winter semester runs until mid-July.

The target regions include Serbia, Turkey, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and various Latin American countries. Initial successes are already evident: five graduates from Serbia have taken up studies at the University of Jena following an earlier funding round.

Jena as an international study location

With the Discovery Days and »Study in Paradise« programmes, the University of Jena and the University of Applied Sciences Jena are expanding their international networks. The programmes create long-term connections with young people who can act as future students, skilled workers and ambassadors for Jena as a place to study.

Against the backdrop of a growing demand for skilled workers, this target group is particularly valuable for institutions of higher education and the region: those who receive support at an early stage and already possess the necessary language and cultural skills are particularly well-placed to begin their studies in Germany.