‘I love the freedom we get to try our own ideas in the lab’

Third year student Molecular and Technical Medicine Sarah Schlißke was looking for an exchange minor abroad that could teach her more about biological techniques, so she decided to come to the Hanze for the exchange minor Medical Biology.

‘I always knew I wanted to go abroad during my studies, and since I heard such good stories about the Hanze it seemed like a good option. The Hanze is also a partner school of the Furtwangen University where I study, so everything was easily arranged. The Medical Biology programme also seemed interesting and all the grades I receive here can be credited at home as well, so that was very convenient.

So far, I really like the programme, and everything is very well organised! We have classes like pathology, hematology and cell biology, and we also get to work on a big project in the lab. I think one of the best things about the minor is the freedom we get during this project, because we really get to work together as a group and we can determine our own course of action. Of course, the teachers are there to guide us but it is nice to have more control and learn even more through that.

For our project, for instance, we are currently working on making hydrogels which could possibly be used inside the body for repairing cartilage damage. We are trying different processes to  determine an effective and short protocol. We are not there yet but we have made some improvements already!

I can really recommend everyone to come to the Hanze for their exchange and try this programme. It is more work than I expected beforehand because you have to prepare a lot of lab work, reports and presentations, but I still have enough time to explore the beautiful city and surroundings. The exchange programme also offers an Intercultural Teambuilding Course, where we discuss the differences in culture and get to know each other through activities and field trips. This is a really great way to meet people. And there is a large international community in Groningen that is easy to connect with, so you don’t have to worry you will feel alone!’