You can join one of the many initiatives or set up one yourself!
Karlshochschule is above all a place for trying things out together. Here you can take things into your own hands alongside your studies.
You can join one of the many student initiatives or set up one yourself. Whether choir, improvisational theater, dance or cheerleading group, soccer, basketball, volleyball, the Karlscafé, sustainability initiative, student consultancy or event agency – the opportunities to get directly involved at Karlshochschule are numerous and varied. As a member of the student council, you can also directly support the interests of my fellow students in university politics.
Hakuna Matata Initiative
Hakuna Matata is one of our newer Karls initiatives. Its aim is to strengthen cohesion among students through the Ubuntu philosophy.
PhilosophyWe have focused our initiative on two central philosophical ideas of Africa: Ubuntu and Hakuna Matata. Ubuntu is “the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all of humanity.” We live in an interconnected and hyper-globalized world. We are all one big community and live by the motto “I am because we are”. With Ubuntu, we want to develop a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood as well as intrinsic cooperation and responsibility towards the greater whole. The term “Hakuna Matata” comes from the Swahili language and means “no worries, no problem”.
What we do: The basic idea of the initiative is to
- To create a common space for international students to promote cultural exchange and participation in the local culture.
- To promote personal development and empowerment outside the seminar room.
- To provide international students with the information and guidance they need to gain a foothold in Karlsruhe.
Vision: Our vision is to support a growing awareness of ethnocentrism in society and to encourage people to think outside the box. In addition, we want to create a community and a space of security in which students are supported in recognizing and developing their own strengths and moving forward in an unprejudiced environment.
KarlsConsulting
Our mission: We connect innovative students with organizations and small businesses, for mutual growth.
KarlsBeratung is a student consultancy. Since its foundation by Karls students in 2013, we have been supporting start-ups and regional companies in the coordination and development of new business projects, process or product optimization, marketing tasks, association work or sales opportunities. Our focus here is on a social and sustainable approach.
What makes us special: Our management consultancy is made up of students from Karlshochschule. We are therefore characterized by a young and dynamic approach to projects – with innovative approaches and ideas. If you are interested in a cooperation or would like to join us as a consultant, please do not hesitate to contact us or visit our website.
KarlsBuddies
KarlsBuddies is one of the wonderful student initiatives that make Karlshochschule so special. There are many unanswered questions and tasks to complete before a semester abroad. To this end, every exchange student who comes to Karlshochschule for the first time is assigned a buddy. As well as providing support with everything you need when moving to a new city, the KarlsBuddies are also friends for meeting up for a coffee and getting to know the party and event locations in Karlsruhe.
Our aim is for international students to feel comfortable and welcome in Germany, especially at Karlshochschule, right from the start. If you have any questions, suggestions, feedback or if you would like to become a Buddy yourself, please get in touch with us!
KarlsCare
We are convinced that caring and standing up for others are among the most important values of Karls.
We want to grow together and learn to support others. At KarlsCare, we integrate these approaches into the heart of our initiative. With our commitment, we want to help make the Karls as inclusive as possible. Our focus is on the topic of mental health and we would also like to sensitize others to this topic. Through the work in our initiative, we want to ensure that students who have difficulties receive support.
With our initiative, we offer students the opportunity to exchange ideas at eye level through peer-to-peer support. We want to ensure that everyone feels accepted, integrated and heard, and that they can cope with university life. In addition to the possibility of individual support, we meet regularly to discuss our progress. We also plan and organize integrative events and workshops on the topic of mental health.
Become part of our initiative: Either because you can imagine working as a mentor for other students, or because you would like to help us organize events on the topic of mental health, or because you feel you need support yourself. We are here for you and look forward to seeing you in our initiative!
Feel free to contact us if you have any questions, suggestions or further ideas!
KarlsDana
We are an initiative that supports social projects and wants to give something back to society! We believe that all people are equal and want to overcome social injustice and prejudice through empathy and kindness and give people in need a chance to be seen.
Philosophy: You may be asking yourself: “What is Dana? ” It is a Buddhist philosophy that stands for selfless giving, generosity and charity. We want to fulfill this as well as possible!
As a member you can:
- participate in social projects and give something back to the community
- Organize events to raise money for the projects – and you can improve your resume and your karma 😉
Vision: Our mission is to have a positive impact by using our privilege to help many people in and around Karlsruhe. Let’s spread as much positivity and love as we can! Get in touch with us if you have any questions or suggestions! Become a part of KarlsDana!
KarlsDyslexia
The Dyslexia Initiative is a student interest group that campaigns for Karlshochschule to become an academically inclusive institution for people with learning disabilities.
The large number of international students at Karlshochschule has shown that Germany is lagging behind when it comes to inclusive learning. Other countries have far better educational didactics and resources available for people with learning disabilities. Although Germany has already passed laws for more inclusive education, implementation leaves a lot to be desired. That’s why we as an initiative are committed to a better learning environment and have formulated five goals:
- Standardized application for aids for examinations
- Organization of educational events for the university
- Change in teaching methods for language teaching
- Granting access to digital tools
- Cooperation with other universities and interest groups
Learning disabilities manifest themselves by changing the way people perceive and understand information. This means that a person with a learning disability, such as dyslexia, may have to take a different route to the desired solution than the one that is considered standard. The emphasis here is on standard procedures, as students with learning disabilities may have biases due to their different needs in understanding information. Our current understanding of “normal” learning does not allow for these needs. We should therefore question what replaces “normal” learning and how we can expand it as a society to promote more inclusion. As a student interest group, we do not want to support pupils with learning disabilities, but to change teaching methods. Every pupil should be able to use their strengths.
Unfortunately, the German education system systematically discourages people with learning difficulties from studying at university out of shame. Therefore, we must work to remove the stigma of learning disabilities and empower all students to seize their opportunity! In addition, it is crucial to give teachers an understanding of how learning disabilities manifest themselves and to provide them with more appropriate teaching tools. This enables students to learn better.
Personal statement from a student about dyslexia in the German education system: “In the German system I grew up in, there is a much bigger stigma around learning disabilities, for example dyslexia. This may come as a surprise to international students who come from a country where they have access to resources designed for learning disabilities. Teachers and especially people of the older generation are quick to label these pupils as lazy or even simple-minded. Especially in my time, the education system was not tailored to students with learning disabilities, as we were divided according to our tripartite education concept after elementary school. This was based on grades and divided pupils into Hauptschule, Realschule and finally Gymnasium. The latter was more difficult to achieve as most grades were earned with an intense focus on writing exams. Difficulties with spelling could prove fatal for achieving good grades.
In addition, the belief that students with dyslexia were simply not mentally up to the task became entrenched. Some teachers even took it upon themselves to tell my mother that I was not allowed to go to grammar school because I had dyslexia and was therefore not capable enough. This fate is not limited to dyslexia, but affects all pupils with learning difficulties. The only support I ever received in the German education system was more time, but as my disability doesn’t allow for a break, this is almost useless. The system has changed slightly since then, but not significantly enough and especially not enough to support students with learning disabilities.”
KarlsforFuture
Mission: We want to encourage other students to actively support sustainability, environmental and climate protection.
What makes us special? We are a diverse group of students from all degree programs, united by a love of nature and a passion for environmental and climate protection. To get more people interested in these issues, we organize exhibitions on various topics, events such as clothes swaps and support the FridaysforFuture movement through active support and participation in demonstrations.
At our regular meetings, we discuss old and new project ideas, exchange experiences and plan joint activities as a group. If you would like to take part or have ideas and suggestions, please get in touch with us.
KarlsGamers
KarlsGamers is the initiative for visionaries, fighters, fans and adventurers. It’s all about having fun and making new contacts. We play both offline and online games. We meet offline to play board or card games. We also have groups on Steam, Discord and Whatsapp where we can exchange ideas 24/7. However, we don’t just play, we also use our time together to gain insights into the gaming industry. To this end, we organize workshops and invite personalities from the games business.
If you would like to get to know us, have any questions or would like to attend our meetings, please contact us (in English) – in an emergency we will send you our best dragon fighters!
KarlsKickers
Represent your university! Play for the KarlsKickers in the university league and enjoy the feeling of being a real kicker. Let your fellow students cheer you on and make sure you keep up with the stories that Kickers publishes weekly on Facebook.
If you would like to join us or have any questions about our team, please write to us.
KarlsConcerts
“Without art, everything is pure facticity, just foreground without background. Only with art do we begin to understand.”
Out of love for art and culture and its important contribution to society, the Karlskonzerte e.V. is committed to giving young, ambitious artists a platform and promoting them. Another aim of the student association is to promote the cultural scene in Karlsruhe and to create places where culture can be experienced.
A team of students from a wide range of backgrounds searches for locations and artists, carries out marketing and organizes events. However, the focus is clearly on having fun, the opportunity to try your hand at things and enjoy great concerts and events together with the audience and the artists.
KarlsMUN
Who we are: KarlsMUN is the Model United Nations (MUN) initiative of Karlshochschule International University. KarlsMUN is run by students of Karlshochschule and all students of Karlshochschule can be part of KarlsMUN.
As a MUN initiative for Karlsruhe students, KarlsMUN works closely with MUNIKA e.V., which organizes the annual Karlsruhe Model United Nations Conference(KAMUN), among other things.
What is MUN: A MUN is a Model United Nations conference in which participants simulate a United Nations committee. In this committee, the participants represent the foreign policy opinion of a member state of the United Nations and attempt to draw up and adopt a resolution through debates and speeches with other delegates.
Most MUNs are organized by students and create a selection of committees and countries, which usually deal with specific, current topics. Some MUNs also have historical committees where delegates travel back in time and debate events that have already happened.
Why MUN: MUNs are a very popular and proven instrument, especially for sociological and socio-political study programs, to prepare for activities in an international environment and at the same time to participate in intercultural, transnational events and to visit the most diverse places in the world.
In addition to the annual KAMUN, members of the KarlsMUN also attended the MEDMUN in Menton, France, the PIMUN in Paris, France, the TLVMUN in Tel Aviv, Israel and the MaMUN in Mannheim last academic year.
Our goals: Academic and cultural exchange is of central importance to KarlsMUN. Taking on a role or opinion that may not be one’s own improves a person’s understanding of the world, other positions and cultures and prepares members for an international, political working environment. This is promoted above all by the international character of the MUN conference, which brings together participants from all over the world.
Furthermore, KarlsMUN strives to promote skills that are crucial for leaders of international organizations. This includes an understanding of the basics of international law, cooperation between NGOs, NPOs and states, the structures of the United Nations and its sub-organizations, such as the International Court of Justice, and much more.
In order to prepare our members as well as possible for an MUN and later working life, we also focus on learning and improving soft skills such as rhetoric, debating, negotiating, researching and compressing.
Other: Throughout the semester, KarlsMUN organizes various workshops, seminars and debates in order to be optimally prepared to participate as a team in a MUN conference. Whether you are taking part in a MUN for the first time or already have experience, everyone is welcome at KarlsMUN! The meetings are weekly for one hour and depend on the study plan. Are you ready to become a Charles delegate?
Karl’s Storytellers
The Karls Storytellers are the student social media team at Karlshochschule. We present the Karls on the university’s official channels and tell our story true to our motto “Let’s make a difference”.
Our editorial team is made up of students from all degree programs and semesters and is supported by two coaches. Together we develop formats for Facebook, Instagram & Co. and learn everything about professional work with social media. Our focus is on creative work: content production (photo, text and video).
But we don’t neglect theory either: in addition to practical work, we teach the basics of successful social media work in monthly team meetings. We address questions such as “what makes our content contagious and shareable”, “how do we deal with trolls or shitstorms” and “how do we measure our results”?
As members of our team …
- … gain practical experience in the social media work of Karlshochschule
- … you benefit from professional coaching in content and community management
- … you will receive theoretical input on important aspects of goal-oriented communication on the web
- … you can organize your working hours freely and flexibly in consultation with the trainers
- … you will receive a fair expense allowance, as well as a reference letter for your CV
- … we have fun together trying out, playing around and experimenting with new media
Something
SOMETHING started in 2015. One student had the wish and the idea to bring all members of the University together and created this event. Thereby the focus should not be about individual talents, but more about students of Karlshochschule working on projects together and show them on stage. At first, we were not sure how this event would actually look like. Therefore, we named it SOMETHING.
In 2016, over 70 people where involved in this event and 15 different acts were performed. There was dance, music, poetry slam, theater, a calendar project and more. SOMETHING 2.0 was also successfully used to raise some funds for a local orphanage. In the future we aim to organize this event on a yearly basis in order to support and further develop the so-called “KarlsSpirit”.
Voices@Karls
Voices@Karls is a feminist initiative that organizes events and further education for the Karls and Karlsruhe community. Our flagship event is the annual KarlsPride. In addition, we have organized events, lectures and workshops and other initiatives related to the Karls’ commitment to inclusion, e.g. on gender equality, anti-racism, mental well-being, LGTBQI+, physical and mental impairments and their intersections, sexual harassment, microaggressions, self-determination and empowerment… We also meet regularly in a smaller group to talk about these topics, support each other and reflect on them.
We want to have open discussions about these various topics. We celebrate our similarities and differences, because no one should feel excluded. It’s amazing to get to know the people beneath the surface and become aware of our different talents.
Our focus is on recognizing each unique personality, educating inclusion and empowerment and showing how proud we are of our diversity. We believe that this is exactly what makes Karls so special. In the events we organize, we share our experiences in a direct and supportive environment. From this we build a platform for reflective and honest discussions and find answers to our questions. Our evenings are a mixture of discussions, questions, answers and open mic sessions, even with an artistic finale at the end.
If you would like to be involved in brainstorming and organizing such events, we would like to welcome you to the Voices@Karls team! The ideas and contributions of each individual are highly valued. Roles in project management, marketing and communications, social media, editing and moderation, expert panels and demonstrations are available. There are no limits to your imagination.
If you have any questions, feedback or requests, or would like to discuss diversity topics with us and prepare future events, we look forward to hearing from you!
Student Representation (StuV)
The student representatives at Karlshochschule have a wide range of tasks. As a team, we try to represent the students of Karlshochschule in all matters, to help them and to communicate and mediate between them and the university.
The StuV is democratically elected by the student body at the beginning of the winter semester and has a term of office of two semesters.
We have an open door policy and would like to encourage all students to give constructive feedback or contribute ideas at any time in order to continuously improve the conditions at our university. We have already implemented a wide variety of projects, such as the student kitchen and unisex toilets.
We represent the interests of our fellow students in the Appointments Committee, the Examination Board, the Quality Committee and the Faculty Council and play our part in improving our university. We can have a say in which new professors should work at our university and which improvements should be made to everyday university life. Numerous trial lectures and evaluations are carried out for this purpose. With the help of the course speakers, we ensure a better flow of information within the degree programs and courses and greater transparency.
We are also responsible for merchandising and the lockers at Karlshochschule. To make everyday study life easier and more enjoyable, we make sure that our students can store their valuables and study materials well.
We also help organize the orientation week for new students at the beginning of the winter semester to ensure an optimal start to university life. We also regularly organize events, study trips and lectures.
Do you have any ideas on how we can further improve the Karls? Would you like to rent a locker? Get in touch with us or stand for the next election! We are here to represent your interests.
