This week, the NetCDA team from the University of Würzburg went with their guest graduate students from West Africa on a small trip to some rural areas of Würzburg. Cultural exchange is an important component for our students – for some, it is their first visit to Germany, often also to Europe. Thus, we – with Michael Thiel as the ‘cultural exchange guide’ and Alexandra Bell behind the camera – decided to show them some facets of German (and Bavarian-specific) culture. WIth us came our students Adjowa Tossoukpe from Togo, Badji Ousmane from Senegal, Aissatou Sitta Adamou from the Republic of Niger, and Ernestina Annan from Ghana
Our trip started in a typical farmland area and then led us to a small woodland area where a woodpecker was happily pecking the wood above our heads while we spoke about German forests. Thereafter, we discussed the German ambitions in renewable energies, marvelling at a rotating wind turbine in the freezing wind. To round off the trip, we visited Randersacker, a typical Lower Franconian village at the river Main, to inspect the water dam, stroll through the narrow streets of the old village, and learn about winegrowing in Lower Franconian.