They are 18, 22 and 24 years old and are studying the International Degree Programme in Nursing and Aviation Systems Engineering and Management at Hochschule Bremen (HSB). Because internationalisation for students is important to them, they are involved in the European university alliance STARS EU. Since February 2025, Lia Sophie Schönrock and Jule Sobanja (both nursing students) and Alexander Peter have been the new chairs of the STARS EU Student Board. The board represents the interests of students from the 9 partner universities in the alliance
The internationalisation of studies and careers is becoming increasingly important - but there are still many hurdles, especially when it comes to stays abroad or the recognition of academic achievements. This is precisely where STARS EU comes in: Overcoming borders and giving all students, regardless of their social background, the opportunity to study in Europe. This goal inspires the new HSB representatives on the Student Board
They value European cooperation and cultural exchange and see STARS EU as an opportunity: ‘The aspect of networking knowledge across national borders appealed to me to get involved in STARS EU,’ says Jule Sobanja. It is important to the three students to organise research and teaching free of political restrictions and thus strengthen the European university landscape. They are particularly motivated by working in an international team - because STARS EU offers the opportunity to work with people from all over Europe and learn from each other.
With their commitment, they want to contribute to the further development of European higher education and open up new perspectives for students.
In the STARS EU Student Board, student representatives work to raise awareness of the alliance and represent the interests of students in the best possible way. In regular online meetings, they discuss new projects and develop strategies to get students excited about European university cooperation.
A central project is a survey that records the needs of students and identifies obstacles to studying abroad. In addition, the Board is planning cross-university workshops, joint study sessions and local campaigns to make STARS EU more visible at the partner universities and countries. The work is based on team spirit, personal initiative and the aim of creating tangible changes for students.
Students benefit from stronger international networking - be it through exchanges with fellow students from all over Europe, joint research projects or guest lectures by lecturers from other universities. ‘Students at our partner universities expand and refine their skills in teamwork, strategic planning and communication - especially in English,’ says Alexander Peter, the new Chair of the Student Board.
The alliance enables the exchange of knowledge, methods and resources on an international level and opens up new learning opportunities. Mobility is also facilitated: semesters abroad and programmes such as Blended Intensive Programmes (BIP) offer exciting insights into other university systems and cultures. At the same time, students strengthen important skills such as teamwork, strategic planning and intercultural communication, as described by Alexander Peter.
STARS European University combines the strengths of nine longstanding complementary European universities in an ambitious endeavour to reconceptualise institutions of higher education with the aim of creating a new kind of European University. The overall objective is to build a widespread alliance of committed higher education institutions to consolidate the future-oriented STARS European University. It aims to create a new generation of students and innovative, flexible and diverse education and challenge-based research systems that contribute to the sustainable development of individual regions and the whole of Europe with high impact.
The HSB students on the STARS EU Student Board (from left): Lia Sophie Schönrock, Alexander Peter and Jule Sobanja.
© Lia Sophie Schönrock
