At the “1st Storytelling Night Dortmund,” University of Applied Sciences students Nourhan Altahan and Souhail Adib shared their migration stories and discussed ideas for successful integration with Fachhochschule Dortmund Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Stephan Weyers and other experts.
Nourhan Altahan spoke about fleeing Syria with her mother and siblings; her school years in Trier, during which she volunteered to help other refugees; how her family helped her settle into life in Germany—and continues to do so—as well as her studies in biomedical engineering at the Fachhochschule Dortmund.
Souhail Adib, who was born in Morocco, came to Germany to study business informatics at the Fachhochschule Dortmund. He described the challenges he faced in learning the language and finding an apartment. Adib said that building and maintaining the right networks helped him gain a foothold and start a professional career even while he was still a student.
In addition, TU student Ahmed Amasha shared his journey from completing his bachelor’s degree in Egypt to studying econometrics in Dortmund.
The students then engaged in a discussion with experts from academia, Business Studies, and local government:
- Prof. Dr. Stephan Weyers, Vice Rector for Teaching, Academic Affairs, and International Relations at Fachhochschule Dortmund
- Prof. Dr. Maximiliane Wilkesmann, Vice Rector for International Affairs and Diversity at TU Dortmund
- Michael Kötzing, Managing Director and Director of Human Resources at Dortmund Hospital
- Julia Hämel, Director of the NRW/Westphalia Olympic Training Center
- Birke Jantz, KIM Coordinator, City of Dortmund
Sven-Daniel Gettys from “about:stories” moderated the event, and Bastian Giesinger provided musical accompaniment.
Storytelling Night
"Storytelling Night Dortmund" is a collaboration between NRW.integrativ, KIM Dortmund, TU Dortmund, Fachhochschule Dortmund, DKH, and the City of Dortmund. The goal is to support new immigrants, refugees, and international students as they enter the job market and to highlight their potential for society and the economy. The initiative is funded by the Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees, and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
The event is part of the AIM2WORK campaign by NRW.integrativ. The campaign aims to promote immigration and integration into the labor market.