Language practice, intercultural exchange, and academic exchange: The Tandem.MINT program brings together RUB students majoring in STEM fields with suitable language partners.

Students who want to improve their foreign language skills through authentic exchange while getting to know fellow students can take part in Tandem.MINT. The programme is aimed at students in natural sciences, engineering and medical degree programmes at Ruhr University Bochum.

What is Tandem.MINT?

In a language tandem, two people learn a foreign language together and support each other in the learning process. The tandem partners decide themselves which topics and materials to focus on and which language skills they want to improve.

What makes Tandem.MINT special is that both partners study a STEM subject. This allows the language exchange to be connected to their studies and respective fields. For example, participants can practise technical vocabulary, discuss academic topics or work with subject-specific texts in the target language.

Who can participate?

The programme is open to students in STEM faculties at RUB, including:

• Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Electrical Engineering and Information Technology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Biology and Biotechnology
• Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Geosciences
• Mathematics
• Physics and Astronomy

The following language requirements apply:

• Target language: at least B1 level according to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR); for typologically distant languages such as Chinese, Russian or Arabic, at least A2
• Source language: native-speaker proficiency or at least C1 level
• German or English must be either the source or target language.

How does the programme work?

Tandem.MINT runs for one semester. After the registration deadline, the programme team will try to match participants with suitable tandem partners. At the beginning of the semester, partners meet at an information session and attend a one-time introductory seminar at the Centre for Foreign Language Training (ZFA).

The tandem partners organise their further meetings independently throughout the semester. A tandem portfolio and accompanying Moodle course provide guidance and ideas for structuring the sessions. Individual coaching is also available if needed.

What are the benefits?

The tandem provides an opportunity to use and improve language skills in an authentic social context. At the same time, participants can meet international or local fellow students and develop their intercultural and communication skills.

The programme can also be useful when preparing for a study-related stay abroad. In addition, participants gain experience working in multilingual and multicultural teams – skills that are increasingly important in an international STEM working environment.

Certificate or credit points?

Participants can choose between two options:

Certificate option: Participants who take part regularly receive a certificate of participation at the end of the semester.

Credit point option: Tandem.MINT can be completed as a module. Whether the credit points can be recognised in the elective area of the respective degree programme depends on the applicable examination regulations. Participants are responsible for clarifying this with their programme’s academic advising office or examination board.

The Tandem.MINT programme does not include a graded examination and does not provide an assessment of participants’ language proficiency.

Registration

Tandem.MINT takes place each semester. The registration deadline is on the 18th of October 2026.

Further information and the registration form are available on the programme website:

www.rub.de/tandem-mint

For questions, please contact the Tandem.MINT coordination team:
tandem-mint@rub.de