Speech and Language Pathology Programme on staff trip to Aachen

The Programme decided to use the prize money to develop the internationalisation work, and they wanted to make a study trip somewhere in Europe to be inspired by other speech and language pathology programmes. Ellika Schalling, one of the Programme’s teachers and Professor of Speech-Language Pathology, already has good contacts with Stefan Heim, Professor at Aachen University of Technology (RWTH Aachen), and suggested a trip there. This university is home to the first academic speech and language pathology programme in Germany and has a very good reputation and high academic status.

Different travel routes

Already in February, an invitation from Stefan Heim was ready. This meant that the five Uppsala colleagues who would be attending the trip could apply for Erasmus funding for staff training, to cover part of the travel costs. The process was quick and smooth, and everyone received their travel grants in April. On the third weekend of June, the journey to Aachen began.

Some of the participants chose to travel the green way by train and bus, while some, for practical reasons, had to opt for air travel. Therefore, the day of departure varied somewhat, but by Sunday, 18 June, everyone had arrived at the hotel for a joint dinner and walk around Aachen’s beautiful old town before the visiting schedule started the following day.

From the hotel, which was right next to the bus station in Aachen, it was easy to take the local bus to the Uniklinikum (the university hospital), where the speech and language pathology programme is run, and all the teachers have their offices. The Uniklinikum is housed in a spectacular hospital building, to say the least!

The architecture is industrial and futuristic, and the exterior is reminiscent of an oil refinery. Inside, a bright green colour covers the walls and floors, and the reception and kiosk at the hospital entrance are reminiscent of a train station. A distinctive striped green carpet runs throughout the hospital, and there are steel pipes and grids on walls everywhere.

Professor Stefan Heim and his colleagues welcomed the group of speech therapists from Uppsala at the hospital entrance, and the architecture naturally became the first topic of conversation. Stefan jokingly said that you either had to love it or, you didn't work there. And then he added that there are countless rolls of the distinctive carpet in the basement, so you can replace it when it wears out.

Impressive amount of consultations

The visiting schedule began with a presentation of the structure and framework of the speech and language pathology programme in Aachen. In Aachen, there is a five-year master’s programme, unlike the Swedish four-year speech and language pathology programme. However, speech therapists in Germany do not work under a protected professional title, which means there are several non-academic programmes, often two years long, which allow people to work in speech and language therapy without an academic degree. Stefan explained that they are trying to push for the recognition of speech and language pathology education according to the same system as in Sweden, with requirements for an academic degree and certification.

The colleagues from Uppsala, on their part, were impressed by the large amount of clinical experience the students in Aachen get. During their first three years, the students do 150 unique consultations and write a detailed report for each patient. This is possible thanks to a well-developed cooperation with a nursery school close to the hospital and, of course, the cooperation with the university hospital and other healthcare units linked to it.

The group also visited an aphasia ward where the clinic’s programme for intensive treatment of aphasia is being evaluated in an exciting research project, which has a lot in common with an ongoing project in Uppsala. Ideas were formed and contacts were exchanged, both about research and possible degree projects.

A visit was also made to the basement of the MR lab, where a project to map the brain’s activity around speech melody and word synthesis is underway using magnetic resonance imaging. The day was concluded with a nice dinner with the whole team, both from RWTH Aachen and Uppsala University, at an outdoor restaurant in a summer-warm Aachen.

Discussions and farewells

The second and final day began with Ellika Schalling presenting the Speech and Language Pathology Programme in Uppsala and the conditions for speech and language pathology education in Sweden. This was followed by a discussion about degree projects, and the group from Uppsala got a chance to take a closer look at some of the degree projects written by the students in Aachen.

After a joint lunch, the colleagues from Uppsala had a moment alone to summarise their thoughts and reflect together on the visit before those who travelled by bus and train had to start heading home to Sweden again due to the slightly longer travel time. It was a fond farewell of Stefan and his colleagues, with a promise to stay in touch. Inspired and strengthened by the visit to Aachen, the Uppsala speech therapy unit now has several ideas for developing its own speech and language pathology programme, both in terms of a new curriculum, academic collaboration and student mobility.

Lessons learnt from the trip

To summarise the lessons learned from the visit, it is perfectly possible to travel sustainably by train and bus to the continent, as long as you have enough time margins. In this case, it was particularly convenient to visit in June, after the end of semester and before the holidays. With efficient management, precise information from the Division for Internationalisation, and a generous budget for staff travel, travel of this kind does not have to be a significant financial burden.

Another insight is that it is extremely instructive to visit similar programmes in other countries. You gain inspiration, perspectives and, not least, valuable contacts – and a memory for life. It should also not be underestimated that group trips of this kind are very valuable for the team spirit in your staff group. Sharing experiences and being inspired together with your colleagues is an investment for continued cooperation and a well-functioning staff group. Perhaps this travel story can inspire more education programmes to undertake study trips in Europe.

Lollo Hernander