Our university has recently reached two important decisions for the winter semester 2020/21:

1. Dates and Deadlines: As you may have already heard, the beginning of lectures in the winter semester 2020/21 will be postponed from October to 2 November. Now, the remaining schedule has been finalized (incl. postponed end of lectures, start of lectures summer semester etc.). You can now find the complete timetable for the winter semester on the website of the Student Service: https://www-docs.b-tu.de/studierende/public/files/Vorlesungsverzeichnis/SAP_WiSe_2020-21.pdf

2. Online Teaching: English language modules in the international BTU study programmes - such as ERM - will continue to be taught online in the winter semester 2020/21.

We believe that this decision was necessary to offer assurances and clarity at a time when some of our current students, as well as many newly admitted and prospective students are worried about increasing corona cases in some parts of the world, embassies that continue to be closed, travel restrictions etc. This decision was also taken with the intent of allowing teaching staff to focus their efforts on preparing online teaching materials for the winter semester, rather than put efforts into contingency plans for classroom teaching that may or may not be possible.

We understand that many of you have been looking forward to a return to classroom teaching in the fall. We hope that you can respect this decision and maybe also find some sympathy in your hearts for those of your colleagues who would have been negatively impacted by classroom teaching. (By “colleagues”, I am referring both to students already enrolled in the programme and to those who wish to join it in the winter semester).]

If, in light of these developments, you want to consider taking a leave of absence for the winter semester 2020/21, you need to submit a written application (https://www-docs.b-tu.de/studierende/public/files/Formulare/Antrag_Beurlaubung.pdf) during the time in which enrolment for the following semester takes place (25th June to 31st July 2020). A reason for a leave of absence can also be that you cannot come to Cottbus because it is not possible for you to leave your home country.