In the face of the Coronavirus health crisis that is being experienced worldwide and as a measure to ensure the well-being of all students, the Faculty of Medicine at Cologne University has decided to cancel the international student mobility (incoming and outgoing) also for the coming winter term 2020/21 (01 October 2020 - 31 March 2021).

That means in detail for:

International INCOMING STUDENTS coming to Medical Faculty Cologne

• The Faculty of Medicine will NOT ACCEPT INCOMING EXCHANGE STUDENTS FOR THE WINTER TERM (October 2020 to March 2021). 
• All clinical rotations at the Faculty of Medicine are CANCELLED FOR THE WINTER TERM (starting September 2020 to March 2021).
• Students who were already nominated for the coming winter term are not automatically postponed and accepted for the summer term. They have to be officially nominated again by your university as exchange students for the summer term 2021 (01 April 2021 - 30 September 2021; Nomination deadline: 01 December 2020)

We thank all students and partner universities for understanding and accepting this decision. We hope that in the future the situation worldwide will improve in order to be able to continue the academic collaboration with our distinguished partners.

Kind regards and keep safe

Team ZIB Med

Further questions can be answered online:

Dr. Benjamin Köckemann: benjamin.koeckemannuk-koeln.de

Fabienne Schneider: fabienne.schneideruk-koeln.de

Since 10 April 2020, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) has no longer identified any international risk areas or particularly affected areas in Germany because infections with SARS-CoV-2 are now widespread worldwide.

For this reason, students of the Faculty of Medicine who come to Germany from abroad are subject to the following

Prohibition to attend attendance courses and examinations at the University of Cologne (University Hospital Cologne, Academic Teaching Hospitals and Academic Teaching Practices)
for a period of 14 days,
whether or not they show symptoms
and regardless of the country of departure. 

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)

The Foreign Office has warned against unnecessary tourist trips abroad. They must expect further drastic restrictions on travel, quarantine measures and restrictions on public life. Even if the purpose of your trip is not tourist, you could be affected by drastic restrictions on travel, quarantine measures and restrictions on public life, depending on your destination country.

According to information from the Federal Foreign Office, the Federal Government's return policy for Germans abroad also applies expressly to "participants in exchange programmes and the like" (not only for tourists*).

For this purpose, it is necessary for you to register in the crisis prevention list ELEFAND, if you have not already done so.
Here is the link: www.diplo.de/elefand

If you need support, please also contact ZIB Med and we will try to help you.

Further information from the Federal Foreign Office: Weitere Infos des Auswärtigen Amtes

The University of Cologne has today added the worldwide travel warning issued by the Federal Foreign Office to its website "Current Corona Information for UzK students abroad" Aktuelle Corona Informationen für Studierende der UzK im Ausland" It can also now be found on the central website of the International Portal.

Please visit Webseite des Internationalen Portals

Ladies and gentlemen,

As a result of the extension of the official ban on contact until 4 May, the University of Cologne has extended its measures to slow down the spread of the virus as well (see https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/coronavirus ). Our goal remains to slow down the spread of the Corona pandemic for the protection of all, as well as ensuring the utmost security for our members. To this end, we will continue to minimize physical presence and personal contacts on campus, especially by making working from home as the norm and offering digital courses.

We are simultaneously preparing a staged, limited return to presence in certain areas. This applies to attendance examinations, practical courses like laboratory courses, borrowing services in libraries, and laboratory research.

For all this, the University has developed regulations on hygiene and infection prevention measures and guidelines for the implementation that must be taken into account.

A short overview can be found here:
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/coronavirus

In detail, the regulations can be found here:
https://portal.uni-koeln.de/sites/uni/images/Aktuell/corona/20200427_corona_Regelungen_Veranstaltungen-Arbeiten_in_Praesenz.pdf (currently in German, an English version will be provided soon)

We ask you to make yourself familiar with these regulations.
Please note in particular:

From 4 May 2020, the wearing of a mouth-and-nose cover is compulsory in all buildings used by the university where more than one person is present. It is strongly recommended that you wear the mouth-and-nose cover throughout the entire campus of the university.

All other protective measures such as keeping your distance and handy hygiene must also be followed!

These measures do not mean that presence on campus can be increased again. Physical presence on the campus still shall be restricted to cases where it is absolutely necessary. For staff working in health care the regulations of Cologne University Hospital and the Faculty of Medicine apply.

Please keep yourself informed by regularly checking the daily updated website https://portal.uni-koeln.de/en/coronavirus
If you have any questions, you are welcome to send them to info-praeventionverw.uni-koeln.de

We are aware that the current, difficult situation is a challenge for many of you. We would like to thank you very much for your cooperation in the implementation of all measures taken as well as for your great and persistent commitment and sense of responsibility.

With best regards

Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Axel Freimuth                       
Rector of the University of Cologne                    

Dr. Michael Stückradt
Chancellor of the University of Cologne

You can protect yourself against the corona virus in the same way as against the real virus flu (influenza):

-don't shake hands.
-Maintain good hand hygiene and wash your hands with sufficient soap and water. A disinfectant is not necessary.
-Hold the cough/sneezing label (crook of the arm instead of the hand).
-Use tissues only once and dispose of them safely.
-If possible, keep a distance of 1 to 2 metres from other people.
-Out face mask is not required.

Source: Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA); infektionsschutz.de
www.infektionsschutz.de/mediathek/printmaterialien.html, CC BY-NC-ND

Further tips can be found in the service area of this page.

Content in German language

• Die 10 wichtigsten Hygienetipps

Source: Bundeszentrale für gesundheitliche Aufklärung (BZgA); infektionsschutz.de
www.infektionsschutz.de/mediathek/printmaterialien.html, CC BY-NC-ND