Eight trainees to become biological assistants and one member of the teaching staff from the Research Center Borstel would like to attend the program. They will spend a four week stay in a laboratory for microbiology in Lisbon or in a laboratory for veterinary medicine in Palermo (Sicily). At the time of their stay all trainees have started their third year of training. Their qualifications in theory and practical work are large and will enable them to participate without difficulties in the work of the partner organization. During their apprenticeship at the Research Center Borstel the trainees get into contact and work together with visiting scientists from foreign countries, who do not speak German. However, they work together and communicate with each other. The trainees should be able to term assignments and equipment in English and to translate operating procedures. Further goals of the visit are to experience willingness, ability, flexibility, independence and open-mindedness in order to learn new things and to collaborate in new projects. Bioscience has dramatically developed during the last decades. Therefore, it is important that scientific workers are well prepared and eager to extend their knowledge. Permanently new methods come up that must be conceived and considered for the own work. It is important to learn how to learn. The new projects enable the trainees to proof their abilities and to take over personal responsibility. The trainees get into contact with several kinds of informal learning. E.g., they have the chance to elucidate interactions theoretically, but also to apply known facts and methods for new topics and to change perspectives. Ongoing and self-motivated learning are mandatory for workers in bioscience. A basis for such motivation can be the participation in such projects. I often have recognized that the trainees get a more differentiated view on their profession due to this experience. Some of them decide to study at the university and others to finalize secondary school examination. The visit of laboratories in foreign countries can help to form personality and strengthen verbal and social skills. All trainees have mentioned a profound lingual improvement. They observed that they had no longer fear to speak in English and not to be understood. Due to discussions about the Euro and Europe, the trainees can improve their political attitude, since foreign cultures are experienced and can now be assessed by themselves. The diversity of the European cultures will become visible for the participants and they will be able to estimate the importance of such features. Furthermore, the trainees will recognize for the first time, how smooth hospitality can be and how interesting and valuable it is to establish contacts. Thus, the participants live the European idea, they are part of it. Prejudices are not formed. The visit of one of the teachers will generate new ideas for the training staff. He is keen on learning new techniques that might be useful and can be integrated into the schedule of the training in Borstel.