What is the EUPeace Buddy System?
We focus on:
- Organising welcome events, cultural trips, and networking sessions for students
- Campus Tours: Introduction to key university buildings, offices, libraries, and other essential facilities
- City Tours: A guided exploration of the city, including key landmarks, services, shopping areas, and cultural sites
- Supporting international students with accommodation, paperwork, and cultural adaptation
- Offering language support
- Facilitating mentorship opportunities between students, staff, and alumni
- Workplace Integration: Introduction to colleagues, department structures, and work culture at the host institution
Who is a Buddy?
In the EUPeace Alliance a buddy is a student who helps exchange students adapt to university life. A buddy’s role is to provide guidance, support, and social integration to ensure a smooth transition into a new academic and cultural environment.
The Buddy System matches buddy-mentee pairs, where each international exchange student (mentee) is assigned a local student – a buddy. The local buddy helps the international exchange student from the moment they arrive at the destination. A student buddy assists incoming students with settling into their new environment and helps with practical matters such as accommodation, campus navigation, and administrative tasks.
What does a student buddy do?
All mentees have different needs and will use their buddy services in different ways. Some of the typical responsibilities and services encompass the actvities listed below:
Buddies contact the incoming students before their arrival, answer any questions, and confirm their arrival date and location.
Students usually arrive five days or fewer before the start of the Orientation Week, but some may arrive much earlier.
Buddies may pick up the student from the airport, train station, or designated arrival point and go with them to their dormitory or accommodation.
If no accommodation is provided by the host university, buddies help with locating information sources regarding housing opportunities (websites, magazines, etc.).
Accompany the student to the university and help with administrative formalities at the relevant department.
Assist with registration, obtaining the student ID card, and explaining how the canteen, library, and computer systems work.
Explain how public transportation works and help obtain a public transport pass.
Provide basic information about navigating in the city, using public transport, and making phone calls. Assist with basic shopping, including essential items and groceries. Help them with medical issues.
If needed, buddies can help the student with moving out of the dormitory at the end of the semester.
© Katrina FrieseHow can I become a Buddy and how can I get a Buddy?
See below who you can contact if you’re interested in becoming a part of the buddy system – whether this is as a buddy or a mentee.
To become or get a buddy at Marburg University, contact our team for incoming students.
To become or get a buddy at Justus Liebig University Giessen, contact Shiv Komar Bharar or Leon Hebeisen.
To become or get a buddy at the University of Limoges, contact Clément Desaphy.
To become or get a buddy at the University of Calabria, contact Antony Ayoub or Michele Vitale.
To become or get a buddy at Comillas Pontifical University, contact Adriana Palacios Ramírez.
To become or get a buddy at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, contact Anna Vaicová.
To become or get a buddy at the University of Mostar, contact Marija Glamuzina or Laura Pocrnja.
To become or get a buddy at Cukurova University, contact Ali Haydar Öksüz or Elif Başak Kuşçu.
To become or get a buddy at the University of Sarajevo, contact Adnan Rahimić or Jasna Bošnjović.