Become Buddy

Become buddy

We will do everything we can to help our new international students have a good stay at AAU and in Denmark. As a buddy, you can help give your new international fellow students a good stay.

Become a buddy Fall 2024

A buddy helps make a decisive difference

As a buddy, you often have a crucial role in ensuring that the new international student has a good stay in Denmark and at AAU. At the same time, you gain new skills, including insight into other cultures, languages, societies - and you get a lot of unique experiences while expanding your network socially and geographically.

What is expected of you as a buddy?

Your most important task is to help your new international students get a good start to their studies. We will of course help you with lots of advice, guidance and events that you and your international students can participate in, completely free of charge.

In the lists below you will find our expectations of you as a buddy and advice on how to become a good buddy. Remember to familiarize yourself with the lists before signing up.

Trip to Skagen with the AAU Buddy Program — Trip to Skagen

Young people celebrating Halloween — Halloween party

Trip to Skagen

Buddy Bowling

International Welcome Party

Are you ready to be an AAU Buddy

Halloween party

The Buddy Network

What is the Buddy Network

What is a Buddy?

A buddy is a current AAU student who, voluntarily, acts as a contact person and helps new international students get a good start on their studies at AAU. You are expected to help between 3-5 new international students throughout a semester. The number depends on the number of buddies, who sign up and the number of international students, who want a buddy.

The Buddy Network - which campuses?

The Buddy Network is currently not active in Copenhagen and Esbjerg.

Copenhagen

If you are interested in helping your international fellow students in Copenhagen, you are encouraged to sign up as a tutor. Read more about being a tutor at AAU here.

Contakt: CPH Study Start: cph.study.start@cph.aau.dk

Esbjerg

If you want to help your international fellow students in Esbjerg, you are encouraged to contact the international coordinator:

Kontakt: Heidi Valdkilde Abrahamsen: hvj@staff.aau.dk

What an AAU Buddy should do

Alignment of expectations

Expectations of a buddy

As a buddy, you are expected to inform about the form of study and life in Aalborg and Denmark and assist with practical issues – see the alignment of expectations below.

It is for the international student to decide how much he or she wants to use his or her buddy. Some international students become good friends with their buddies and stick together throughout the study period, while others only take advantage of the offer during the first days of their stay.

How to become a great buddy

Your most important task is to help your new international students get a good start on their studies.

Expectations to AAU buddies:

Be available to answer questions (email) approximately 2 weeks before the study start and during the first 2 months after the study start
Contact your international students for a short presentation of you as their buddy
Gather your group once or twice/month during the first two months of the study start
If possible participate in selected events during the International Welcome Week (approx 2 events)

You must contact your students no less than 2 weeks before the start of studies, as they have lots of questions before their arrival.

Advise on what to disseminate:

You need to help the new international students go from feeling like an outsider to an insider by:

Teach them a little about Danish culture, what is normal and what is abnormal (what is expected in certain situations and what is not expected)
How is Danish humour, punctuality, etc.
How is the culture at the university (group work, questions for lectures, how to address professors)
What is expected of the individual participants in group work, e.g. the importance of adhering to agreements/trust
Show around campus (free Wi-Fi on campus with student email)
Explain how to take the bus (possibly a monthly pass or a travel card) and help get a rejsekort.
Offer to help get a bank account (only possible after they have been given a CPR number, which requires they have been granted a residence permit)
Explain how they comply with traffic laws as a cyclist and pedestrian (lights on bicycles in the evening, do not cycle on pedestrian streets, not be two people on a 1-person bicycle, etc.)

If you get questions you cannot answer, you just forward these to the Buddy coordinators.

Places to visit with your group:

You are also expected to show them around the city (preferably in groups with 3-4 other buddies and their students) e.g.:

The library and how they borrow books, CDs, and DVDs
Police station
Emergency
Good cafes
Show where they can shop (cheap groceries) near their accommodation
Help them find a bike (possibly the police auction)

You are not alone

The Buddy coordinators, regularly prepare activities that you and your students are much welcome to participate in. Therefore, you do not have to be in charge of all activities.

Furthermore, we advise you to team up with other buddies and do activities together. We will team you up with another buddy that you can choose to cooperate with.

Suggestions for activities

You deside which type of activities you want to do with your group - and if you want to team up with another buddy.

Here are some suggestions:

Hot cacao and backgammon at Studenterhuset
International evening every Wednesday at Studenterhuset
Communal dining with culinary experiences
Cinema trip
Skating in Gigantium
Vegatar kitchen at 1000Fryd every Tuesday
Sightseeing in Aalborg and the surrounding area
Visit KUNSTEN
A trip to the Zoo
A trip to the swimming pool (Nørresundby Svømmehal, Haraldslund Svømmehal, or Gigantium)
A walk in a park or on the waterfront
Theatre etc. on Transformer
Art, music, etc. at Huset in Hasserisgade
Party and dancing in Jomfru Ane Gade (The Party Street in Aalborg)

The Buddy coordinators also regularly arrange events where you and your students can participate. All events are posted on Facebook in the group Buddy Network AAU.

Want to apply for a buddy?

Want to sign up as a buddy?

If you are interested in becoming a buddy for new international students, you can sign up via the form below.

The buddy coordinators will contact you by email 2-3 weeks before study start and notify you of the students that are assigned to you. As there is continuous admission to the buddy network, it is possible that you will be assigned an extra student after the first allocation.

We will team you up with another buddy, who you can choose to spar with and make activities with.

Intro seminar for all new buddies

About 2 weeks before the start of the semester, you are invited to an intro seminar together with all other buddies. At the intro seminar the buddy coordinators will make sure to dress you well for the role and you will have the opportunity to meet the other buddies.

You are very welcome to contact our Buddy coordinators if you have any questions.

Do you have the time?

It is especially in the weeks leading up to the start of studies, and the months after study start your role is important. Therefore, consider whether you have the time. If you are going on vacation/travelling abroad for a longer period, it may be next semester you should sign up instead.

Register to become a buddy

Complete the registration form to become a buddy Fall 2024

Contakt the Buddy coordinators

For further information about the Buddy Network:

E-mail: buddy@adm.aau.dk (Aalborg)

Copenhagen and Esbjerg

Currently, the network is not active in Esbjerg or Copenhagen. If you are interested in helping your international fellow students in Copenhagen or Esbjerg, please contact:

CPH Study Start: cph.study.start@cph.aau.dk

Esbjerg: Heidi Valdkilde Abrahamsen, hvj@staff.aau.dk

Find us on social media

Facebook: BuddyAAU.

Instagram: buddynetwork_aau