31/05/2021
Finland
participants
To introduce international students with locals (local students as well as families) and making long-lasting friendships. The goal is also about learning new cultures, languages and cultural differences.
Locals, international degree and exchange students signed up for Friend Programme. We matched the friends into pairs based on their interests and wishes. There were local students, couples and families involved in the programme. For some it was the first time participating, but some of them had been a part of the programme for a long time as we do this every semester. Mostly the pairs were one international student and one local student/pair/family.
We organized the first meeting where the pairs got to know each other. We organized the first meeting in 2 parts because of the Covid-19 situation and the restrictions regarding social gatherings. During the spring the friends met up based on their own schedule and did things they enjoyed: hiking, cooking together, having dinners, doing sports, sauna, bonfires, and every day life etc. The participants learnt new cultures and languages from each as well. This programme helped the international students to integrate into the Finnish culture and community. Friendships were made during the programme. At the end of the semester we planned to have a get together, but due to Covid-19 we decided not to have a face-to-face get together. Instead we suggested activities that the pairs could do together.
