Portugal
participants
We organised this activity in order to provide the newly-arrived international students with the opportunity to meet other international students who were also just arriving in Coimbra, or had been there already since September. The goal was to foster intercultural dialogue and understanding between different nationalities and cultures in an informal setting, where students could move from table to table freely and talk about anything they wanted.
This activity was held at the beginning of September and it was hosted by one of ESN Coimbra's partners "O Reitor", who kindly let us use the space and provided free snacks for the participants. After a brief introduction, our volunteers encouraged the participants to spread across the space and talk to the people next to them. If they felt like the conversation was stalling, they would jump in with questions to keep it going.
After the activity, many volunteers and students gathered to have dinner at a restaurant nearby, which only shows that the activity was successful and that our main goal - to break the ice between the newcomers, ESN volunteers, and other mobility students - was achieved. Students were enthusiastic throughout the event, and many met people who would later become their friends.