Arrival day settled as a concoction of first day nerves and a welcoming smile, as Lund greets 500 new exchange and masters students from over 50 different countries.
With the help of 50 volunteering mentors, the new students are assisted from the moment they step of the plane at Kastrup till they arrive at the AF-building‘s help desk.
“It’s all about integrating the students and making them feel welcome on a day which otherwise would be most daunting,” says Jenna Emtö, mentor Co-ordinator.
“We want to act as a link between countries, that seems like something people are very grateful of,” she says.
Several of the mentors are also international students. At the central station, Karin Odlen, originally from Belgium, meet up the arrivals together with Umar Nasir, Nils Dalvig and Prudente Mafuta.
“We want to help people and we know that it can be difficult to come to a new country, but we also want to bring out the best of such a beautiful country”, says mentor Karin Odlen.
From the station, the students are then taken to the AF-building, where they amongst other things sign on to their courses and secure accommodation. But it also offers a meeting place for students, new and old alike, such as Kristoffer Tingbacke who is a mentor for the first time in Lund.
“My aim for the future is to study in China, so this has been a great learning experience in integrating with the new arrivals,” he says.
“As the arrival day offers a taste of several different cultures, whilst knowing that I’ll be in their position one day”
Whilst among the new students is Alice Bloomfield from Australia, who will be studying Scandinavian cultures.
“Lund was cited in the New York Times most employable universities, so i jumped at the chance to apply”, she said.
The question of integration, is and will be a focal point as the new students become engaged into student life alongside their new mentors during the coming weeks. This includes welcoming functions and making sure that new students feel safe and have a mentor who they can rely on.
“Every year we strive to add improving factors to our arrival days, this year we have tried to streamline the process and with only 500 arrivals opposed to the 1500 or so that we get in August”, says Maria Johansson, Arrival Day Co-ordinator from the university.
