Programme lets Students Experience Family Life

Holiday celebrations, dinners and birthday parties.  Yichen Liu, a master’s student from China, has experienced a lot during the year she has spent time with a Swedish family.

It’s 2 PM on Sunday afternoon, and Yichen Liu, an international Master’s Student from China, is spending quality family time at the soccer field in Gunnesbo, a neighborhood in northwest Lund.

She plays on the sidelines with six-year-old Malin, while Malin’s older brother, Emil, practices his soccer skills on the field. Dad coaches, and Mom cheers Emil on from close by.

Participating in traditions

Yichen was introduced to her Swedish family a year ago through the Friend Family Programme at Lund University, which matches up international students with Swedish families.

Yichen joins in on family activities such as holiday celebrations, birthdays, or just coming over for dinner, every few weeks.  Her favorite part is participating in Swedish holidays and traditions. “If they didn’t ask me to go to their house to celebrate together, I wouldn’t even know that there’s a holiday.”

In spending time with the family, Yichen often runs into cultural differences between Sweden and China.

“I went to Malin’s school to pick her up, and I was so surprised – In my country, there are so many students, 30 in one classroom, but I counted the chairs and there were only ten”

Get beyond the University

Coordinator Maria Johansson explains the inspiration behind the program.  “We heard some international students were spending Christmas with their Swedish friends’ families – we wanted to give more students that opportunity.”

Yichen decided to apply to the program to get a taste of Sweden beyond Lund University.  “I live in a korridor, so otherwise I only know student life, but a family shows the real Swedish lifestyle.  I also get to experience typical Swedish food – there are so many potatoes!”  She tries to introduce the family to a bit of Chinese culture, by explaining how she celebrates Chinese New Year, or by cooking chinese food for them.

Communicate without common language

Yichen’s Swedish family joined the program because they thought it sounded fun, and that it would be an opportunity for their daughter Malin, who is from China, to have an older friend who is also Chinese.

“It’s interesting to watch them communicate, because they don’t have a common language.  Yichen doesn’t speak Swedish and my daughter doesn’t speak English, yet they can hang out for hours.”