Engineering for a Sustainable Future" - with this goal in mind, people from almost 100 nations study and work together at TU Ilmenau. Professional, but also human encounters, successful cooperation and peaceful coexistence characterize living together on the university campus. In our new series "Diversity connects", we introduce students and employees from different cultures who have arrived in Ilmenau and are involved at the university in a variety of ways - this time Lis from Indonesia and Debashis from India. They met in the Buddy Program of the International Office of the TU Ilmenau and quickly became friends. As an experienced student, Debashis helped Lis to settle in quickly, especially in the first few months of her studies.
For Lis from Indonesia, studying and living in Germany is a new world. So when the Media and Communication Science student arrived in Ilmenau last winter semester, she was all the happier to have Debashis at her side. Debashis is studying Micro and Nanotechnologies, comes from India and has settled in well during one and a half years of study at the TU Ilmenau. As a buddy with we4you, the support network of the TU Ilmenau International Office, he helps students like Lis to find their way around Ilmenau, especially in the first few weeks and months.
In addition to the regular support provided by the International Office and a tutoring program, the buddy program is a building block to help students settle in quickly at TU Ilmenau. Experienced students help their fellow newcomers. They are available to answer any questions about studying and everyday life in Ilmenau and help students to find their bearings in their new surroundings.
Debashis was a great help to Lis, especially during her first few weeks in Ilmenau, and was also her first friend at her new place of study. Thanks to him, she quickly made friends in Ilmenau:
I knew from my first day in Ilmenau that if I had a question, I could turn to Debashis straight away. That was very helpful. Through him, I got to know the clubs on campus and many nice students with whom I am friends.
Debashis knows from experience that international students have to overcome a number of bureaucratic hurdles before they can concentrate fully on their courses, whether it's opening a bank account, registering with the residents' registration office or paying the broadcasting fee. It was therefore important to him to support Lis:
'When I first arrived in Ilmenau myself, these things were not easy for me. That's why I want to help other students, share my experiences and make life easier for them.
Today, Debashis and Lis are good friends and share a circle of friends. Lis now often introduces Debashi's new friends on campus, and this semester she is also supporting international students as a tutor and passing on her experience to them.
Markus Saft, an employee in the International Office at TU Ilmenau and we4you team leader, often observes success stories like this in the Buddy Program. Almost all participants tell him about their positive experiences on the program. He sees the value of a buddy above all in getting to know life in Ilmenau from a student perspective:
The value of the buddy program and the many active students cannot be put into words - of course they help the newcomers with the many ways and duties at the beginning of their stay and in this way massively support the work of we4you. But on top of that, they introduce the first-year students to their circle of friends, give them countless small and large tips on studying, leisure activities and much more. The buddy program has already led to friendships for life. These are all invaluable things that we as employees cannot do.