Buddy Program

Application of interest for becoming a buddy for Fall 2023 is closed for now.

The Buddy Program is an initiative to pair incoming exchange and master students with local students at LiU. It now incorporates both Swedish students and exchange students staying longer who can become buddies after their first semester to be of help to the new ones trying to find their way in Linköping and student life. The mutual benefits of both the incoming and local students are that they can get new cultural experience and make friends for life. As previously mentioned, the incoming students get help with tips and tricks for their exchange in Linköping, while the Local students can meet people who speak the language that they perhaps are studying their international profile with or similar. Also, it’s a good first step to gain knowledge about a country you might want to go on an exchange to in the future for the local student. It might be hard to get to know Swedish people as foreigner, so the buddy program drastically helps out with that through the pairing process and the events following to integrate exchange students with the Swedish students.

The events organized are more culture focused and gives new knowledge about Sweden as well as blending all other countries for the students to take part in. One example of such an event is the “international buffet” where you can team up with your buddy/buddies to make food together from special cultures, to then show up to the buffet and offer other people your food while getting to try out foods from a bunch of other cultures.

To all the buddies…

As a part of the Buddy program, you have the chance of being a local buddy to the international students that come to Liu each semester. Together you can take part in fun cultural exchange activities organized by ESN, as well as activities you do on your own. Examples of activities we have held during previous years:

 For the Sign-Up

We invite both Swedish students, and international students that have lived here for at least a semester, buddies for our incoming students. As a buddy your responsibility is to make the international buddy feel welcome to Linköping. Once you are matched with your local buddy you can strike up a chat with them, organize to meet, or make plans for attending an ESN event together. In the sign-up you have the possibility of specifying preferred language of your international buddy for us to create a good match between you. We cannot promise this criterion is met, but we will do our best!

It will be announced Spring 2024.