Lundensaren_sept2020_ArrivalDayENG

1,400 new international students welcomed to Lund

The autumn’s Arrival Day for international students at Lund University looked a bit different this time around compared to previous years. Roughly 1,400 students arrived during the two-week-long orientation programme in August. In total, about 2,500 international students have started their studies at Lund University during the autumn semester of 2020. This is a slight decrease compared to 2019, due primarily to fewer exchange students. On the other hand, the number of international students studying a full Master's or Bachelor's degree programme has increased.

Numerous adjustments were made prior to the orientation weeks in order to give new students a warm, but also safe, welcome. Hanna Gustafzelius at the Division of External Relations, who works with arrival activities, told us about some of the challenges leading up to this autumn:

- One of the biggest challenges has obviously been to make our events feel safe for the students, for our employees and for all of our mentors and student volunteers that helped during the orientation programme. A lot of hand sanitizer and Plexiglas has been used and we have followed many new guidelines. We’ve had to test new concepts and think about what is most crucial.

A great deal of the orientation programme was handled digitally. For example, students could check-in themselves using their smartphone and a QR code. All the usual mingling in the AF Building was cancelled, but students still had the opportunity to meet via a Zoom Speed Friending* event online. The usual excursions did not take place, and instead the new international students could familiarize themselves with the term “hemester” (Swedish for “staycation”) and experience Lund through guided tours and bike tours. Sara Westman, Division of External Relations and responsible for Arrival Day and the orientation weeks, says:

- It has felt extra important this year to give new students a really good introduction to their studies at Lund University and to their time in Sweden, because not everything is as usual. We have had to rethink things – do a lot digitally and other things in small groups.

- Students have really appreciated our webinars, mentor programme, filmed informational material and all service at our Arrival Days.

However, one part of the orientation weeks has been the same this year. As usual, a large number of students have taken the time to get involved as international mentors and helped the new international students get familiar with Lund. Sara Westman says that one of the most fun parts of arranging the orientation programme is the mentors’ involvement:

- We are happy that so many of our students have volunteered as mentors this semester. Without the mentors’ efforts, we would not have been able to complete the Arrival Days and orientation weeks.

A big thank you to all the staff and volunteers to helped welcome our new students!
Alumni, if you want to offer some advice or inspire new and current students, reach out to us at info@alumni.lu.se.

Click here to read more about Arrival Day

Text: Karen Paulson, Maria Johansson
Photo: Maria Johansson, Thanh Nga Nguyen

*Speed Friending is an activity where a number of people are divided into pairs to converse for a short while (usually a few minutes) and then rearranged in new groupings to chat with new people. The Zoom Speed Friending event was conducted using the digital meeting tool Zoom.