City rally, Guided Tour of the Kaßberg and Welcome Party

The orientation week for more than 400 newly enrolled international students of TU Chemnitz finished with a welcome dinner

The beginning of study is often like a steeplechase - especially for international students. In order to complete this course, the International Office of TU Chemnitz (IUZ) together with the Student Buddy Program offered a multifaceted program for new international students from 4 October to 7 October 2016. With this program over several days TU Chemnitz was welcoming international freshers to the winter semester of 2016/2017 and accompanying them during their first steps at university and in the city. Overall, more than 24 percent of approximately 12,000 students at TU Chemnitz are international students.

As in every semester, the kick-off event of the orientation week was the introductory lecture ‘Learn, Live and Laugh in Chemnitz’ to which all new international students were welcomed, no matter whether they came for an exchange semester at TU Chemnitz, plan to do their entire degree or a doctoral study here. In the first part of the event, approx. 120 participants received important information about forthcoming study at TU Chemnitz. Afterwards a brunch was prepared in ‘Club der Kulturen’, where the new international students had the opportunity to get to know each other. The day ended with a presentation by a representative of the University Computing Center.

On Wednesday, students met for the campus tour to explore the campus part in Reichenhainer Straße. Those who wanted to learn more about life in Chemnitz could attend the second part of the lecture "Learn, Live and Laugh in Chemnitz" at 2 p.m. A representative of Studentenwerk was present at the session to give helpful tips and tricks concerning life and job opportunities in Chemnitz and answered important questions. In addition to the library tours, new students attended a guided tour of the Kaßberg on Thursday. There they had the opportunity to take a look on one of the largest preserved Gründerzeit and Art Nouveau neighborhoods in Europe.

Despite the cold weather, approximately 20 internationals joined the traditional city rally on Friday, which started at “Nischel”. The students got to know the sights and important institutions of the city of Chemnitz: from ‘Nischel’ through the main railway station to the city registration office and Opera House. The orientation week finished with the traditional Welcome Dinner on Friday. The big international buffet was prepared by the new international students themselves: Many brought traditional dishes from their home countries and got to know each other better while trying dishes from all over the world. A special highlight of the evening was a personal greeting by the rector Prof. Dr. Strohmeier, who held a short speech despite many appointments. German and international students of higher semesters were also welcome to join the event, in the end more than 180 students celebrated the start of winter semester 2016/2017.

The Student Buddy Program as well as the international students are highly satisfied not only with the course of the orientation week, but also with the matching of student buddies this winter semester. The aim of the Student Buddy Program, which is part of the International Office, is to ease the start in Chemnitz for international students and support them during their first steps in Chemnitz, i.e. enrollment and administrative procedures. Its successful implementation is only possible with the help of committed students of TU Chemnitz: Therefore, tandems are created between experienced students - ‘Local Buddies’ - and international freshers – ‘International buddies’. Local Buddies help international students with their first steps in Chemnitz and may go with them on excursions offered by the Student Buddy Program. Thus, the Student Buddy Program gives you the opportunity to make friends from all over the world, to prepare for a semester abroad or to improve foreign language skills. Local buddies receive a certificate of participation as a reward for their highly acclaimed voluntary work by the International Office.

Next semester, many international students are expected to come to TU Chemnitz, too. The Student Buddy Program team would be grateful for any help and hopes for many new participants who are ready to support our international freshers. If you are interested in the Student Buddy Program and want to be engaged in our activities, you can find more information and the registration form below: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/international/incoming/patenprogramm/index.php.en

(Source: Student Buddy Programm)

Mario Steinebach
15.10.2016

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