Best Buddies

In the meantime, more than 200 students from 38 nations have started their studies at the seventh faculty of the University of Bayreuth in Kulmbach. Currently, about 60 % of the students at the Faculty of Life Sciences: Food, Nutrition and Health come from abroad. And new international first-year students are expected again at the start of lectures on 16 October. 

For many young people at the faculty in Kulmbach, this is their first longer stay abroad, so any help they can get is welcome: Accompanying them to the authorities, tips on going out, background information on the mentality of the people in Upper Franconia, support in finding vegan food, for example, familiarising them with local customs or simply having a coffee together. The design and intensity of the sponsorship depends entirely on the wishes and the time available to those involved.

A „buddy“ should be interested in other cultures and have a Have good English speaking skills. Volunteers are needed immediately!

"The support programme is a great enrichment for our university. It makes it easier for our international students to get started in their new country, offers a very good opportunity for intercultural exchange and creates a valuable connection between the university and the local population," says the Dean of the Faculty in Kulmbach, Prof. Janin Henkel-Oberländer.

The sponsorship programme was founded by citizens of Kulmbach. Since October 2020, the faculty officers for teaching and students at the Faculty of Life Sciences have been coordinating the programme. So far, 57 international students have been matched with a sponsor, and the feedback has been consistently positive: friendships have developed, language skills have been improved, organisational support has been provided, and internships have been arranged.