Buddy Programme

General information

In September 2023, the international bachelor Molecular Biophysical Life Sciences (MBLS) will receive its third batch of first-year students! To welcome the international students as best we can, Amino has set up a buddy programme. Through this programme, higher-year M(B)LS students (the buddies) can be matched up with one or more future first-year international MBLS students to support them during their transition to the Netherlands and the Dutch student life. This buddy will be the person the international students can ask everything from money issues to housing, public transport, and everything study-related.

Of course, we don’t expect the buddy to know all this already. After contact with the International Office, we will be giving a workshop to explain these things to the buddies and give extra information and contact information in case they have any questions. At the end of the day, the most important things are giving the international student a warm welcome, showing them around and providing them with their first friend in the Netherlands. Recruiting, preparing, and matching the buddies will take place in/around April, and first contact will be made shortly after, depending on when the international student applied for the bachelor. This first contact will be online and the main purpose is to get to know each other and answer all the first questions the international students might already have. Once the international students arrive in the Netherlands, you will spend more time with each other exploring Utrecht together.

Application process

New First Years International students

  • Fill in the questionnaire to apply
  • You will be matched with a buddy

Buddy

  • Fill in the application form
  • Interview: After you have filled in the application form, we will contact you to plan an interview. The goal of the interview is to get to know you better. It is also your opportunity to ask all the questions you might have. 
  • Workshop: The selected buddies will get a workshop about everything they need to know to support the international students as well as possible. 
  • Matching buddies to international students on the basis of a questionnaire

If you have any questions about the buddy programme, you can contact Linde, Commissioner of Educational Affairs, education@ulsvamino.nl