A buddy programme for internationals, the Radboud University and RadboudUMC will start that in September. It has to make international staff feel less isolated and get used to Nijmegen faster.

For international staff, it is not always easy to settle down in Nijmegen. ‘I once spoke to somebody in the Global Lounge, and he said “it is Dutch Monday again”’, says Marion Elzas, international staff support coordinator. ‘On Monday, most of his colleagues worked from home. On top of that, all conversations at the department were in Dutch. He felt very isolated.’

From survey results and conversations with international staff, Elzas and her colleague Joske Schoemaker know that when they arrive, many internationals would like to have more contact with colleagues. ‘If they have trouble fitting in, they might leave sooner than they intended to’, says Schoemaker. ‘That would be a pity. We have already developed several programmes to make the transition easier for internationals, for example the Dual Career Service for partners who accompany staff members to Nijmegen, and the Global Lounge, as a meeting place.’ From this academic year, International Staff Support has a new way to welcome people: the buddy programme.

The same language
Starting this September, all internationals who come to Nijmegen are invited to join the buddy programme. When they apply, they can indicate some preferences. ‘It is possible that they specifically want to be matched with someone who speaks the same language’, says Elzas. ‘We try to take that into account as much as possible.’ Everybody who is connected to Radboud University and Radboudumc can apply to be a buddy. ‘The programme is for all staff, not just scientific’, says Schoemaker. ‘Everybody is more than welcome to join.’

Buddies enrol in the programme for three months. ‘Three months is a good period, after that, people can decide for themselves whether they want to stay in touch. During the programme, the buddies are welcome at an event, organised by International Staff Support, every six weeks. ‘We already have over fifty applications from people who want to be a buddy, so that is going very well’, Elzas and Schoemaker say. ‘We hope that in the future, newcomers also want to become a buddy. That way, we can help even more people.’

People who want to apply as a buddy, can visit this website.