The Welcome Buddy is a registered doctoral student at the MIN Faculty who supports the new visiting scholars from abroad, for example, in the following ways: 

• correspondence via email prior to arrival in Hamburg
• pick up the new doctoral student from the airport/train station on your arrival
• help her/him  to find his/her ways around Hamburg (city tour) and the UHH Campus (Regional Computer Center, library, cafeteria, etc.)
• support her/him with the necessary administrative paper work (e.g. registering at the Registration Office, signing a rental contract, opening a bank account)
• help her/him settle in Hamburg (e.g. shopping facilities, getting around with the Hamburg Public Transport Association HVV or with the CityBike), but also the exchange of culture and experience abroad

These are not your responsibilities as a Welcome Buddy:

• Find accommodation for the international visiting scholars
• Support his or her visa application.

THe UHH Welcome Service for International Researchers will be able to assist the visiting scholar with finding accommodation and the visa application.

Of course we do not expect that you offer a round-the-clock support. It is for you to decide if and how much you involve your (Incoming) Buddy into your everyday life. You will not become an advisor on general questions on study and life. Whenever you feel overstrained, do not hesitate to contact us for further support.

The Buddy Program can be approved as one part of the CIC (Certificate Intercultural Competence). You will receive an individual certificate for extracurricular activities or voluntary work and can use it for your application for a comprehensive Certificate Intercultural Competence.

Of course we do not expect that you offer a round-the-clock support. It is for you to decide if and how much you involve your (incoming) visiting scholar into your everyday life. You will not become an advisor on general questions on research and life. If you feel overwhelmed, do not hesitate to contact us for further support.

• The services for international guest researchers is a voluntary activity for you as a doctoral student of the MIN faculty and can also be recognized as a module of the CIC (Certificate Intercultural Competence).
• You will receive a certificate of participation or proof of voluntary activity from the buddy team and can have your support of new international visiting scholars recognized as a building block for an individual "Certificate Intercultural Competence". More detailed information on how to receive recognition for your involvement can be found on the UHH CIC page.
• Intercultural exchange with the international visiting scholar and friendships
• You have the opportunity to improve your own foreign language skills and to teach your international guest researcher your native language.

Most of the doctoral researchers taking part in the Welcome Services for international visiting scholars also spent time abroad and know which difficulties you may encounter during your stay in Hamburg. A registered local doctoral researcher is a volunteer who may be able to assist you, for example:

• Correspondence via email prior to your arrival in Hamburg
• Pick you up from the airport/train station on your arrival
• Help you to find your ways around Hamburg (city tour) and the UHH Campus (Regional Computer Center, library, cafeteria, etc.)
• Support you with the necessary administrative paper work (e.g. registering at the Registration Office, signing a rental contract, opening a bank account)
• Support you with settling in Hamburg (e.g. shopping facilities, getting around with the Hamburg Public Transport Association HVV or with the CityBike), but also the exchange of culture and experience abroad

Please keep in mind that our doctoral researchers are vounteers in the MIN Welcome Services program and cannot assist you with:

• finding accommodation
• supporting your visa application process

The UHH Welcome Service for international Researchers may support you with finding accommodation and your visa application.

In this Guide for international visiting Scholars, the MIN faculty offers comprehensive information on your first steps and to-dos in Hamburg.

Incoming MIN visiting scholars: The Welcome Service for visiting scholars to the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences (MIN Faculty) focuses on the target group “visiting scholars from abroad".

All doctoral students enrolled in the MIN Faculty can sign up for the Welcome Service to support visiting MIN scholars from abroad.

Registration for the MIN Welcome Service for international visiting scholars: If you are an international visiting scholar coming to the Faculty of Mathematics, Informatics and Natural Sciences (MIN), Universität Hamburg and would like support from a local doctoral student of the MIN faculty during the first weeks of your research stay, please sign up here.

Registration for local MIN doctoral researchers: If you are a doctoral student enrolled in the MIN faculty for at least 2 semesters and wish to support prospective or new international visiting scholars, please sign up.

For further queries, please contact buddy.min"AT"uni-hamburg.de. We will contact you as soon as we have found a “match” for you.