Erfahrungsberichte von Incoming Buddies

"In short, yes I do recommend the program. It is very nice and helpful to have someone that even offers to go with you to "Amts" to help out with the German language, for instance.

It was also very helpful to have someone to ask about the bureaucracy that in Germany is a lot more than expected. In general I think it is a very beneficial program and I am grateful that I was a part of it. " (Glaucia, Brazilian, PhD student, Department of Biology)

"Hi, My name is Juan and i'm from México. To be honest, The MIN Buddy Program is an extraordinary program that helps new international doctoral students a lot to get used to this new (amazing) city, Hamburg. Personally, my Welcome Buddy is a great and kind person. He helped me a lot during my first steps in Hamburg. For example, he guided me through the process of looking a new flat, fixing my Anmeldung, helping me to check all the services in my new flat. In addition, he gave me recommendations to explore the city, etc. Now, after several months, he became a really good friend. I'm very happy with him and with the MIN Faculty at Universität Hamburg for this amazing program. I hope next time, it is me who helps other international doctoral students through this Buddy Program. In conclussion, I would like to recommend this program to all new international doctoral students who will come to this amazing city. Now, I feel more confident thanks to this program. For this reason, I've registered to the program, but now in order to help other PhD student. Thank you so much to the team of this program for their time and help!"  (Juan, Mexico, PhD student, Department of Physics)

"Philip became my first friend in Hamburg since we met through the MIN Buddy program, and we still keep in close touch with each other now. He has a studying experience in Korea (close to my homeland), and is fascinated by the Asian food, so we have many topics to talk about even at the beginning.  We usually met every two weeks to explore the delicacy and beauty in this city. During this period, Philip introduced me to every corner of the campus and the city, e.g., the sport center, music bar, boating. Besides, we also talked about the different academic situation in Germany and China, and it helped me to assimilate the PhD study in my group soon. The MIN Buddy program will accompany you through the difficult stages at the beginning, especially for those who come to Germany for the first time. Join the Buddy program, and you will get an unforgettable experience."  (Shaoheng, China, PhD student, Chemistry)

"I had a great first experience when I landed in Germany. As I was new to the city and the country, I asked my buddy to help me in getting from the airport to the place I was staying at that time. She happily obliged and helped me to move into the city. Next day, she took me to show around the town hall and the Alster. 
The first thing she taught me was to always get on the bus from the front gate and show your pass/ticket. Another valuable thing I learned was that I should never accept something offered to me by people on the streets even if they say it is for free.  Yes I would recommend the Buddy Program to everyone who is coming to UHH from a different country." (Kavish, India, PhD student, Computer Science)

"...This welcome buddy programme really helps me. I think it's a good initiative and really helps a doctoral student like me who has arrived in Germany for the very first time. I had a very good experience with my buddy, he came to the airport to pick me up, which I think, was a very good gesture and he also accompanied me to my home. Since I do not know the German language, his presence really helps me to reach my place. We had a good chat during our journey . We talked about our work that we are associated with and a bit about our culture. It was nice meeting him:). Overall my experience was tremendous. I will definitely recommend welcoming buddy programme to new doctoral students of the MIN faculty." (Shivani, India, PhD student, Chemistry)

" About my MIN- buddy, my Buddy is a unique and remarkable person. We met in the first month of my arrival in Hamburg, Germany. Before coming here, I didn't have any friends in the city at first, so the meetup with her helped me get accustomed to my new life in the city. She explained to me a lot of the things I needed as a new student in university and, at the same time, made me feel welcome in this unknown environment. After our initial meetup, we scheduled other meetings, where we went dancing and visited a few bars around the beautiful city of Hamburg. We spoke about Israel and where I came from, and I gave tips regarding her thesis and how she should approach writing it. She even came to celebrate my birthday with me, which was very supportive as I did not have a lot of friends to celebrate with, and I really appreciated that. In the future, we plan to do a marathon together and maybe even visit my hometown of Haifa, where I can show her the Bahai Garden and the magnificent mount Carmel and all of its natural life. To conclude, the MIN-Buddy system is an incredibly valuable program that allowed me not only to better adjust to university life in Hamburg but also to meet an extraordinary person who became a friend that I will cherish forever. And therefore, I believe that this program should be kept going. " (Meny, Israel; PhD student, Physics)