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“We want to improve integration of our international students. That’s why we chose a joint programme with a broad range of sports and cultural activities this year. Besides that, a programme that has a lot to offer will help to shift the focus away from alcohol consumption during Mentor Week,” explains Larsen.

Something for everyone
During Mentor Week, which is scheduled for 13-17 August, each faculty has its own programme for new students. The joint programme will be in addition to these. As well as collaborating with the faculties’ mentor leaders, the Mentor Week coordinator has also collaborated with a number of other partners to prepare a joint programme that offers good variety.

The unifying element in this year’s event is World Corner, a café intended to serve as a meeting place for Norwegian and international students that will be open every evening. With the exception of Thursday, the café will be located all week at Verftet, where Kvarteret is presently located while its regular premises are being extended. On Thursday, the café will be located at Nygårdsgaten 2.

“We are very pleased that we managed to set up World Corner, because it gives the students a fixed base where something will be happening every day throughout the week,” says Mari Müftüoglu, mentor leader for the international students.

“I remember when I first arrived at the University of Bergen. There was nothing in the mentor programme that appealed to me. I’ve kept this in mind during the planning of the joint programme, so this year there are lots of events I would have liked to participate in,” says Müftüoglu.

International mentors needed
In addition to World Corner as a unifying element, there will be city walks, events organised by BSI (the Bergen Students Sport Club), an evening at which the international theatre group BIT Teatergarasjen gives new students a sample of its repertoire, barbecues, guided historical walks, opportunities to meet the Bergen Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Springbrettet, the career guidance committee for students in Bergen, as well as courses in self-defence. Since many of these events are organised with the integration of international students in mind, many of them will be held in English.

The international students will be assigned to individual mentor groups, which in turn will be part of the Norwegian mentor groups. Müftüoglu is therefore looking for more people to volunteer as mentors for the English-speaking students.

“We estimate that about 200 international students will participate in Mentor Week, so we need lots of mentors,” she says.