Copy - Buddying

Be sure to consult our Education Tip on 'Mentoring'.

• oral presentation: ask students to present the knowledge they have acquired and applied, and the competencies they have developed to a peer audience.

FCI (I@H)

• buddying is best incorporated into the curriculum in the form of an elective. This makes it possible for students to gain recognition (credits) for their commitment as a buddy;

• the practical aspect of buddying is best combined with a theoretical component, by means of which the students acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes they will need to be an adequate buddy. The university-wide elective ‘Coaching and Diversity’ can serve as an example. Should you consider setting up such a course unit yourself, then do so in collaboration with other study programmes/faculties to come to a shared (administrative) burden;

• a buddy project can also be organised more informally and on a voluntary basis. If such is the case, you can reward the buddies by means of a certificate or badge (merits).

Blend@UGent

How?

• reflection report: invite students to reflect on the collaboration with and support of their buddy. Give them clear reflection questions to guide them;

• reflective journal: invite students to reflect on their buddying experiences on a daily or weekly basis in the form of a journal. Give them clear guiding questions;

Funding

Assessment

Practical Examples

Intensity

A budy programme teams up local students with international students. The local buddy supports the international student in their introduction to the new, local context (= the city as well as the university). The interaction between the buddies ensures a better insight into each other's cultures and perspectives, and enhances the local student's international and intercultural competencies.

Buddying

What?

Internationalisation@Home

Buddying

The Faculty of Arts and Philosophy organises a buddy programme, in which local students are assigned to an international fellow-student. As the testimonials go to show, buddying is a good way to explore each other's cultures. What is more, it gives international students insight into the Flemish academic system and the Flemish way of lecturing.

an interactive Genially

Buddying as an Elective

The Faculty of Sciences promotes its buddy programme for international students through Ufora, email and the student website. It has designed an especially for that purpose. For the 2023-24 academic year, over 25 students have enrolled in the programme to team up with incoming international (exchange and degree) students at Ghent University.

At this point, we do not have any examples from education practice at Ghent University yet. If you have a specific practical example in mind that fits this description, please get in touch with us at onderwijsondersteuning@ugent.be. We are happy to add any relevant practical examples to this flash card.