Buddy & Mentoring

The International Office (IO) is always looking for committed students who would like to accompany and support the international students as part of our buddying and mentoring programme. We divide international students into two groups: Exchange students and international degree-seeking students.

As a buddy, you support exchange students who come from partner universities to THI, for example via Erasmus+. They usually only stay for one semester (maximum of two) and have experience from studying at their home university.
Mentors look after international degree-seeking students (= internationale Vollzeitstudierende). They come to Germany from abroad to complete a full degree programme here at THI. Students who come here for their Bachelor's degree usually have no experience of the working methods of a university.

Buddies and mentors look after international students during the semester and especially in the initial phase. They welcome the new internationals at the train station, accompany them to the authorities, advise them on finding accommodation, show them the city or go to the bank as translators if required. They also answer questions about life in Germany.

You can also provide advice to international students and contribute your creativity and commitment to numerous events.

Improve your language skills before your stay abroad (e.g. through a language tandem)
Establish useful contacts for your own stay abroad
Gain intercultural expertise
Confirmation of your engagement (this can be a bonus when applying for an internship, but also for scholarships)

Scholarship holders already selected for the travel grant, PROMOS or Erasmus+ can have this recognised as a volunteering activity (e.g. completing 6 hours of support in the IO).

Business School students can do the social project at the International Office. They then support two international students and carry out a small project. This project could be support during the orientation weeks or organising and accompanying excursions and events. It can be done alone or in small groups. Suggestions for a project are always welcome!

Potential ideas for the project:

Karaoke night
Day trips (e.g. to Nuremberg, Regensburg, Augsburg or Munich)
International evening
Games night
Running dinner

Important: Please always coordinate your project ideas with IO!

Enjoy communicating with international students
Full-time or part-time students at THI
English language skills
A little spontaneity

In addition, the International Office will prepare you for your role as a buddy or mentor in a digital info session. We look forward to your initiative!

You can reach us as follows if you have any questions:

Christina Budweiser and Elena Lotz can be approached for the Buddy Programme via buddy@thi.de.
Sabrina Henning and Valeriia Korniienko can be contacted for the Mentoring Programme via mentoringprogram@thi.de.

All buddy spots for the winter semester 2024/25 have been filled. However, we are still looking for mentors to support our international full-time students!