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The Buddy program is promoted by University of Siena in cooperation with ESN Siena GES association. Its purpose is not only to assist exchange students with practical matters regarding their settlement in the new country, it mainly aims at facilitating integration in the Italian academic life and the Italian student community.
The Buddy program is, above all, a great opportunity to make new friends from other parts of the world and to create long lasting intercultural friendships! In the framework of the program, the Buddy gets the opportunity to practice a foreign language, get acquainted with different cultures, develop his/her social skills; the buddy also gets the chance to participate to sponsored social events to meet his/her fellow Buddies and to participate to the exclusive ESN Siena GES events.
Buddies are motivated students from Siena University, who sign up to provide friendly support to a foreign student. The candidate profiles of Buddy students are many: previous exchange students willing to continue the international experience they had while abroad are natural candidates, but also other Italian students who are currently contemplating the idea of applying for an exchange program or simply curious about international life!
The ‘buddy’ carries out a very important piece of work in connection with the integration of the international students at Siena University. In fact, by participating in the Buddy program, each international student will have the chance to deeply get to know the Italian culture and its life-style. Also, every exchange student will be provided with smart and practical suggestions on how to survive as a student in a new environment. Think for example at bus lines, where to find cheap prices in supermarkets, addresses of each faculty and how to get there, nearby locations to visit and many other practical matters such as registration with local authorities, banks, etc..
The registration for requesting an Italian “friend” (buddy) is done through the App Papaya – that you can download through:
and opens July 5th for first semester students, and December 5th for second semester students.
Detailed information on how to request a buddy will be sent to nominated students and published on this webpage.
Contacts
► ESN Siena GES : [email protected]
► Incoming Mobility Office: [email protected]