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Comment: Reply to 'Non-Danes kicked out of Mentor Group'

Director of Studies at the Faculty of Humanities replies to University Post story on mentors only being for Danes

The main purpose of the mentor programme is to introduce international exchange as well as full-degree students to the Danish society.

According to this the Faculty of Humanities has decided on a new routine; to put more weight on the knowledge of the Danish society, as well as Danish language skills in our mentor programme. The decision has nothing to do with the question of nationality, and does not exclude Non-Danish students.

Actually the Faculty is very happy as well as proud of those of our international students who volunteered for the mentor programme. The fact that students sign up to help each other is indeed valuable to the Faculty.

Needs comprehensive connection to Danish system

And the idea that international students can play an active part in making social events/network for incoming exchange- and full-degree students is something we welcome dearly, and we encourage these initiatives. But being responsible for the mentor programme, we need to listen to the needs of the international students coming to the Faculty, as they are the aim and purpose of the mentor programme.

As the University Post writes in their article, new research shows that international students miss interaction with Danish students as well as Danish society. This is very serious and the Faculty has decided not to close the eyes to this matter.

Therefore, we decided only to assign mentors with a comprehensive connection to – and knowledge of the Danish system as well as language. Of course if the Faculty has denied international students from the mentor programme with the above mentioned background, the Faculty apologies and welcomes those students to contact us.

Will be more specific

In the article the University Post writes that Non-Danish students have been kicked out of the mentor group, we do not recognize this. Nobody has been kicked out of anything. The new routine applies only to new mentors.

Unfortunately, this was not made clear to the mentor applicants upon applying which we apologise for and we will make sure to be more specific on this matter in the future.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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