Currently, 280 international students are enrolled in basic educational programs and 100 in exchange at North-Eastern Federal University. Adaptation work with international students is conducted by NEFU International Club.

“The Buddy Program is one of the main projects of our organization. Since the activity of the program primarily related to the adaptation of international students at NEFU. We try to find and assign a buddy for each newly arrived student, who helps the student, starting from the meeting at the airport. Buddy has to acquaint the international student with the university and its rules, with Yakutsk city, showing the nearest shops, currency exchange offices, transport stops. Also, adapt to daily life: buy a SIM card, set up a mobile connection, the Internet. Buddy should always be ready to help the student in any situation - explain, advise or just support”, said Evgenia Tylbykova, program coordinator, NEFU student.

She noted that NEFU student is chosen as a buddy who voluntarily helps a foreigner during his stay in Yakutia. A buddy has many roles - for an international student, he becomes a friend, an assistant, a guide, a translator, and perhaps a fellow student. Annually, more and more foreign students come to NEFU, so the activities in the organization are becoming more significant, and the buddy work is becoming more and more responsible. The duties of buddy include assistance to an international student with accommodation in a dormitory, registration and visa extension.

NEFU student Valeria Protodiakonova told about the second important program called “Tandem Program”. “Tandem is a program of language and cultural exchange, due to which students have the opportunity to practice and learn a foreign language with native speakers, as well as to mutually teach their native language for free. In other words, tandem is a club of international and local NEFU students by countries and languages. Currently, there are Russian-English, Russian-Chinese, Russian-Korean, Russian-Japanese and even Yakut-German tandems”, said the coordinator.

Valeria Protodiakonova noted that the language program is very popular among local and international students: “Many people want to meet with students, new cultures, to practice not only English, but also other foreign languages. The same effect is observed among foreign students, since this program is useful for them in terms of the practice of the Russian language and improved knowledge of Russian and Yakut culture”. To become a buddy or a tandem participant, it’s enough to submit an application on NEFU International website and have an interview.