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Office for International Students and Scholars. VESTA INITIATIVES = Welcome and Intercultural activities. VESTA? Quid?. Vesta refers to the Roman Goddess of the hearth fire. In the Roman Vesta-Temple, the Vestal Virgins had to maintain the eternal fire.
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Office for International Students and Scholars VESTA INITIATIVES = Welcome and Intercultural activities
VESTA? Quid? • Vesta refers to the Roman Goddess of the hearth fire. In the Roman Vesta-Temple, the Vestal Virgins had to maintain the eternal fire. • VESTA at K.U.Leuven stands for: welcoming international guests and make them feel at home: the fire of hospitality.
Vesta Committee • The Vesta-Initiatives are taken by a Committee, composed of: colleagues of the Social Services for international students (housing, social service), some International Programme Co-ordinators, the person responsible for of the international students associations and for Pangaea (our international meeting centre). • For, myself, I’m the co-ordinator of VESTA
Vesta Initiatives 1. Orientation Days for new International Students & Scholars (Sep & Feb) 2. Buddy Programme 3. Follow-up Activities during the Academic Year for students: information & intercultural sessions 4. Intercultural Training Programme for K.U.Leuven staff
1. Orientation Days • Welcome Day: welcome speech, information fair, guided tours, lecture on the history of K.U.Leuven & Belgium • Practical Day: sessions on ‘Living in Leuven’, ‘Traffic Rules’, ‘Computer Facilities’, ‘Student Employment’, ‘Health Insurance’, ‘Dutch Survival Kit’ etc. • Intercultural Day: sessions on our culture, intercultural games, sports activities • Weekend Trips to Bruges
2. Buddy Programme • Sometimes called ‘tandem-programme’: International Students can ask for a Flemish buddy in order • to be helped during their first weeks and months • to bring the Flemish and the International Community closer in contact • to learn about each other’s culture
3. Orientation Days Follow-up • Session on Culture Shock • Session on Examination Regulations • …. (activities (trips, St-Nicholas or Christmas Parties …) organised by Pangaea, International Contact Club and by the associations)
4. Intercultural Training Programme for Personnel K.U.Leuven • Sessions on Intercultural Awareness for international officers • Workshops on intercultural diversity for residence-employees (technical and maintenance staff) • Information Sessions: presentation of the several services and their staff working with and for international guests; a session on the English Language Tests (Toefl, IELTS) • China Day etc.