Internationale studerende, der går på trappen.

International Week brought together students from all over the globe at the IBA

14. april 202514. april 2025

The IBA was buzzing with life, languages, and cultures as 180 students and lecturers from around the world gathered for International Week.

They came together at the IBA to take part in four different Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programmes – three designed for students and one for lecturers. The students participated in either „International Business Week‟, „International Marketing Week‟, or „International Multimedia/ICT Week‟, while the attending lecturers took part in the „Global Mindset Training‟ programme.

The participants represented 18 universities and nearly 30 different nationalities.

Throughout the week, the participants lived and worked together across languages and backgrounds with one common goal: to learn, share, and build bridges between cultures. The week was filled with engaging dialogues, fresh perspectives, and friendships across borders. It all began with a welcome evening that also celebrated the Chinese Lantern Festival – right in the heart of Kolding.

Internationale studerende der tager morgenmad fra morgenmads baren. — The many international students are staying at Kolding Hotel Apartments. To strengthen their networks, they are sharing flats with fellow students from a wide range of countries.

„I’m looking forward to meeting new people from different cultures and stepping outside my comfort zone,‟ says Sofian Akhout, who studies Finance and Insurance in Belgium. He is joined by three others from his school for International Week at the IBA in Kolding, where he has already met people from France, Bulgaria, Guatemala, Portugal, and Jordan.

„I’m excited to gain new perspectives on my field, as I believe people think differently across cultures,‟ says Faye Van Son, who studies Creative Media Management in Belgium.

Ildikó Antal der snakker ud til auditoriet fyldt med internationale studerende. — Ildikó Antal, Director of IBA International & the Confucius Institute, welcomed participants to International Week at the IBA. „The most important thing you can take away from this experience is global competence, along with all the new friendships you’ll build across countries. Through dialogue and group work, you will discover solutions together,‟ she said.

This is the second time that Pákai Péter Bence from Hungary is attending International Week at the IBA in Kolding. „Last time I had a really great week, so I wanted to come back. I originally signed up to learn about economics, but it turned out that the social aspect and networking with people from other cultures became just as important,‟ he says.

Razan Naber og Saif Dafesh — Razan Naber (in a white blouse) and Saif Dafesh (in a black blouse) are from Jordan and study at ELTE University in Hungary, but they haven’t had their fill of exploring new countries and cultures. Both share that studying abroad has made them more independent. They’re looking forward to new experiences and making new friends during International Week at the IBA.

Anatolie Cantir der snakker til de studerende i auditoriet. — Anatolie Cantir, a professor from VIA University College, shared insights into Danish culture with the many international guests – both from an insider’s and an outsider’s perspective, as he originally comes from Moldova but has lived in Denmark for many years.

Billede af de mange internationale studerende taget på trappen på IBA. — Nearly 30 nationalities from East to West were represented: Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hungary, Israel, Jordan, Latvia, Morocco, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, Russia, Slovakia, Sri Lanka, St. Lucia, Syria, Tunisia, the UK, Ukraine, and the USA.

„I’ve loved being surrounded by different cultures,‟ says Jeppe Johansen, who usually studies Financial Management at the IBA, but this week is taking part in International Business Week. „I’ve always believed that two minds think better than one, so I really appreciate the way we work in groups here in Denmark. That’s not so common in some other countries, but I’ve managed to convince a few of them that it’s a great idea – and they’re planning to take it home with them.‟

Claas Crome is from Germany, studies Business Management in England, and is currently taking part in International Business Week at the IBA in Kolding. He shares that at the IBA, he has experienced a different approach to problem-solving in project work. There’s no single correct way, and more than one path can lead to the goal. He also noticed that the relationship with lecturers is more informal. “I’ve never seen teachers teasing each other in front of students before,” he remarks with a smile.

Mia Huntley studies in Hungary and comes from Abu Dhabi. She took part in International Marketing Week. She found the teaching at the IBA to be different from what she has experienced before. „Here, we work our way towards a solution through a process. It gives us the opportunity to think more independently, rather than having someone else point us directly towards the task and its solution,‟ she explains.

Studerende der har undervisning. — The teaching during International Marketing Week is a mix of group work, coaching, excursions, and social activities. IBA lecturer Nikolaj Svensson has initiated a group project and provides coaching along the way.

Studerende der har gruppearbejde. — Feron Achille studies E-Business in Belgium and is participating in International Multimedia/ICT Week. „Here at the IBA, we learn through discussion in group work. Talking with the others, I’ve realised that there are different ways of learning across cultures,‟ says Feron, who is working in a group with students from Hungary, Denmark, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

Do you have any questions?

Contact

Ildikó Antal

ilan@iba.dk

+45 25 28 45 47

Director, IBA International & Confucius Institute