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This is an opinion piece, and only expresses the views of the writer.
To Norwegians it might be obvious – Welcome Week is THE event of the year. Friendships are formed, relationships are broken and memories are made and only to be immediately forgotten. But internationals are left on the sidelines, without mentor groups (fadder groups) or a clear point of contact they become truly lost to the Norwegian social system.
After having just moved to Norway, with (practically) no knowledge of Norwegian or the social aspects of NHH, internationals face a sheer overwhelming amount of chaos from day one. Buy a duvet the moment you land, or sleep without a blanket. Unravel Whatsapp, or worse, FB Messenger texts from unknown numbers.
Try to figure out where your classroom is when you’ve barely even found where the Rema1000 is. Then, during welcome week when everything is supposed to be cleared up, only more chaos and confusion is added.
How – you may ask – is anyone supposed to find their way during welcome week without a fadder?
Welcome Week 2025 was a success, but with no thanks to any international mentors. On the first day, internationals were directed to their own ‘special pre-drink’ that was only announced after several disoriented students showed up to the information desk extremely lost.
Whether this event happened at all remains a mystery–and if it did, the price of drinks in Kjelleren likely scared off any new international in Norway. Sure, there may be a distant buddy who sends you a WhatsApp message from an unknown number, but there is no one to guide you through which associations to join, where to be, or even how to plan a Vorsch.
Beyond relatable stories and Facebook dilemmas, NHH has a deeper issue: it pretends to be one of the most international-friendly schools in Norway. Yet, internationals lack the guidance they so desperately need during the biggest tradition of the year. True, it may be hard to motivate internationals who already feel so excluded to become a mentor, but this is exactly where they are needed more than ever.
If NHH wants to live up to its international, triple-accredited reputation, rather than just use it as a luring marketing slogan, it needs to go back to the basics: ensuring that everyone is welcome during welcome week. Otherwise, internationals will keep thinking that, in Norway, even buying a duvet can be an extreme sport.
