Hearts and minds through stomachs

Hungry students were queuing their way out of the canteen to get fed on Monday, but they were all facing the wrong way. Or were they?

15.03.2005 - James Hosea and Lene Eltvik

From 14.00 until well after 15.00 on Monday, this unusual phenomenon could be observed outside the canteen in the Service Building. This was no food shortage brought on by Sunday's heavy snow falls. Instead, the MIB Council had organised an international lunch in the hall outside the canteen for all students and staff at NHH.

In scenes reminiscent of the former Soviet Bloc, students were joining the queue in hope of sampling some of the Waakye and egg stew from Ghana, the Koreczki z kurczaka from Poland, the corn bread and chilli from the USA or one of the many other tantalising dishes before supplies ran out.

Organised by the MIB Council
The event was organised by the MIB Council (MSc in International Business Council) to raise the profile of the International Business students at NHH, and to raise awareness amongst the Norwegian student body that these international students are an integral part of the new Master of Science programme.

"Norwegians can come and sample the diversity of the International Business students at NHH through their different culinary cultures" said Heather Shulstad, MIB Council president

When asked why the International Business students felt it necessary to organise such an event to get to meet Norwegians, Shulstad replied that it was actually quite hard for the International Business students to meet Norwegians.

Unfortunate side effect
The new Master of Science programme has meant inclusion for the old MIB programme into the mainstream of master education at NHH, but with an unfortunate side effect. The International Business students have become more isolated.

Previously all students who studied International Business met and started to bond at Welcome Week. Now the Norwegian students do not need to choose their profile until much later, by which time they have already made new Norwegian friends.

"They don't walk up and talk to us, and food is a great way of bringing people together" said Shulstad.

Working to improve integration
The MIB Council is working hard to integrate the Norwegian and International students in the Master of Science programme at NHH. They also want to show that the international students are a resource that can help the Norwegian students.

The next planned event is to organise language games after the Easter break. This will help the International Business students learn Norwegian while at the same time giving Norwegian students the opportunity to practice their English, French, German and Spanish. The Department of Professional and Intercultural Communications is supporting this event.

"This is an excellent idea" said Anne Kari Bjørge of the department, "the International Business students make a very valuable contribution to the whole student body at NHH".

Much work ahead
Paraplyen carried out an on-the-spot survey of the Norwegian students waiting to be fed. The feeling was that the International Business students were exchange students that seemed to stay a bit longer.

Not many Norwegians knew International Business students personally and none knew that NHH has been teaching International Business at the Masters level to Norwegian and international students for 20 years.

But the Norwegian students all agreed that free food was an excellent way to meet the foreign students at NHH.

Students queuing, Soviet style, out of the canteen to be fed.

A wide selection of tantalising dishes were available for those wishing to sample the diversity of the International Business students at NHH.

International Business profile students Ewurama Pimpong from Ghana and Agata Kolodziej from Poland were happy to have met lots of Norwegians at last after 6 months at NHH.