Student Culture Hub At Technical University of Denmark
After living in Cairo, everything about Denmark was a huge departure from my normal surroundings—but in a good way! International students from all over the world, with their many customs and cultures, need chances at the Technical University of Denmark to feel included in the new atmosphere and interact with individuals with similar interests. 😊.
This was made possible by Student Culture Hub in various ways. We hosted artistic gatherings such as Comic Con, which catered to pop culture enthusiasts, and the Open Jam Stage, where individuals could sing impromptu. We also hosted social gatherings like tabletop role-playing games and cultural activities to celebrate different customs like Dia de Muertos. Students could express distinctive facets of their cultures through the Student Culture Hub, whether through French films, dancing to Mexican Dia De Muertos music, celebrating Indian Holi, or presenting Comic Con costumes on a fashion runway.
Unlocking Ramadan
From here, it was also my time to represent a part of my culture! Given the significant number of students from Middle Eastern and North African backgrounds, we saw an opportunity for these students to represent their cultures as well. This inspired the idea of an event called “Unlocking Ramadan,” aimed at introducing Ramadan and showcasing how different countries celebrate it, along with their unique traditions. To include as many countries as possible, we began by putting out a call for volunteers to help organize this event. Volunteers responded really enthusiastically, considering it was the first Ramadan event on campus. We were able to provide a range of activities since we had delegates from Tunisia, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, Türkiye, and Iran.
Our goal was to offer a variety of interesting and entertaining activities related to Ramadan, in addition to informative things too and open space for people who have questions about it. We created a playful Kahoot game to introduce internationals to the concept of Ramadan. We served a variety of dishes, including cacik, tahini, safayeh (little pies filled with meat and veggies), and dolma. Kunefe was served as a dessert, and Vimto and Amar el Deen as two popular Ramadan drinks. Together with Arabic and Persian calligraphy where visitors could learn how to write their names in Arabic and Persian script, we also have Turkish coffee and Arabic tea stations. The event also featured performances of traditional dances like the dabke and halay, as well as an oriental music display with Persian and Arabic instruments.
A year full of adventures, friendships, learning, travel, and countless memories was made possible by my ESC project, which also let me understand a lot about myself personally and professionally. However, I had to bid Denmark a melancholy farewell till we crossed paths again.
Copenhagen, Till we meet later…
ESC Solidarity Projects 