Cultural distances towards Estonia and estonians on the example of Tartu University exchange students
Date
2009
Authors
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Tartu Ülikool
Abstract
Description
Every exchange student carries ones country and culture along anywhere they go. Every year
the mobile generation is growing throughout the number of students participating in the Erasmus or
other exchange programmes. Power of ambition and wish to learn something different drives students
to experience life abroad. As the modern world demands, the Estonian organisations also need to keep
up with globalization and get hold of more and more international students to come to Estonia.
Exchange could not be successful without information sharing in between universities about
different study possibilities that are eventually to be found by the exchange students. Many different
channels are used for that – the home university, exchange students offices, web pages, Facebook,
forums, YouTube, former exchange students, fares, ESN etc. etc. The numbers of incoming students are
growing steadily in Estonia and also all around Europe - one of the main reasons for that is the good
conditions created via the Erasmus programme and all other programmes supporting students to study
abroad.
The present thesis is divided into the following parts: firstly, a theoretical overview is given,
followed by the empirical background of the same subject, but more localised on Tartu Universities
results and statistics; secondly, cross case and within case analysis of the structured interviews is given.
Ten exchange students and two experts were interviewed based semi structured method. The author
interviewed ten exchange students from all over the world studing in Tartu University and also two
experts on the matter adaption and adoption of students. This method proved to be the best as it
answered the research questions and served well in explaining the main aim of this thesis: to find the
cultural distance dimensions (on Hofstedes dimensions) compared to Estonians, meaning how the
exchange students get adopted to the new environment and situation. The best and most profound
answers for cultural differences and dimensions came up when interviewees were asked to compare
their home land to Estonia or native people to Estonians or universities systems and student life. One of
the main aspects that students are happy about is having the opportunity to make so many friends all
over the Europe and also over the world.
Exchange students lead a diferent life in Tartu, and anywhere else, than the local students- they
have more free time, their classes are not that strict and they are all in a new situation, opened to new
contacts. This all is part of being an exchange student, the more mobile ways and openess to new country and cultures, the wish to discover something new. The students who come to study in Estonia
are a small part of a big mobility group and they tend to be the ones searching for more exotic and
undiscovered countries, mostly countries they know very little of.
Tartu University is interested in improving and having more incoming exchange students - good
contact and support of the voluntary organisations and the preliminary plan for the next five years of
the university clearly state that. Tartu University is doing all possible to adopt the exchange students
into the univerisity- there are classes tought in English, academic staff speaks English, students are put
to live with other exchange students. There is no direct need for the incoming students to learn Estonian
or to make Estonian contacts, hence two basics to adapt better to society are voluntary, not
implemented as it is in some countries.
To conclude from authors part, this topic was of my great interest and many new research areas
that deserve to be studied were found. There is a lot to do from state and universities part to make the
exchange students feel themselves better and more integrated during their stay in Estonia, but in
general they were happy to be here and they see that most of work has already been done. ESN has the
human resources and casual student ways to improve the main area- integrating exchange students into
Estonian student society. For the future: exchange students in Tartu are great subjects to study. Many
fields on this topic are still undiscovered as the Erasmus phenomenon is not older than 21 years and
the changes in Europe will appear clearer in the near future.
Keywords
H Social Sciences (General), bakalaureusetööd