ABSTRACT
Buddy systems have been long in use in many different variations to indicate that someone pairs up with another person. Nowadays, there are buddies for many different reasons and in many different settings, including for international students and expats. The chapter details the various benefits of buddy systems for international students and for expats, based on two research projects. The first project took place in the Netherlands and matched expats to a Dutch local host for a period of 9 months. The second project matched expat academics to a local colleague at a university in Denmark. Connecting expats with a local buddy can help the expat settle into the host country. Even if the buddy was a local colleague, the focus of much of the contact was more on life outside of work and most of the benefits were of a more personal nature with regard to receiving social support and learning about the host culture. These projects show that a buddy system is especially a valuable option with regard to the social aspect of settling into a new host country.
