My project took place at the Student Culture Hub (SCH) at the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). Its mission was to build bridges between Danish and international students, reduce loneliness, and create opportunities for meaningful connections through activities that promote inclusion, diversity, and intercultural understanding.
The project also aimed to contribute to the development of democratic, pluralistic, and inclusive communities where everyone felt welcome, valued, and encouraged to participate.
There were four volunteers in our project. During the first phase, we worked together to organize events as a team. In the second phase, each of us formed our own volunteer team and took the lead in planning and managing an individual project.
During the first phase, we organized a variety of cultural and social events, including Día de Muertos, Battle of the Bands, Language Café, Christmas Hygge Night, and the Halloween Festival. These activities brought together students from different backgrounds, encouraging cultural exchange and creating a strong sense of community.
In the second phase, I organized Turkic Night. My goal was to introduce the rich cultures of the Turkic world to both Danish and international students while creating an inclusive environment where everyone could feel a sense of belonging and, in many ways, feel at home. The event celebrated cultural diversity through shared traditions, food, music, and meaningful conversations, bringing people together beyond cultural boundaries.
The event welcomed around 100 participants and was supported by Turkish communities in Denmark as well as an Uzbek cultural organization.
As part of the program, we prepared a presentation introducing the nomadic heritage of the Turkic world and its rich cultural traditions. Guests were invited to enjoy traditional Turkish coffee, followed by a Turkish coffee fortune-reading experience, which sparked both curiosity and conversation.
We also organized an Uzbek ceramic painting workshop, presented a Zeybek folk dance performance, and held an interactive Zeybek workshop, giving participants the opportunity to learn the dance themselves.
The cultural program continued with live performances featuring the bağlama and tambur, followed by a sing-along of traditional Turkish folk songs. To complete the experience, we served a selection of dishes from the diverse cuisines of the Turkic world, allowing our guests to explore another important aspect of our cultural heritage.
Through this event, we aimed to showcase the richness and diversity of Turkic cultures while creating a welcoming space where people from different backgrounds could connect, learn from one another, and celebrate cultural diversity together.
The volunteer team I built for my project was just as diverse as the event itself. It brought together volunteers from Türkiye, Greece, Iran, India, Indonesia, Spain, and many other countries.
This diversity became one of the project’s greatest strengths. Each team member contributed their own ideas, experiences, and cultural perspective, enriching both the planning process and the event itself. Working together in such an international environment strengthened the inclusive spirit of the project and created a space where people from different backgrounds could collaborate, learn from one another, and celebrate their cultural differences while working toward a shared goal.
As part of the project, I also managed the Instagram account of the Technical University of Denmark’s Master’s Admissions Office for three months. During this time, I created engaging content to showcase student life, promote the university to prospective international students, and support its digital communication efforts.