A group of exchange students who were here 1999-2000, have continued to stay in touch and meet regularly. This summer, they returned and revisited Karlstad University.
– On the weekend of July 27-28, we met again at Karlstad University, a group of international students who studied here in 1999 and 2000, says Lukasz Ingielewicz, who organized the reunion. This year marks 25 years since we first met.
The group includes speakers of Italian, German, Dutch, Polish, Spanish, American, Canadian, Finnish, British, French, Polish, and a bit of Swedish as well.
– We became friends in Karlstad and have kept in touch ever since. Almost every year since 2000, we have organized reunions. We have met in various places around Europe such as Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, France, the Czech Republic, and once in the USA. Initially, it was just weekends for us and a few friends, usually 8-15 people showed up. Later, we started adding our partners and spouses, so the gatherings grew.
In recent years, entire families have also joined. They have rented a large house where everyone stayed together, usually around 30 people.
– After the weekend in Karlstad, we are moving to a hostel south of Stockholm and staying for a whole week, says Lukasz.
The weekend reunion in Karlstad gathered 49 people, former Kau students, their spouses, and children.
– I was an exchange student here in 1999 and now welcomed the group and showed them around the university during the summer visit, says Jorryt van Bommel, Associate Professor of Mathematics Education at Karlstad University.
