Rustur

For decades, the traditional Danish ‘rustur’ intro camp on the medicine programme has been shrouded in mystery and nervous excitement for thousands of new students. But the intro camp community is in transition throughout the country. The same goes for social etiquette and public debate. The University Post followed the intro camp tutors on the medicine programme to find out how an intro camp is organised, and how limits are defined on a study programme that, by definition, crosses people’s limits.

Stories of sexism, drinking and crazy initiation rituals, a global #metoo movement and a set of guidelines on how to deal with offensive behaviour made the University of Copenhagen the centre of a stormy debate last year.

Is it only individual tutors who should foot the bill when an intro week party goes overboard? Or does the problem run deeper? New research shows that there is a link between introduction week activities and the culture within a specific academic field.

The University of Copenhagen has (at least) one student who is studying now on his tenth year and who, according to himself, is getting a huge benefit out of it every time he goes on the fresher camp for new students. It works as therapy for new students, and for their tutors.