Article and photo by Sofie Astrup, AAU Communication and Public Affairs.

Why are there no names on the gifts for the “pakkeleg”, and how do you pronounce " flæskesteg med rødkål"? The Danish traditions are new to several of the participants, but with Last Christmas from the speaker and red tablecloths, the mood is kept high. It's Friday evening and around 70 PhD students from AAU are gathered in Studenterhuset Aalborg for the annual Christmas dinner in the PhD Association at AAU (PAU).

The association aims to bring together PhD students across faculties through both social events and the opportunity for self-development. In addition to the Christmas dinner, PAU also makes sure that AAU's PhD students can schedule everything from bingo and museum visits to diary writing and career guidance in their calendar.

Chairman of the board Álvaro Martín Gómez, who is a PhD student in the Department of Electronic Systems, finds that the association's members form relationships through PAU.

"I think we have gained a really good community through our events. Several members also meet in their spare time for other fun activities, such as salsa dancing," he says as he prepares the Christmas buffet.

Sangeeth Geetha Jayaprakash is dressed in his white shirt for tonight’s arrangement and is now mingling with friends. He is a PhD student at the Department of Electronic Systems and describes PAU as a respite from his daily life, where he can take his mind off his studies.

"We rarely see each other in everyday life, so for me, PAU is a unique place with the opportunity to be with PhD students from other departments. It can also give me peace of mind from my thoughts in our daily work," he says.

Smiling big and in a festive mood, Maria Giorgia Spitaleri has also dressed in her stiffest trim. Like Sangeeth Geetha Jayaprakash, she experiences a strong community among the members of PAU. She is a guest PhD student at AAU Energy and went to the Christmas dinner with Álvaro Martín Gómez, who is her close friend.

"When I go back to Italy, I will miss the community that PhD students have at Aalborg University. Because even though I'm far from home, my friends still make me feel like I belong in Denmark," she says.