At the beginning of each semester, I invite my students into a simple yet powerful activity called Speedfriending. Students sit in pairs, facing one another, and engage in a short, two-minute conversation guided by a carefully prepared question. When the time is up, they shift seats - one position to the left or right - meeting a new partner and a new prompt. This rotation continues, creating a dynamic rhythm of brief but meaningful encounters.

The questions themselves play an important role in shaping the quality of these encounters. They are intentionally a little unusual - designed to invite reflection, imagination, and personal sharing rather than surface-level responses. Interestingly, many of these questions were created by students themselves as part of a creative task in another course. Some examples include: If you could become someone else for a day, who would you be and why?; How would you describe an ideal fellow student?; If you could travel somewhere for a few days, where would you go and why?; What kind of music do you listen to, and why?; My “future self” is…; What is one funny situation you experienced at university?; What is a talent or something unique about you?; What do you value most about your studies?; What is your definition of wealth?; How do you prepare for exams, and what does that period look like for you? These kinds of prompts open space for authenticity and often lead to surprisingly meaningful exchanges.

The purpose of this activity is not merely ice-breaking in the conventional sense. Rather, it is designed to foster genuine connection: to help students discover shared experiences, common values, and unexpected points of resonance. Through these micro-conversations, something subtle but important begins to emerge - an atmosphere of trust, openness, and relational warmth that forms a strong foundation for learning and teaching.

The idea for this activity came from one of my former students, Đurđica, who also gave it the name Speedfriending. Her cohort at the time was struggling with strained and fragmented relationships, and together we reflected on how these could be strengthened. Out of that shared process of addressing a real relational challenge, this activity was born.

From a practical perspective, Speedfriending is highly adaptable. It can be implemented in both small and large groups - even with cohorts of more than 40 students -provided that the space is arranged thoughtfully to allow smooth movement and rotation. The duration of the activity can vary depending on the number of participants and available time; in some cases, it may last a full session (e.g., up to 90 minutes), while in others it can be shortened. 

Although described here in a higher education context, the activity is suitable for a wide range of ages and settings, including primary and secondary schools, as well as professional development contexts - simply by adapting the questions to the participants.

Today, I use Speedfriending with every new generation of students at the start of the semester. Each time, I am struck by the same thing: the gradual softening of faces, the emergence of laughter, the shift from hesitation to ease. It is in these small, human moments that the groundwork for a supportive learning community is laid.

For me, Speedfriending is a reminder that relationships are not a by-product of education - they are its very condition.