International Students Symposium

Published: 31 January 2017

Dozens of international students shared their experiences of living and studying in Glasgow, at this UofG/SRC event last week.

Kicking off UofG's second annual International Week, an International Students Symposium took place on Monday 23 January. The event was organised by the Students’ Representative Council, in partnership with the University, to explore the experiences of our international students. 

SRC president Ameer Ibrahim has been asked to present recommendations to the University’s Internationalisation Steering Group based on the findings of the conference.

Presenters included Mao Schafer, an International student from Sweden, who has also lived in the USA, Russia and Malaysia; Seonaid Dodds, Senior Student Mobility Coordinator - International Exchanges; Professor Jim Conroy, Vice-Principal, Internationalisation; and Professor David Fearn, International Dean, North America.

Findings

Participants formed focus groups to discuss eight key topics. Their findings included:

  • Accommodation: main concerns were around price, the distance from the university and from supermarkets, and the overall quality
  • Integration and student-led initiatives: most students were members of at least two societies; they found social media to be the best way of engagement; students had high awareness of the services the SRC offered but information could be more streamlined
  • Sport: there was a call for more sports to be available at beginner level; there should be better communication of information about how to join and it should be made available before the start of the academic year
  • Student unions: students found catering in the unions too expensive. They would like to receive information about the unions by e-newsletter
  • Services on campus: the Fraser Building was identified as the central location for International students but many found it too busy at times and said they would welcome drop-in times
  • International mobility: students found mobility to be more complicated than they had anticipated and better support would boost confidence
  • Academic support: students wanted more face-to-face feedback but appreciated lecture recordings and videos; there was a lack of awareness of English language support and a desire for more exam technique support
  • Employability: the Business Club’s interactive workshops were found to be very helpful in developing English language skills. However, students were unsure of the UK recruitment process and expressed concern about the current political climate in the UK, specifically the implications of Brexit and a possible second Scottish independence referendum.

An international university

Professor Conroy said the SRC’s recommendations and findings would be reported to the Senior Management Group, heads of college and other appropriate decision-makers in the University.

He told the symposium: “This event is something I have wanted to see for nearly three years. It is one of a series of attempts to understand how we can serve our students better. We are committed to being an international university. We don’t think we have Scottish students and International students – or even Scottish students, International students and English students. We just have students at an international university. But we want to ensure that our internal conversations and structures support our conviction that we are an international university.”

More information

First published: 31 January 2017

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