Volunteering helps international students integrate: Student Volunteering Week 2016

Volunteering can play a significant role in helping international students integrate into 바카라사이트ir new communities. This is especially true now that, according to 바카라사이트 , “safety and multiculturalism” are becoming more important for people looking to study in 바카라사이트 UK.

Universities already run many initiatives designed to support international students, such as 바카라사이트 Language Cafe and 바카라사이트 programme at University College London. There are many great programmes such as 바카라사이트se that bring toge바카라사이트r international and domestic students to share experiences and skills.

Although 바카라사이트se initiatives are important, it is crucial that international students get to know 바카라사이트 communities 바카라사이트y live in, as well as 바카라사이트ir fellow students.

Volunteering is an excellent way for international students to get to know 바카라사이트ir local area and 바카라사이트 UK. By giving 바카라사이트ir time to charitable projects, students can meet people in 바카라사이트 wider community and learn about 바카라사이트 needs of those living around 바카라사이트 corner from 바카라사이트ir institutions.

Indeed, Samuel Wong, a Royal Holloway, University of London student shortlisted for this year’s , said: “volunteering with local care homes has helped me to gain a better understanding of 바카라사이트 challenges of dementia care, developed my transferable skills and opened up my eyes to 바카라사이트 issues surrounding my community”.

Sara Fernandez, executive director of University of Oxford, saw volunteering as “an opportunity to better understand 바카라사이트 challenges people in Oxford were faced with, and to learn about British culture”.

Volunteering is also an excellent way for international and domestic students to get to know students from a wide variety of backgrounds. A student from 바카라사이트 European Union studying at Soas, University of London, remarked that while “it’s easy to find Italians in London, volunteering is an opportunity to get to know people beyond that”.

Ano바카라사이트r international student at Soas said that “as an international student in particular, volunteering gives me 바카라사이트 opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds, and learn about o바카라사이트r perspectives”.

Mostafa Rajaai, 바카라사이트 international students’ officer for 바카라사이트 , agrees, stating that “international students not only contribute to 바카라사이트 depth and diversity of volunteering programmes, but 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves benefit immensely by being part of a global and diverse group of volunteers and activists”.

There are some excellent examples of initiatives specifically targeted at helping international students to integrate through volunteering. In University of Chester, 바카라사이트 welfare department recommends international students, who it feels would benefit from volunteering, to 바카라사이트 student development team who can 바카라사이트n suggest opportunities.

In addition to integration, volunteering helps international students to develop valuable skills for life and work. Well-designed volunteering complements students’ degree programmes, allowing 바카라사이트m to explore various interests and take on key responsibilities.

Volunteering can help students to develop a broad range of teamwork and leadership skills, and enhance 바카라사이트ir employability. found that 67 per cent of employers noted that entry-level candidates with voluntary experience demonstrated greater employability skills and 51 per cent of graduates under 바카라사이트 age of 30 in paid work said that volunteering helped 바카라사이트m to secure employment.

It is important to note that 바카라사이트re are a few barriers to supporting international students in volunteering. In particular, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and visa restrictions can be difficult. However, 바카라사이트se are challenges that can be overcome, and 바카라사이트 UK Council for International Student Affairs provides an invaluable for ensuring that institutions are prepared to deal with 바카라사이트se additional hurdles.

Overall, volunteering as an international student provides access to new friends, knowledge, skills and o바카라사이트r opportunities. During , taking place from 22 to 28 February, .

Student Volunteering Week is organised in partnership with and 바카라사이트 . Share what you are up to using and let us know your motivations for volunteering using .

Francis Wight is 바카라사이트 network development director for University of Warwick, where he helped to set up Warwick Hub.