Posted on: 30 Oct
What Can Universities Do To Support International Students
Taimur Qasim
Admin
There are more than a million students from around the world studying in universities outside their home country. This makes universities responsible for the growth and grooming of the students that have flown miles to be on their campuses. The pandemic has revealed all that is possible for the education industry to achieve through ed-tech and more, hence, institutes need to be more hands-on and vigilant in their efforts to make their students feel welcomed and excel in their fields alongside making connections and completing their degree. We do realize that when students choose a school to study abroad their decision is mostly based on the advice of their family, teachers, or a counselor and rarely through their own research. But with the increasing presence of academic institutes on social media, it is becoming easier for students to explore for themselves and decide on which institute best suits their aspirations and expectations. However, with information overload, it is still quite overwhelming for students to reach a decision as there are countless factors to be considered before choosing the right college. Therefore institutions that make an effort to invest time into the international students arriving on-campus and guide them and make a community of diverse and well-connected students have a higher chance of being the most sought-after schools. The goal should be to make each and every student feel comfortable and confident in the new culture, some ways institutes can make this happen are as follows
Institutes should make more efforts to boost diversity on campus by increasing student-led clubs and societies of different kinds which will provide students with networking opportunities and a place to connect and find their interests. An effort like this will keep students engaged in extra-curricular activities outside the classroom, providing them with different avenues to explore and find hobbies that are fruitful to their growth as international students
To increase networking opportunities for new students and those already on-campus, peer mentor programs should be organized by the institute. Such programs encourage open communication between students and mentees. This kind of social connection allows freshmen to become better prepared for life in a new country and also for the academic journey they are about to embark upon
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