The team behind Æß²ÊÖ±²¥ Leicester’s (Æß²ÊÖ±²¥) pioneering international experience programme are celebrating today after winning a prestigious national award.
triumphed in the Outstanding International Strategy category of the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards (THELMAs), held in London last night. The programme offers on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.
The judging team said that the winning entry “displayed a really strong commitment from the university to provide students from a broad range of backgrounds access to a range of meaningful and life-changing experiences as part of its outward mobility strategy”.
James Gardner, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Strategic and International Partnerships, said he was thrilled with the national recognition for #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global, which this year alone has seen around 2,000 students head off on more than 130 trips.
He said: “The awards showcase the best work taking place in the UK higher education sector, so I am delighted that #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global has been highlighted in this way.
“The programme’s success is down to a dedicated, hard-working team, whose creative, dynamic and innovative approach results in so many outstanding opportunities for students.
“Since its launch in 2013, #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global has added a new dimension to teaching, living and learning at Æß²ÊÖ±²¥. This is why the university invests more than £1.2 million every year in the initiative and gives bursaries to all participants."
#Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global is at the heart of the university's international strategy called Global Instinct, which aims to transform Æß²ÊÖ±²¥'s approach to internationalisation and give extra support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds so they can experience #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global opportunities.
Leo Smith, #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global manager, is equally delighted. He said: “It is great to have national recognition of the innovative and ambitious approach that we have taken with #Æß²ÊÖ±²¥global, which has allowed us to send more than 2,000 students overseas this year.
“We have set ourselves even more ambitious targets for next year to continue the growth and development of this great programme.”
Recent trips have seen students go behind the scenes of the Hong Kong media industry, discover a slice of Hollywood in Hungary and get a wave from the President on a visit to Washington.
History student Toby went on the study trip to the US capital to deepen his understanding of the American political system and had a “brilliant” experience.
He said: “We got to do a lot of things that tourists would not normally do – when we went to the White House we spoke to people who’d be trying to visit for two years and we were walking right past them!”
Fellow student Adam Keys added: “We spoke to people about their thoughts on the presidential election and we got an insight that you would not have reading the coverage in this country.”
Dozens of new opportunities have recently been added to the programme for 2016-17, including performing arts in Malta, biomedical science in Bermuda and business and economics in Thessaloniki, Greece.
Posted on Friday 24 June 2016