Hi, I’m Sruthi, your International Students’ Executive Officer this past year. I am an international student from India pursuing my master’s in international MBA. This year has been amazing throughout, I was able to be a part of some new ideas on campus to make it more inclusive and diverse. I also worked alongside the sabbatical officers and Students’ Union to create and organise events and campaigns to bring international students together.
Diwali
I hosted the first Diwali party at Bucks along with our Vice President Student Involvement, Jess Bradbury. To welcome Diwali, we organised henna design and Diya painting to celebrate the event with the wider student community. The Diwali night party went well, and the student participation was fabulous with music, dance, food, and lots of fun!
International Students’ Office campaign
The international students’ office campaign was one of my major campaigns from this year to provide the University with a better understanding of the lack of support for international students on campus. We did a survey as part of this campaign to gather students’ feedback about their experiences and the importance of an office tailored for international students as a centralised point of contact for their queries.
International Drop-in sessions.
We planned and delivered drop-in sessions for international students to provide insight into general and academic support and procedures and help them to adapt the new environment. The sessions covered details from registering for a GP, adapting to cultural differences in the UK, the new academic style, and various support services provided at the University and Students’ Union to support them.
International Cultural Fest
The first ever Cultural Fest was hosted on the campus to celebrate the beauty of diverse cultures at BNU. Students were encouraged to wear their traditional outfits and bring along food to the event. We had students from different countries like Portugal, India, Nepal, and more. The event was successful, and it is something the Students’ Union will be looking forward to running in the future as well, at a grander level.
I hope you all are enjoying your vacation, and it’s time to say goodbye to you all as your executive officer. It was a pleasure being your representative, and I hope I did justice to my role. Thanks so much for all your support and have a great year ahead!
If you need any support over the summer break, please email union@bnu.ac.uk or, if your issue is more representation related, please email surepresentation@bnu.ac.uk.