Study abroad

Visas, travel restrictions, support for international students – these were just some of the topics covered in a webinar hosted by Times Higher Education and AECC Global this week. 

Students from all over the world were given the opportunity to grill a panel of experts about everything they wanted to know about studying in Australia, especially during this strange and confusing time. 

I’m that student. Always have been. I’ve studied in five countries – in Hong Kong from kindergarten through Year 13, Chicago for my undergraduate degree, London for my MBA, Madrid for my culinary diploma, and now I’m in Auckland for my postgraduate diploma in communications. Here are some of my views about what international students should know when embarking on studies in New Zealand.

Imagine a place blanketed by a thick layer of forest punctuated by meteor craters (the highest number of craters per square kilometre in the world), studded with bogs and natural mires.

Snuggled next to Latvia, underneath Finland, and bordered by Russia, Estonia is a Baltic state in northern Europe. With a population of 1.3 million and a land mass smaller than most US states, Estonia is, indisputably, tiny. But while it might not be large, its impact on Europe and the world is immense. Ever heard of Skype? Invented by an Estonian.

Making friends at university can seem daunting, since most of your high school friends will have gone on to other colleges or other occupations, or are even in an entirely different country. As an international or native student, you can position yourself in a good place to make friends simply by being open to new experiences, attending new events and by starting up a conversation with a passer-by. Here are a few tips to get started:

1. Participate in orientation week events

It has been hard to be here in Shanghai during the Covid-19 outbreak, but I am hopeful. 

Things have slowly started improving in Shanghai. The Tongji University campus supermarket is now open, and we can easily purchase food, drinks and stationery between 10am and 2pm. The number of new cases in Shanghai is reported to have subsided, and everyone seems hopeful that this epidemic will be over soon. 

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a global development strategy adopted by the Chinese government in 2013 that aims to develop the infrastructure and investments in nearly 70 countries and international organisations in Asia, Europe and Africa.

Although higher education wasn’t a direct focus of the initiative, the benefits for students living in the countries along the way is undeniable. China has seen an increase in the number of students from countries such as South Korea, India and Pakistan, as well as from a number of other smaller nations.

I started my university journey in 2011 at the University of Mostaganem in Algeria studying English language, literature and civilisation then moving on to an MA in applied linguistics at the same university, where I graduated in 2016.

After getting my MA, I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to further my postgraduate studies in the UK. For someone who never had an exchange programme abroad, or study-related trips, it was an exciting opportunity.