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Detailing just one of the many global opportunities on offer for students at City St George’s, an international politics student recalls her exciting summer spent in Montreal on a Globalink internship

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As City St George’s, University of London celebrates Global Week, international politics student Sophia has shared her experience of taking part in one of the university’s global programmes this summer.

Sophia Paul, 20, is in her third year of her undergraduate International Politics degree at City St George’s. Currently living in Vancouver, Canada, Sophia is on an exchange year at the University of British Columbia studying Political Science.

Back in the summer, Sophia secured a Globalink Research Internship— a competitive Canadian internship programme that offers UK undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct research abroad as part of their degree.

Sophia Paul secured a competitive internship in Canada

City St George’s funded two students to complete these three month research programmes in Canada as well as funding 47 students to complete four week leadership programmes in Vietnam and India.

Sophia’s fully-funded and supervised summer research project at the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique aimed to understand how the Global South is formed through contemporary practices.

While working on the project in Montreal, Sophia collaborated with another international student and her professor to research key terms, and retrieve and organise data.

Commenting on the experience, Sophia said:

Taking part in the internship genuinely aided my academic and personal skills. Being able to work in a different city was an opportunity I knew I could not take for granted. Considering how much time and effort I put into my application, I did not want to waste a moment while I was there.

In her spare time, Sophia attended free events in the city including Montreal International Jazz Festival

I gained new research skills from the project and learned more about Global South projects. I think students also need to know that personal development is vital to experiences like this.”

While completing the internship in Montreal, Sophia shared a studio apartment downtown near McGill University. Her roommates were students at the local university and knew the area well.

“My roommates gave me tips on how to get around the city and we went to their favourite spots. The professor at my internship let us manage our own time, so I used this opportunity to work from home and explore the city with my roommates.

Exploring new restaurants and areas in such a vibrant and electric city was the part I most enjoyed. I found the perfect routine which balanced working and exploring.

Spending the summer in Montreal brought many exciting opportunities for Sophia to immerse herself in local life. From a jazz festival held next to her apartment in the Quartier des Spectacles to exploring Quebec City with the fellow intern on her research project who quickly became a good friend.

“I loved to walk around Old Montreal, sit by the pier, and read by myself. It was so peaceful, considering how eventful each day was,” said Sophia.

What shaped my experience to be so impactful was going in with an open mindset and quickly addressing any fears of being in a new city. My roommates were a considerable part of this, and I learned more about myself, the city and my project. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life.

In 2023/24, the Global Opportunities team funded a total of 195 students to participate in programmes across 26 different countries including exchange programmes, summer schools and research and industry projects.

Tom Challen, Global Opportunities Manager, said:

“Reflecting on 2024, the Global Opportunities team is proud of the work done to give students enriching international experiences through our summer programmes this year.

The programmes were an opportunity for students to network with organisations from a wide range of industries in their host city, completing projects which increased their intercultural awareness and problem-solving skills in a global environment.

Looking forward to 2025, thanks to the significant increase in funding from the Turing Scheme, we will expand these global programmes so there will be more exciting opportunities like this for our students.

The Turing Scheme is a UK government initiative offering global mobility opportunities to students from UK schools, colleges, and universities and additional support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The scheme aims to provide students with opportunities to develop their skills, gain international experience and boost their employability through study and work placements around the world.

City St George’s has secured a Turing grant for 2024/25 to support international student mobility activities taking place between September 2024 to August 2025. The grant has increased from £483,760 to £768,458, a 59 per cent increase compared to the amount awarded to City, University of London last year. Read more about the scheme.

Find out more about Global Week 2024 at City St George’s, University of London.

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