Celebrating Global Week at City St George’s

City St George’s held its annual Global Week this month, coordinated by the Office for Global Engagement in collaboration with the Students’ Union.

The week was an opportunity to celebrate the University’s globally diverse community and highlight how it is engaging with and making a difference around the world.

The University’s programme of events and activities included a Cultural Fair, a Global Scholars’ Reception and talks on global topics including the media’s portrayal of migration and sustainable futures beyond COP.

Global Scholars’ Reception

On Thursday 20 November, the Office for Global Engagement hosted a reception to celebrate international students at City St George’s who have received scholarships.

The event kicked off with a panel discussion chaired by Mark Hertlein, Head of Global Engagement, featuring international students and alumni including:

• Akanksha Kumar, who was the University’s first Indian international student to become SU President
• Joey Li, a Bayes Business School alum from Hong Kong who co-founded lifestyle brand Leiho
• Deisy Pinto, a Chevening Scholar from the School of Science & Technology

Trellona Charles (MA Public Relations and Strategic Communications) was one of the scholars celebrated at the reception. Trellona is from Grenada and is studying at City St George’s through the prestigious Chevening Scholarship.

She said the event was an excellent opportunity to meet scholars from all over the world. “We came together to celebrate our achievements, share our stories and network with each other.”

On her experience so far studying in the heart of London, Trellona said the University has exceeded her expectations. She added that she hopes to develop skills to help her thrive in her chosen career.

The lecturers are knowledgeable and engaging and the courses are relevant, exciting and challenging in the best way. Personally, the diverse campus and support available for all students here has made me feel at home.

“While at City St George’s, I hope to develop both my critical thinking and professional skills. The ability to analyse complex problems and apply my education to a practical context will play a pivotal role in my development as a PR and Communications professional. I want to make a meaningful contribution to my field back home in Grenada.”

Professor Juliet John, Vice President (Education), joined Trellona and her fellow scholars at the reception and said:

City St George’s is a truly global university, making a meaningful impact around the world through research, education and our focus on business, practice and the professions.

"We deeply value the contributions that our international student community make to the University and would like to congratulate all our scholarship recipients on their achievements so far."

Cultural Fair

Elsewhere on campus, the Students’ Union hosted its annual Culture Festival as part of Global Week. The event aimed to platform the University’s cultural societies and diverse international student community. The Cultural Festival brought together twelve cultural societies at Clerkenwell including the Bengali Society, Bollywood Dance Society, Filipino Society, Somali Society and more. Students learned about different cultures, sampled national snacks and painted their own flags. Students can view the full range of societies on the Students’ Union website. 

Anoshay Hasnat, Deputy President (Community and Sport) at the Students’ Union, said: “It was wonderful to be able to host the Cultural Festival this year."

Seeing so many societies coming together and sharing their traditions and food really made the event special. Events like this remind us of the similarities between cultures and help us learn from one another. Thank you to all the societies and students who showed up and helped make the event a success.

Global opportunities at City St George’s

Students found out more about international programmes and exchanges throughout Global Week. At the annual Exchanges and Summer Abroad Fair, students learned about funding and application processes for studying or working in different countries. Schools including Bayes Business School and the School of Communication & Creativity hosted dedicated events for students to hear from those who have studied around the world. Success stories included this year’s recipients of the Global Leadership Award, where students gained newsroom experience at top news site Free Malaysia Today. Find out more.

Read more about global activities at City St George’s.