Warwick was among one of 40 universities represented at an inaugural “International Student Forum” which took place in London on 18 November.

Organised by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) the Forum gathered students from across the country to give them the opportunity to share their experiences, and discuss government strategies and policies that impact upon international students.

Warwick was represented by Newton Tham, a final year undergraduate from the School of Law, and former President of the Malaysian Society. "It was a wonderful opportunity that I found really inspiring” said Newton. “It was very empowering to talk about the importance to the UK of having such a diverse range of international students studying here and hear about how our contribution to the classroom is so valuable. I loved the chance to join in discussions about how we can change and challenge the stereotypes that people might have about international students and also to network with others who genuinely wanted to hear about my stories and experiences. It made me feel important."

“It was a privilege to be able to meet and speak with such a fantastic group of articulate and inspirational students from around the world” added Claire O’Leary, Head of Student Internationalisation at Warwick who joined the day as part of a panel of sector experts. “Our philosophy at Warwick to draw upon and make the most of the diverse perspectives and experiences of our students from across the world. There is still a lot more to be done to help every student make the most of our global campus community at Warwick, but events like this underline what is possible."