DPE and DPW at House of Lords for RGSU event
The Deputy Presidents for Education and Welfare (DPE & DPW), Emina Hogas and Nico Henry, visited the House of Lords for a Russell Group Student Union (RGSU) event on Wednesday 14th May. The event, facilitated by UCL Student Union, was hosted to launch the RGSU’s international student paper.
Both the DPE and DPW met with members of Parliament and attended a lunch with MPs to highlight the experiences of international students. The report found that international students had both positive and negative experiences during their time at university. Students found themselves to face difficulties due to cultural and language differences, and the graduate visa route made it difficult to retain students in the country.
As part of the report, the Union had propagated the International Student Survey at Imperial.
Henry and Hogas said: “We are excited to have represented Imperial College Union at the Russell Group Students’ Union’s (RGSU’s) International Student Survey Launch last Wednesday at the House of Lords, an event supported by the UK Council for International Student Affairs.
"The report presented the main challenges encountered by international students from Russell Group Universities across the UK, reflecting national trends as well as issues we know our Imperial international student community isn’t a stranger to.
“Many of the report’s recommendations align closely with the Union’s ongoing work over the past year, specifically around accommodation and increasing UKRI’s London allowance. With the recent White Paper release just last week, proposing, among other changes, a six-month reduction to the graduate visa, this report is a timely call to action for institutions to better support their international students.
“We believe that supporting international student mobility and access to accommodation through governmental and university-wide policies is essential not just for the wellbeing of International students’ experience, but for our entire student body. We are keen to work with the University on practical measures such as an accredited good landlords scheme to achieve this. There are also broader, long-term proposals, such as freezing tuition fees at the point of entry for international students, which while challenging to implement, would bring much-needed stability.”
