What inspired you to start working at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL)?
I knew from my previous role as Academic Programs Manager at IES Abroad—a study abroad organization that administers study abroad programs for U.S. college-aged students—that Queen Mary has a successful and long established Study Abroad Program.
Ceri at Study Abroad Fair
IES students have the opportunity to study at QMUL, either full-time or part-time, and their feedback is always very positive—citing the great campus, range of subjects, and location in a really vibrant and interesting part of London.
I was therefore familiar with QMUL for a long time before I joined in 2009. Having previously worked with international students at BUNAC (British Universities North America Club) and IES Abroad, I knew the next step would be to work for a British University and I wanted to work somewhere with a good reputation in the field of study abroad and student mobility.
In short, Queen Mary was the ideal choice for me!
Can you tell us about your role as the Head of Global Opportunities?
It is a really interesting and varied role—I head the team on campus who manage programs which allow QMUL students and staff to study, work, and travel overseas. These programs include Study Abroad, Summer School, International Exchange, and Erasmus+. Our team also manages overseas students who come to study at QMUL as part of these programs and our reciprocal arrangements with partners.
We are a team of nine that works to support students coming to QMUL at every stage of their journey, from initial enquiry through supporting them during their stay, and finally the issuing of their academic transcript when they have returned home. We also support QMUL students and staff who would like to spend a period of time abroad.
In 2017 we contributed to the development of a suite of brand new ‘with year abroad’ degrees across QMUL. These new degrees extend the degree by one year and allow students to study with one of our exchange partners around the world during their third year. Therefore at the moment we are working to expand our portfolio of exchange partners and the range of destinations where students can go. This is a really exciting time for me at the moment as we develop new exchange agreements and work with new overseas partners.
What is your favorite part of your job?
Quite simply meeting students from overseas who are studying with us. For many of them this is their first time abroad and I love seeing how excited they are. It is particularly satisfying to see them gain confidence over the course of their time in London—often they want to come back or do something similar in the future like travel, study, or work abroad. They get their horizons broadened, so to speak, and ‘catch the travel bug.’
What challenges do you often face in your role and how do you overcome them?
A challenge we face for incoming students is availability of modules. We have a large cohort of incoming students each year, typically around 800, so September in particular is always a busy time for us with so many students coming to study at QMUL through our programs, making sure they get the modules/courses they need is often a challenge.
There are some high demand areas where we need to work closely with schools to ensure there is enough provision of modules and students can get the modules they need for academic credit. Therefore we work closely with our schools to advise on modules we know to be popular and also suggest new subject areas based on student and partner feedback.
For outgoing students the main challenge my team and I face is increasing the number of students who participate in our programs from what we call a widening participation (WP) background. Students from a variety of WP backgrounds are under-represented in our outward mobility programs. For example, financial difficulties, first-time in university, students with a disabilities, BME students, and care-leavers.
The benefits of outward mobility for students has been extensively researched: students are more successful in their degrees, find jobs more quickly, or have higher starting salaries. However traditionally students taking part in our programs tend to be from more affluent backgrounds, more uniform ethnically, and from private schools.
The unique and culturally diverse student body at QMUL, as well as the significant number of students from WP backgrounds, means that sending more of these students out on our programs is a priority at the moment. We have convened a group of key stakeholders from across QMUL to make recommendations to address this issue.
My team has also been successful in securing funds to distribute Study Abroad Bursaries which we hope will reduce some of the financial barriers to studying abroad.
How do your past roles working in study abroad with BUNAC and IES Abroad influence your work today?
I learned so much in my previous roles, where to start! At both BUNAC and IES Abroad I worked with mostly US based students, but also students from countries around the world coming to spend time in the UK. In short, I’d say the main influence from previous roles is that they have made me culturally sensitive and hyper aware of the challenges students face and their anxieties as they prepare for going abroad. At QMUL I’ve tried to address this with the introduction of extensive pre-departure guidance, a revamped orientation and welcome program, social events, and extensive support during their time with us. Students know our door is always open and we are constantly thinking of how we can better support our students.
What makes an ideal study abroad/exchange student?
Simply someone who has an appetite to learn about other cultures, who is open minded and adventurous. They of course also need to be adaptable because, although studying abroad is a life changing experience, it can also be really challenging.
Do you look for any specific qualities in programs that you offer to students? If yes, what are they?
We strive to give students as much variety as possible in where they can go. As I mentioned earlier we have a number of new degrees and we are expanding our exchange partners. We seek programs/partners which would complement what our students are studying at QMUL. So the main quality would be the academic program, for example giving students the opportunity to study subjects which would complement their degree but would not be available at Queen Mary.
A good example of this are new exchanges we recently set up in Malaysia and Singapore in the fields of environmental science. Students have the opportunity to study modules with field trips in these countries which they would not be able to study and experience if they only studied at Queen Mary in London. We of course also want to send our students to interesting destinations where we know they will be well supported by our partners in terms of onsite care.
Why is it important for individuals to travel and experience new cultures?
It is so important! We find students who live and study in another country for an extended period of time gain a new personal and intellectual maturity. There is enhanced employability; employers recognize the skills obtained by participation—flexibility, resilience, cross-cultural communication skills, the ability to adapt to new circumstances, and deal constructively with differences. Students get the opportunity to experience a different perspective on their academic subject. Academic horizons are widened with many participants considering returning to the UK for postgraduate study, often at their host institution.
What does meaningful travel mean to you?
I would say for me it is travel which enhances your life. Even holidays abroad could count if someone has never traveled before. However I would say longer periods of work, study, volunteering etc. I was lucky enough as a student to be able to work at a summer camp in Maine, USA. This opportunity broadened my horizons and allowed me to meet people from all over the world. That was my own meaningful travel life-changer and inspired me to continue to seek out similar opportunities and actually build a career related to it.
What are your hopes for the future of global opportunities at QMUL?
I want every student at QMUL to have the opportunity to go abroad during their degree. Whether that be for a short-term placement, field trip, summer, semester, or full academic year. My team and I will continue to expand the programs we offer and the opportunities available to students to achieve this over the next few years.
