All posts by Samantha Jane Logan

Editor of the International Students' Bulletin.

Enter the Enterprise Idea Competition for a chance to win £500!!

Who is eligible?

It is open to all current students of SHU only

When and how can they enter?

You can enter anytime between Monday 28th September and Friday 30th October.

Visit the website to enter www.enterpriseideacompetition.com

Create a 2 minute video addressing the following questions (need to say each question on the video before they answer it):

– What is your idea?

– How will it work?

– Who are your customers?

– Why will they buy it?

– What are your next steps?

Workshops to help:

The Enterprise Team are running some workshops to help inspire people and come up with ideas to enter with. Dates and description below:

“This isn’t another talk, seminar or lecture; this is your opportunity to develop skills that are relevant to your degree, your job prospects and employability, and for if you are considering setting up your own business. It is going to be a 2 hour interactive workshop, with hands on, practical skills development and the chance to have a bit of fun!”

Wednesday 21st October 4-6pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creating-enterprising-ideas-tickets-18113749713

Thursday 29th October 5-7pm https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creating-enterprising-ideas-tickets-18113765761

How will they find out if they have won the £500?

The winners of the Enterprise Idea Competition will be announced on Tuesday 17th November at the Global Entrepreneurship Week event ‘Hear from the Entrepreneur’ https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/hear-from-the-entrepreneur-a-global-entrepreneurship-week-event-tickets-17934806489

Holly and Hannah go to Canada – part 2!

Meet Holly and Hannah Stark, two Hallam students who recently returned from a year-long exchange at Trent University; follow them in their experiences as they travel to Canada and America and see the benefits of studying abroad!

“With no technology and merely the stunning landscapes which surrounded us, we learnt a lot about ourselves and the people around us.

h&HAfter completing our April exams, we were lucky enough to travel west across Canada with a group of international students; our international family. This involved a four hour flight, several overnight buses and a twelve mile hike. The trip lasted around a month and took us from the most amazing heights of 7667ft in Banff to the beautiful grounded beaches of Vancouver. We surprisingly (but luckily) didn’t see any bears in Alberta, but we did see a few bare bums! (Having accidentally stumbled across a nudist beach at the University of British Columbia.) Travelling and wandering in the wilderness gave us such a sense of tranquillity and an intense desire to see more of the world. H&H mountain

Inevitably, we were not ready to leave the lovely country of unpredictable weather and unappreciated beauty. Although we struggled at times, missing home and family, we were unaware that we would make another family, who would be just as hard to leave; one that spanned from Japan to Holland to Ecuador (and all the bits in between), all joined through Canada, a place where we definitely could have stayed longer, whether that be studying, watching ice hockey or eating their most remarkable delicacy; poutine.”

If you’re inspired by Holly and Hannah’s adventures, then like our Facebook page for all the latest exciting opportunities and news!

Are you feeling festive and creative? Do you need some Christmas cash?

christmascard-bannerWe are inviting all Sheffield Hallam students to take part in our Christmas card competition.

We are looking for a creative, festive design or photograph for our Christmas card based on the theme of Sheffield at Christmas.

The winning entry will be chosen by the Vice-Chancellor. The winner will receive £100 and be credited on the back of the Christmas card, which will be sent to all our key stakeholders including MPs, leading business executives and university Vice-Chancellors.

Closing date Monday 2 November 2015

Find out more

Holly and Hannah go to Canada! – Part 1

Meet Holly and Hannah Stark, two Hallam students who recently returned from a year-long exchange at Trent University; follow them in their experiences as they travel to Canada and America and see the benefits of studying abroad!

“It was incredible how quickly we felt a sense of comfort and unity with these once unfamiliar faces.

CanadaArriving on a yellow school bus with frozen windows (on the inside!) in early January, we began our journey into a world of the unknown. Under the two pairs of thermals and several layers of cotton and wool, we wondered if we could remember what warmth felt like. -41 degrees was a shock to the system and three months of snow made us realise how lucky us Brits have it in winter.

But we soon adapted to the Canadian climate; skiing, ice skating, plenty of Tim Horton’s and trips to maple farms made us learn to love the cold. And it definitely can’t go unmentioned: you really can pour maple syrup into the snow, wait for it to become gooey and then scoop it onto a stick and have a maple lollipop!blog - sunset

Suddenly over the short period of a week, zero degrees became twenty three, spring was skipped and summer began. We didn’t understand Canada, but we loved it; the people, the climate and the uni. Trent University looked picturesque everyday, both covered in snow, and illuminated by sunshine.

We likened it to Hogwarts, with four competing houses, and a Great Hall. Trent also had a beautiful river and its stunning campus made the exam stress much easier to cope with. Adjusting to a new place can be tricky but we tried to embrace everything possible, whether that be the constant ‘eh?’s after sentences, the plastic waterproof money or the milk sold in bags (not cartons), and funnily enough, we now miss the things we initially found unusual.

On top of reading five books a week and indulging in Canadian Literature, we took it upon ourselves to learn some new skills from our fellow international students; these involved attempting to speak Dutch, juggle, longboard and cook (but mainly eat) Latin food (Tigrillo, Locro and Arepas are personal favourites and definitely worth a Google.)

We managed visits to Toronto, hockey and baseball games, the incredible Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and New York City, all within reasonable distance of Trent Uni, but nevertheless, time began to pass much too quickly…”

To be continued next week!

Free course online – Academic Integrity: Values, Skills, Action

What is academic integrity? Why is it so important in academia? And how can you, as a student at university, achieve with integrity and honesty?

These are some of the important questions we’ll explore over the four weeks of the course. As we do so, you will hear from the lead educator as well as the perspectives of students like you.

Specifically, each week contains videos, articles, activities and quizzes that will help you develop the knowledge and skills needed to be a successful and ethical learner. There will also be opportunities for you to discuss your ideas with other students on the course and learn from their experiences and points of view.

By the end of the course, we hope you’ll come to understand the meaning of academic integrity and how to avoid academic dishonesty, misconduct and plagiarism but more importantly we hope you will also embrace the values associated with academic integrity as your own.

Additionally, and equally importantly, this course will help you develop study skills and academic writing skills needed to act in accordance with those values, and thus achieve with integrity.

Find out more

International Student Registration

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

“What documents do I need to bring to Registration?”

You will need to bring your passport, visa – including your Biometric Residence Permit (BRP) card – and your SHU Student card.

Please note these must be your original documents – photocopies or electronic copies will not be accepted.

Some students may be asked to bring additional documents to Registration – if this applies to you, it will be clearly stated in your invitation email, so please read your invitation email carefully.

“I don’t have my passport and/or my visa / BRP card – what should I do?”

If you do not currently have your documents for any reason, please bring evidence of where the documents are being held.

For example, if you have sent your documents to UKVI to apply for a visa extension, please bring evidence of postage, or a letter of response from UKVI as evidence of your application.

If you have recently applied for a Shengen visa or any other type of visa, please bring evidence. For example, a letter acknowledging your application, evidence of postage such as a postal receipt, or other evidence of your application.

If your documents are held by the Police or any other agency, please bring a receipt or other documentation to evidence this, e.g. a letter of receipt from the Police/other agency.

“I have lost my passport / visa / BRP card – what should I do?”

If you have already made an application for a replacement, please bring evidence of your application to Registration.

If not, you must contact SHU International Experience Team (IET) urgently for guidance on how to apply for a replacement passport or visa, or BRP card.

If IET are assisting you with your replacement application, please bring evidence of this to Registration, e.g. IET Appointment Card or printout of emails from IET.

“I can’t attend Registration! What should I do?”

Please note that all current Tier 4 students must attend Registration unless they are in one of the following situations:

  • You are currently absent from study, or will be absent during the Registration period. This may be due to illness or other circumstances;
  • You are currently studying away from Sheffield, for example if you are conducting research at a location outside Sheffield;
  • You are in your home country completing your remaining studies, for example, writing up your Dissertation;
  • You have returned to your home country / have left Sheffield, because you have recently completed all of your required studies or;
  • You are absent for any other reason.

If any of the above applies to you, you must contact your Faculty to request an Authorised Absence – please see below for instructions on how to do this.

“How do I request an Authorised Absence if I can’t attend Registration?”

If you are an undergraduate or postgraduate student, or studying an English Language/TESOL course you must urgently contact your Faculty in person or by email, who will advise you.

If you are a PhD/doctoral research student, you must urgently contact your Faculty Research Administrator Office to request an Authorised Absence. Your Research Administrator will advise you.

“I am currently on Placement – what should I do?”

Please reply urgently to tier4registration@shu.ac.uk with your Student ID number and details of your Placement, including the date you began your Placement, the full name and address of your Placement employer, and the date your Placement ends.

We will then review your response and advise you.

“I am living outside of Sheffield and it will be difficult for me to attend Registration – what should I do?”

You must urgently respond to tier4registration@shu.ac.uk with full details. Please include your Student ID number and Course Title in your response. We will then advise you.

“I have recently changed my immigration status / visa type and no longer require a Tier 4 (General) student visa – what should I do?”

Please reply urgently to tier4registration@shu.ac.uk with details of your new immigration status / visa type. If possible, please attach electronic copies of your new visa documents – i.e. your visa ‘vignette’ and BRP card if you have one – to your email. Please include your Student ID number and Course Title in your response.

“I am a UK or EU student and believe I have been invited to Registration by mistake – what should I do?”

Please reply urgently to tier4registration@shu.ac.uk with details. If possible please attach a scanned, electronic copy of your UK/EU passport to your email. Please include your Student ID number in your response.

“I have other questions about Registration.”

If you have any other queries, please email tier4registration@shu.ac.uk, including your Student ID number and Course title in your email.

Kennedy Scholarships 2016-17

Applications are invited for Kennedy Scholarships to enable British citizens, educated in the UK, to take graduate programmes across the full range of Schools and courses at Harvard and MIT

Kennedy Scholarships comprise full tuition and health insurance fees, a generous stipend for living, a contribution to transatlantic travel and a discretionary grant for vacation travel in the USA. They are part of the British national memorial to President Kennedy and have been awarded annually in competition since 1965 with many former scholars now in leading positions.

Up to 10 awards will be offered for 2016-17.

All applicants must have studied at a UK University or University College. In addition, they may be: studying for a first degree and due to graduate in the academic year 2015-2016, or a graduate of a UK university or university college who has completed a first degree not earlier than 2011 and who will have spent at least 2 of the 7 academic years prior to 01.09.2016 at a UK university or university college.

Awards will not be made to postdoctoral candidates wishing to pursue further research in their own field.

Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements of their chosen programmes and, in addition to their Kennedy Scholarship application, should submit a separate and independent application to their preferred School, meeting all deadlines etc.

A Kennedy Scholarship does not guarantee admission to Harvard or MIT.

Applications must be submitted online at www.kennedytrust.org.uk by 23.59 on 28th October 2015.

Contact details for 2 referees must be supplied who will be emailed automatically once an application is submitted.

Full information about the award and how to apply is on the website.

Daiwa Scholarships 2016

The Daiwa Scholarship is a unique 19-month programme of language study, work placement and homestay in Japan, following a month of Japanese language tuition in the UK. Daiwa Scholarships offer young and talented UK citizens with strong leadership potential, the opportunity to acquire Japanese language skills, and to access expertise and knowledge relevant to their career goals.

The selected Daiwa Scholars will undertake a month of Japanese language study in the UK during August 2016 before moving to Japan in mid-September 2016 for the remainder of the Scholarship.

No previous experience of Japan or Japanese is necessary. 

You can find a link to the Daiwa Scholarship flyer here. The link to the online application notes and form can be found here. The Foundation is also happy to provide advice about possible applications – please contact scholarships@dajf.org.uk.

If you are interested in applying you should attend the briefing organised by the Daiwa Foundation in Sheffield on

Wednesday 28 October 2015, 12:00pm
LTE Hicks Building
More info: http://www.shef.ac.uk/careers

The closing date for the 2016 programme will be Thursday 3 December 2015.

Deadline approaching for Culture Connect

Would you like to apply for our new volunteer peer mentoring scheme called Culture Connect? It will help you to meet people from different countries, develop your cultural awareness and gain valuable experience for your CV.

Your commitment

The scheme is very flexible around your studies. You will  meet your mentee/mentor a minimum of 4 times from October to April. You will receive an induction to ensure you get off to a good start, then there will be regular employability skills training and networking events to meet wider participants on the scheme. By taking part in Culture Connect, you will be eligible to apply for the prestigious Hallam Award (organised by the Students’ Union).

Would you like to apply to become a mentor (student helping)?

You will help mentees settle into university life and gain volunteering experience for your CV. Ideal candidates will be familiar with university services and will have taken part in extracurricular activities.

Would you like to apply to become a mentee (student being helped)?

You may be a new student who would like to learn about other cultures, adapt to life in Sheffield and improve your communication (and/or language skills).

You may want to discuss

  • ways to meet people from different countries
  • Other cultures and differences from your home country
  • extracurricular activities and community events
  • small talk and making friends
  • other places to get support

Watch a video summarising the scheme

httpv://youtu.be/qycVDTQKQ-Q

More student videos and case studies 

Previous participants on the scheme described mentoring as ‘learning through sharing’ and ‘wherever you’re from, you belong. Both mentees and mentors reported improving their cultural awareness, time management and communication skills. As well as gaining volunteer experience.

Deadline to apply

The deadline is Friday 9 October at 5pm, fill out the online application form at http://go.shu.ac.uk/applycc 

Find out more

Email the scheme coordinator Samantha Jane Logan at CultureConnect@shu.ac.uk

 

This week’s news

Wednesday 30 September 2015

Social
Employability
  • Are you a returning student? Apply for Culture Connect to help a new student settle in and to gain experience for your CV.
  • Are you interested in working full-time in the UK after you graduate? Working in the UK after studies sessions provide information about Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 5 visa routes.
Support
Immigration

Best wishes,

International Experience Team