International students on Biological Sciences and Chemistry programmes gain wider perspectives on UK science

Associate Dean for Internationalisation, Professor Phil Newland started the scheme in the last academic year by arranging a visit to the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition for international students. They saw examples of world-leading research from several UK universities, including Southampton, and chatted to the scientists and engineers who were show casing their work.

Biomedical Sciences student, Okanda Ogbonda, who graduated in summer 2014 says: “Going to the Royal Society stimulates your mind and shows you how the science you are learning is relevant to today’s world. I enjoyed meeting inspiring academics and researchers and PhD students.”

Fellow Biomedical Sciences graduate Abeku Mensah adds: “We had the opportunity to see cutting edge science from completely different specialisms, I also liked learning more about the history of science such as the stories of people like Sir Isaac Newton.”

Both Okanda and Abeku have now gone on to study Medicine at UK universities. The other students on the Royal Society visit were Emanuela Howard, Ines Li Lin and Alexander Chu Tan.

 

 

Phil is now organising a series of events and visits for international students who will arrive at Southampton in autumn 2014. “We want to bring together our undergraduates and postgraduates from around the world to meet academic staff, socialise with each other and take part in interesting visits on both scientific and cultural themes,” he explains. Dr Amrit Mudher and Dr Matthew Bellamy from Biological Sciences together with Dr Jon Watts and Dr Guy Denault from Chemistry are involved in the enterprise, supported by Jane Breeze from the Faculty office.