Global opportunities on campus
There are many ways that York students can gain international experience without leaving York. The Centre for Global Programmes provides short-courses for students from around the world with which York students can get involved through events and work experience opportunities. To keep updated with all our upcoming opportunities, register to be on our mailing list.
Academic
Creativity Seminars
Six sessions over three weeks will be devoted to problem-solving exercises, thought experiments, interactive lectures and seminars on topics such as:
- the argument for investing now in your creativity
- evaluating your current levels of creativity
- connecting and combining ideas: the essence of creativity
- challenging assumptions and reframing: resisting established patterns and finding new perspectives
- paying attention: seeing the world as if for the first time
- attitude: taking creative risks and cultivating openness.
Week 8
Wednesday 26 February - 2.30 to 4.00
Friday 28 February - 2.15 to 3.45
Week 9
Wednesday 4 March - 2.15 to 3.45
Friday 6 March - 2.15 to 3.45
Week 10
Monday 9 March - 2.15 to 3.45
Wednesday 11 March - 2.15 to 3.45
On completion of the programme you will be awarded with a certificate from the Centre for Global Programmes and advice about how best to present these experiences on your CV. You will also be eligible to collect credit toward the York award.
For further details, please contact: cgpshortcourses-group@york.ac.uk.
Social Issues and Innovation summer school
This is a unique two-week full-time programme taking place for the second time in July 2020. It is offered to York students for a nominal administrative fee of £20.
The programme comprises guest speakers and community visits to organisations involved either in dealing with social issues, or in improving communities. You will receive keynote talks from innovative social enterprises such as youth theatre and arts groups, refugee action and human rights organisations and mental health workers. You will also visit social enterprises in and around York, as well as community regeneration projects, homeless shelters and foodbanks. The highlight of the programme is a visit to a female open-prison, where you can engage with the prisoners' stories.
The programme has been running for five years for undergraduate students of Morningside College, a college of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). It is a unique programme in that you will be participating alongside the Hong Kong students, providing a fascinating intercultural dimension to the talks and visits. CUHK is one of York's close partners, an exchange destination and one of the best universities in Hong Kong. Morningside College is also twinned with Derwent and James Colleges of the University of York, and we would particularly welcome applicants from these colleges.
Exact dates to be set early in the spring term.
Not convinced yet? Here are testimonials from last year's participants:
- "I really enjoyed playing host and also talking to the Hong Kong students about their outside perspective on the organisations we visited, and the social problems they evidenced. Everyone got on really well which was lovely, and met for dinner in the evening of a few days."
- "I cannot imagine what this program would be like if we don't have the York student introducing the city, telling us about local policies and culture."
- "I think it was great to have a mixture of Hong Kong and York students. It provided lots of opportunities for discussions about cultural differences in the responses to some of the issues presented in the course. Mostly, it was just really nice to mix with people whom I usually wouldn't."
Worldwide Universities Network Summer School July 2020
Arguably more than any year previously, the past year has seen global figures speak out about the greatest challenges the world faces. Politicians, business leaders and academics have had to become increasingly skilled in influencing change on a global platform.
As a student of a Worldwide Universities Network (WUN) - member university, you may be aware of the groundbreaking research that your institution is doing to support the UN’s agenda on sustainable development. In celebration of the excellence around the network, this course will give you an opportunity to collaborate with students of fellow WUN partner universities, to learn about the challenges that academics across the world unite to tackle.
This course will help you to appreciate the complexities of global challenges and learn how world-leading academics from a range of disciplines - spanning the sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities - are working together to find solutions.
As an aspiring leader, this course will help you to develop the skills you need to help influence institutions to act in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals, whether your career aspirations lie in academia, policymaking and multilateral organisations, or the private sector.
Date: 13 to 24 July 2020
Location: University of York Campus
Maximum number of students: 24
Fees: £1,600 per student
Theme: The World’s Big Problems and How to Influence the Solutions
For full information on this Summer School, including information on obtaining scholarships, please visit this page or email us at cgp-shortcourses@york.ac.uk
Events
International Conversations Afternoon (ICA)
Come along to our International Conversation Afternoon which is held every Wednesday during term time and the summer in the informal setting of The Kitchen at Alcuin from 4 pm to 5.30 pm. ICA is a great way to meet new people from around the world, learn about different cultures and take a break from all that studying!
Who can come?
Everyone is welcome to join ICA; UoY home students, international students, visiting students, short course students, staff and even members of the public.
How do I join?
No booking required, just turn up at The Kitchen and introduce yourself to a member of our team. There is no cost for attending ICA. To be kept up to date on ICA events, register to be added to our mailing list.
Japanese Meet-up: studying and living abroad Wednesday 12 February 2020, 2.15 to 3.45
Come join a group of our short course Japanese students to discuss the challenges and benefits of living and working or studying abroad. All York students welcome but especially those who have lived abroad for either work or study. Tea, coffee and biscuits provided. The event will take place in Derwent General Common Room.
Japanese Tea Party Wednesday 26 February 2020, 14:15-15:45
We have a group of short course Japnese students who would love to hear about life in York and the UK from UoY students. Come along to this event to spend some time chatting to our students in an informal setting on Wednesday 26 February 14:15 to 15:45 in W/N/202. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. All welcome.
Japanese Tea Party Tuesday 10 March 2020, 16:15-17:15
We have a group of short course Japnese students who would love to hear about life in York and the UK from UoY students. Come along to this event to spend some time chatting to our students in an informal setting on Tuesday 10th March 16:15 to 17:15 in the Roger Kirk Centre. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided. All welcome.
Work experience
Peer Assisted Learning (PAL for CGP)
What is PAL for English language and culture?
PAL is a support scheme where University students (PAL leaders) facilitate support sessions for short course students from the Centre for Global Programmes (CGP) to enhance their own understanding of English language and culture. The CGP students will be mainly from Japan and have an intermediate level of English. The sessions will take place within a friendly and informal environment. PAL for CGP is open to University students of all years and although a good command of the English language is necessary, PAL leaders do not have to be native English speakers. All PAL leaders will receive training.
The CGP students will be studying English language and culture and will be conducting cultural research projects. The role of the mentoring scheme will be for PAL leaders to offer support and assistance in these areas to the CGP students. The purpose of PAL is both to enhance the academic experience and also to offer informal support with the personal challenges of studying and living in the UK.
How is PAL organised?
Each PAL Leader is assigned a small number of CGP students and will arrange to meet once a week for a one-hour session.
What happens in a PAL session?
CGP students choose what they want to cover in a session, according to what they feel they need support with or are interested in discussing; this will usually be English language-related queries or assistance with their cultural projects. Whilst PAL is an excellent context to practise oral language skills and reinforce understanding of key concepts, the focus is not exclusively academic. PAL is about learning in all forms, including the wider experience of University life.
Sessions are informal and are not a supplement to teaching. The main focus of the sessions is on sharing ideas at a peer-to-peer level.
What are the benefits?
For PAL Leaders:
- developing leadership, teamwork, interpersonal and organisational skills
- personal satisfaction of supporting others
- York Award recognition
- excellent experience for employability, especially for those thinking of teaching English in the future
- quality-assured, highly interactive training in small-group facilitation techniques.
Upcoming PAL positions:
Who: Kobe College/Yamanashi Prefectural University (Japan)
When: 24 February 2020 to 20 March 2020
Number of PALS needed: 4 PALS (one hour per week)
Application deadline: 31 January 2020
Who: Kobe Gakuin University (Japan)
When: 6 April 2020 to 17 July 2020 (applicants need not be present on campus during the summer holidays)
Number of PALS needed: 2 PALS (one hour per week)
Application deadline: 20 March 2020
Paid mentors and volunteer buddies
Throughout the year we recruit both student mentors and student buddies to work with us on our courses. The main recruitment periods are in January for work in the spring and early summer for positions in August. Both of these opportunities are great ways to increase your intercultural competency, gain international experience without leaving the campus and look great on your CV!
What is a student buddy?
The role of a buddy is to help our visiting students integrate into university life and life in York. This is a volunteer role which can be done in a number of ways, such as:
- inviting our students to university events
- introducing our students to your friends
- meeting up with our students in the city centre
- attending International Conversation Afternoon with our students
- attending group lunches and other social events organised by CGP
- meeting up with our students on campus for lunch and coffee
- going on trips organised by CGP together
- trying to see each other on a regular basis.
An ideal candidate for this role is someone who is sociable, enjoys meeting new people, and learning about new cultures. You need to be available to meet your buddy at least once a week as a minimum requirement.
Important: working with us as a successful student buddy will strengthen your application for International Study Centres or other Study Abroad opportunities. Discover more about the advantages of studying abroad.
Upcoming buddy positions:
Who: Kobe Gakuin University (Japan)
When: 6 April 2020 to 17 July 2020 (applicants need not be present on campus during the summer holidays)
Number of buddies needed: 8 buddies
Application deadline: 20 March 2020
What is a mentor?
A mentor is a paid part-time role where you are required to provide social and classroom support to our short course students. Providing social support would be your main role and this may include helping students to book trips to other cities in the UK, providing advice on living in York, organising social events, assisting students to integrate into the general UoY student body, among others. You may also be asked to assist students to prepare and rehearse for their final presentations.
An ideal candidate for this role is someone who has excellent social skills and a warm, welcoming and supportive manner. Furthermore, a mentor should be able to adapt their communication style to different cultural contexts and be aware of the difficulties that visiting students might face when studying in a foreign country.
Mentors are required to be available for the duration of the course and to have some degree of flexibility with their availability. A mentor will generally be required to complete their required number of hours between Monday to Friday. Working with us as a student buddy first is a great way to strengthen your mentor application.
Upcoming mentor positions:
Who: Tokyo Institute of Technology (Japan)
When: 3 March to 6 March 2020
Number of mentors needed: 4 x 6 hours (students from science departments/environment or electronic engineering)
Rate of pay: £9.33 (+ holiday pay)
Application deadline: 22 January 2020
Interns
We look for part-time interns at various periods throughout the year.
Intern job description
- In the CGP office, you will be working closely with existing admin staff to provide assistance with office tasks such as photocopying, laminating, and the preparation of welcome packs as well as some PC-based tasks such as word-processing and updating of social media. You will also assist with airport and campus meet and greets, settling students into their on-campus accommodation, familiarising them with facilities and conducting campus tours.
- The University's Graduate Student Association (GSA) runs a summer programme for students and you will play a key role in liaising with GSA staff to ensure that our international students have the best possible experience in York. You should have a thorough knowledge of the UoY campus as well as sound organisational skills to assist in the smooth running of the social programme. This could involve liaising with student societies and what’s on style websites to populate an events calendar, promoting the events through classroom visits and accompanying the students to the events.
Skills and abilities required from the intern
The successful candidates should have excellent social skills and be welcoming and professional when meeting high-profile visitors on campus. They should also be able to adapt their communication style to different cultural contexts. Significant first-hand knowledge of other cultures is preferred, eg travel/exchange/study-abroad experience. Experience of office work and working in or with student societies would also be a distinct advantage.
The ability to work independently, write reports, business letters and emails, update websites and databases is essential.
Evidence of reliability, time management and ability to work to deadlines, teamwork, research skills and readiness to help is essential, as is a good working knowledge of Microsoft office, Google Suites, and social media.
We do not currently have any upcoming intern opportunities.
For more information on any opportunity, contact cgpshortcourses-group@york.ac.uk
Centre for Global Programmes
Derwent College,
University of York,
Heslington,
York,
YO10 5DDTel: +44 (0) 1904 322846
Sitemap
Studying
- Manage your studies
- Assessment and examination
- Develop your skills
- Graduation
- University card
Work, volunteering and career planning
If things go wrong
