Global Opportunities on Campus
There are many ways that York students can gain an 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.
Academic
Intercultural Studies Series - August 2019
"Are you available on campus this August? Looking for a stimulating and enjoyable diversion from post-graduate study or research?
In early August this year, the Centre for Global Programmes is offering a limited number of places to York students to participate in an Intercultural Studies Series with visiting Italian students. Sessions will be characterised by pair and small group work, thought experiments, role play, problem-solving, poster presentations, seminars, and debates. Trainer-led sessions will equip you with the intellectual tools needed to make sense of national cultural differences and provide real-life contexts for you to put them into practice. The series is open to undergraduate and postgraduates alike.
Find out more about the programme and apply.
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 4pm to 5pm. 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, contact us on cgpshortcourses-group@york.ac.uk and we will happily add you to our ICA mailing list.
Meet-up with Japanese Students: study abroad experiences exchange
Have you lived, studied or worked aboard? Would you be willing to share your experiences with a group of Japanese students? Are you free on Wednesday 7 August from 2.15pm to 3.45pm?
We have a group of students from Japan who would love to hear your experiences of living, working or studying abroad. Tea/coffee and biscuits will be provided.
Work experience
Mentors and Buddies
Throughout the year we recruit both student buddies and student mentors 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
- Inviting our students to your house/university accommodation
- 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/coffee
- Going on trips 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: Ritsumeikan University (Japan)
When: 23 September 2019 - 30 January 2020
Number of buddies needed: 12
Application deadline: 20 September 2019
Who: Kansai University (Japan)
When: 23 September 2019 - 3 December 2019
Number of buddies needed: 12
Application deadline: 20 September 2019
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 a student buddy first is a great way to strengthen your mentor application.
Upcoming mentor positions:
Who: Ritsumeikan University (Japan)
When: 23 September 2019 - 10 January 2020
Hours per week: 8 hours weeks 1-5, 4 hours weeks 6-10, and 3 hours weeks 11-15 of the programme.
Number of mentors needed: 4
Rate of pay: £9.21 per hour (including holiday pay)
Application deadline: 30 June 2019
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 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/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
