Creating international experiences to broaden student horizons

UGPN provides excellent opportunities for students across the network to gain an international experience as part of their studies.

This is achieved by UGPN activities including:
1. Bilateral exchange agreements, allowing students to study at a partner institution for a semester or a year of their programme;
2. UGPN Summer Schools offering short term mobility for students for a 2 to 4 week period;
3. Encouraging Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) projects between our partners creating virtual mobility opportunities for students to interact across the network;
4. Providing seed funding to enable researchers to engage with students as part of their Research Collaboration Fund project, such as by delivering guest lectures and involving PhD students in project work;
5. Commitment to developing dual PhD programmes across the network.

UGPN is dedicated to furthering internationalisation of the curriculum and in creating meaningful international experiences for its student bodies.

Read about some of our recent education initiatives below.

The UGPN Academy

First established in 2021, the UGPN Academy is a virtual mobility project which aims to connect students to grow cross-global collaborations that address global challenges.

The project was shortlisted in the Pearson HE Innovate Awards category ‘most innovative approach to widening participation in the curriculum’.

  • We feel that our community allowed students to develop important global skills at a time when many of our students were confined to their homes. Students learned to communicate with a variety of people, forming meaningful relationships with peers and faculty members across the network.

    Dr Alex Seal, University of Surrey

  • Providing world-class opportunities for individuals to broaden their horizons remains core to UGPN’s mission. We are delighted that Pearson HE Innovate Awards have recognised the innovative approach we are taking in providing international student experiences that are accessible to all.

    Professor Bailian Li, North Carolina State University