'If you have an inspiring story to tell about your time studying in the UK, you’ve come to the right place. Shine!, the International Student Awards, is a student competition with a difference.'
Instead of focusing on academic achievements, it is a celebration of the whole international student experience, an acknowledgement of the contribution that students from all over the world make to the UK.
So we’re delighted that you want to find out more about Shine!:
- Do you play an active role in the life of your institution, or get involved in your local community?
- Has your new life in the UK changed your outlook or the way you think?
- Have you developed new interests since arriving, overcome personal challenges or achieved any long‐held ambitions or goals?
If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then we’d love to hear your story.
About the International Student Awards
The International Student Awards 2011 is an exciting competition that celebrates the achievements of international students and their contributions to life in the UK. The Awards are run by the British Council, the UK's international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.
This is not simply about academic achievements. We want to hear about your life outside your studies – your volunteer work; projects that you have been involved in within your local community; or experiences that have led to personal development.
This is not simply about academic achievements. We want to hear about your life outside your studies – your volunteer work; projects that you have been involved in within your local community; or experiences that have led to personal development.
- What have you found rewarding?
- What challenges have you overcome?
- How has studying in the UK changed you and your outlook for the better?
By telling us about the things that make your time in the UK so exciting and rewarding, you can earn some well-deserved public recognition and prestige for your extra-curricular achievements.
Shine! 2010 Winner - Melissa Ilboudo
Melissa Ilboudo, the 2010 International Student of the Year, acknowledges the value of having won the award. ‘The award has been tremendously helpful,’ she says. ‘It has built my confidence and made me realise how far I’ve come since arriving in the UK, and it has given me opportunities to speak on behalf of international students, and of my country, Burkina Faso.’
She is also grateful for the opportunity the win gave her to express her view of her host country: ‘The award doesn’t just recognise the achievements of international students. It’s also a celebration of the UK as a wonderfully cosmopolitan country. The welcome that international students receive, and the opportunities that the universities offer them, are really wonderful.’
