[Event] Malaysian Student Society celebrates this year’s Festival of Diversity in style. View photos from the evening...

Following the success of last year’s MSSCF’s Festival of Diversity; picking up ‘Best Cultural Event Award’ out of 130 societies at the University, this year’s event was eagerly awaited by our MSSCF members and guests.

The team hosted a spectacular evening of music, drama and entertainment, entitled ‘Heritage’; promoting Malaysia’s unique culture to friends and colleagues of the University and fellow Malaysians throughout the UK.

On Saturday 20th February, the Reardon Smith Theatre ~ National Museum of Wales was filled with over 300 guests, who were wooed with delicious Malaysian delicacies and entertained by the glittering cultural performances representing many states of Malaysia.

The society decided to centre this year’s Festival of Diversity around the asymmetrical dagger indigenous to Malaysia – the Keris; both a weapon and spiritual object, symbolising Malaysia’s cultural identity. Guests enjoyed traditional Malaysian music and mesmerising dance performances.

The evening was a great success, hosted by the President of the Malaysian Society, Bin Hao, who commented, “The practices, the ambala sessions and the post-practice 'lectures', shall always be the best memories kept close to our hearts. Together we made the night a true success.”

Photos from the evening can be viewed here:

Rhia

[Advice] Give your career a boost with these useful guides

As an international student (or a prospective international student) you may be wondering how to use your new qualification to enhance your position in the job market.

Finding work after you graduate can seem daunting - it can be hard to know the labour market and what you should aim for.

These guides produced by NASES might help:
http://www.nases.org.uk/students/content/index.php?page=235123

They provide a useful introduction to each country and give details of resources for job seekers. They'll also be useful to you if you are considering working in a country other than your own after you graduate.

NASES also have more content for international students about working part-time in the UK: http://www.nases.org.uk/students/content/index.php?page=234963

Stuart

[Info] Cardiff University's international festival "Go Global"

As a prospective student I thought you would be interested in this annual event which highlights the range of cultures and backgrounds we have on campus.

Every year the student community at Cardiff University puts on a 10 day event called 'Go Global' with the aim of bringing together people from various backgrounds and cultural heritages.

The Students’ Union and the international student community host music from around the world, art workshops, a soccer tournament (last year won by Spain) and debates on international issues. Thousands of students from more than 20 different countries, and many more backgrounds, get involved.

Go Global culminates with Global Village. In addition to introducing visitors to food from more than 20 different countries, Global Village will also showcase some of the University’s diverse student performers, including Bollywood, Chinese dancing and singing, a masquerade, break dancing, an international fashion show, the Malaysian Festival of Diversity performance and many others.

You can see a video from 2009's Global Village below and find out more information on the Students' Union website:
http://www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/societies/events/go-global

Stuart

[Student View] A current international student blogs for us

If you're thinking about studying in the UK you're probably excited to know what it will be like when you arrive.

Therefore we thought you would find it interesting to hear an international student's story about studying at Cardiff University.

She introduces herself below. Expect more posts over the coming weeks.

Stuart

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Hi there,

I am Supriya, one of the students at Cardiff University. I am pursuing my Masters’ degree here in International Public Relations.

I come from Delhi, India – the land where both cows and cricket are worshipped equally. It is my first time ever in a UK University, and I am very glad I chose Cardiff! It’s not even been six months here, and this place already feels like home. The Welsh are truly friendly.

Living alone in a different country can be a difficult experience for some. But jitters aside, there is a lot to see and soak in. Cardiff is a pot-boiler of cultures.

I will blog down my experiences as a student of the University and as a new tenant of the city. Feel free to comment and talk about your experiences too!

Supriya

[Video] International students go ice-skating

We've been working on lots of videos this week. The latest is below.

International students from the International Foundation Programme went ice-skating at Cardiff's Winter Wonderland last week and took their video cameras along.

The Winter Wonderland runs every year from November to January and features an ice-skating rink, a big wheel (with amazing views of Cardiff) and fairground rides and stalls.



The rink is infront of City Hall and next to Cardiff University's Cathays campus. It is a beautiful setting for an ice-skate especially on crisp clear Winter nights.

You can also see more photos on the Winter Wonderland website: www.cardiffswinterwonderland.com

Related links:

• International Foundation Programme: www.cardiff.ac.uk/ifp
• Cardiff's Winter Wonderland: www.cardiffswinterwonderland.com 

Stuart

[Video] LLB Law scholarship winner

If you're thinking about studying an LLB you'll probably be interested in the video below.

The video features a Canadian student, Zeher Chadi, who has so far accumulated £8,000 in scholarships (including last year's top £5,000 prize for being the highest achieving student).



In fact, last year, the School of Law gave out a massive £33,000 in international scholarships to 21 LLB students for outstanding academic performance. You can see all the winners and find out more here: http://www.law.cf.ac.uk/alumni/newsletter/2009/sept/sept4.html

Want to see more videos?

• www.youtube.com/cardiffinternational
• u.youku.com/cardiffio

Stuart

[Advice] Improving your job prospects at university

Most students come to study in the UK because it will help improve their job prospects. Even if you have not chosen a career, you will want to know you are being prepared for work and that after your degree you will have opportunities and options.

I thought it would be useful therefore to give you a few general recommendations about how you can improve your job prospects while you’re at university.

1. Choose a top university with a worldwide reputation.
Studying at a top university will give your degree extra recognition from employers. It’s good to check with people already in the industry - they might be able to give you advice on the good schools for their area. You can see Cardiff’s high rankings and worldwide impact on the Research website: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/rae/results/

2. Study hard.
It may seem obvious but applying yourself and making the most of opportunities will give you an extra-edge over other candidates. Extra-curricular activities like guest lectures, field trips and additional seminars will broaden your knowledge and provide networking opportunities.

3. Maximise your potential.
In the work-place it is important that you can be creative and apply your knowledge effectively. Cardiff offers ‘Student Enterprise’ – a free programme designed to give you the opportunity to develop and practise entrepreneurial and business skills: http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/enterprise

4. Get advice and meet employers.
Job-hunting can be tricky and even seasoned professionals need some advice. Most universities offer careers advice. Cardiff’s Careers Service has a specialist international adviser who can offer assistance on choosing a career, interview techniques and improving your CV/ résumé. At Cardiff we also have a regular programme of events where potential employers come to campus and meet students.

5. Enhance your résumé.
Employers don’t want robots. They want interesting people who are driven and able to work in teams. Your employment prospects are enhanced if you can demonstrate your talents outside of academia. You can, for example, get involved with a student society or join the Student Volunteering Unit. You can find out more about student societies on the Students' Union website: http://www.cardiffstudents.com/activities/societies

6. Get experienced.
Work experience is a great way to show you can apply your studies. You can get work experience by taking a part-time job, or opting for an undergraduate degree with a year in industry. The Careers Service also runs some ‘taster’ sessions and these are very popular.

7. Network and build lifelong friendships.
Cardiff University has 27,000 students, more than 3,000 from outside the EU and more than 5,500 staff. Professors and other staff will offer you advice and direction. Other students, both from your own country and other countries, can also provide valuable insights.

Do you have other ideas? Any good tips you can pass on to other students? Comment below.

Stuart

Welcome to the International Office blog

Hello,

My name is Stuart and I work in the International Office at Cardiff University. The International Office helps international students who are thinking of, or planning to study at, Cardiff.

Why have we started this blog?

We know that you will have many questions about studying in the UK. Obviously you can use the website to find out information but sometimes it is nice to hear from people who are working at the University. We have years of experience of welcoming students to Cardiff and have seen many successful graduates.

Our aim is to provide you with some insight and hopefully answer some of those questions you have about the process of coming to Cardiff. We want to give you a personal view about living and studying here.

How can you help?

As this blog is for you, we’re interested to know what subjects you would most like to read? If you have an idea – please comment below. In fact please comment on any of our posts. It would be great to get your feedback and we love hearing from you.

Remember if you have any questions about admissions you can e-mail us international@cardiff.ac.uk call us via Skype (user: cardiffinternational) or connect with us through any of these websites:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/cardiffinternational
• Orkut: http://www.orkut.com/Main#Profile?uid=17979784092837957659
• Friendster: www.friendster.com/cardiffinternational
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/cardiffio
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/cardiffinternational
• Youku: u.youku.com/cardiffio

Hope to hear from you soon!

Stuart