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Student Charter
The #WeAreInternational Student Charter is a student-led document that provides guidance on the fundamental principles for delivering a world-class international student experience, from pre-arrival to post-graduation.

The #WeAreInternational Student Charter is a student-led document, written by UKCISA’s #WeAreInternational student ambassadors, and developed with the input of students and staff from across the international education sector in the UK.
The charter provides guidance on the fundamental principles for delivering a world-class international student experience, from pre-arrival to post-graduation.
The #WeAreInternational Student Charter principles:
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Create a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for international students in the UK
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Integrate sustainability as a core value in institutional internationalisation strategies
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Make available targeted support for international students in every area of the student experience
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Value international students’ perspectives and voices in institutional policy and decision-making
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Monitor and evaluate existing available support and provision for international students on an ongoing basis
1. Create a welcoming, inclusive, and equitable environment for international students in the UK
International students represent a diverse body of people from different cultural, linguistic, racial, ethnic, religious, ideological, and political backgrounds as well as those with migratory status. This diversity is a point for celebration and should not pose risks to student safety, dignity, and overall experience.
External events or internal changes in institutional policies can affect international students in different ways; therefore, institutions should be mindful of the potential impacts of any given policy. Intercultural awareness should be nurtured across all organisational levels of education providers to promote clarity and accessibility of information, fostering an equitable environment for international students.
2. Value international students’ perspectives and voices in institutional policy and decision-making
Education providers and the international education community would benefit in multiple ways from recognising and including international students’ voices in the institutional structures and decision-making spaces.
It is encouraged that institutional strategic plans and governance strategies are designed through active consideration of the international student experience in the short, mid, and long term, involving the multiple stakeholders who comprise the academic and wider community. Close collaboration and involvement of student bodies such as students’ unions, clubs, and societies are pivotal to the promotion of these principles.
3. Integrate sustainability as a core value in institutional internationalisation strategies
International students and education providers are part of a wider context that presents challenges and opportunities in relation to climate change.
Providers should design strategies to address the climate crisis, involving international students as stakeholders in the decision-making process, and considering sustainable alternatives to any policies and practices that have potential negative impacts on the environment.
4. Monitor and evaluate existing available support and provision for international students on an ongoing basis
Sustainable and impactful change in the international student experience comes from cohesive and interconnected actions and strategies rather than from ad hoc or occasional efforts.
Collaboration across teams as well as between staff and students should be used to evaluate current support; to identify new and enduring obstacles to a world-class international student experience; and to make available more robust data upon which decisions can be made.
5. Make available targeted support for international students in every area of the student experience
It is recognised that international students face specific challenges and require different support from domestic students, in order to achieve parity of experience, and therefore targeted support should be considered at different stages of the international student experience:

"As an indispensable part of the UK academic community, we believe that our voices and lived experiences should play a vital role in progressing this agenda. We want to develop a world-class student experience and uphold the values of academic integrity, utmost respect to institutions’ staff and peers, and responsible engagement.
The #WeAreInternational Student Charter, which will be subject to ongoing review, aims to guide reflection, holistic change, and sustainable growth toward fairness and inclusion on campus and beyond. It also aims to foster constructive dialogue and mutual understanding between all the stakeholders involved, many of whom already offer world-class international student support."
Simran Mahajan
Chair of UKCISA Student Advisory Group 2021-2022,
on behalf of the #WeAreInternational Student Ambassadors
Join the movement today
As supporters of #WeAreInternational, institutions and organisations are pledging to work towards the provision of the highest level of international student experience and support, according to the five principles highlighted in the #WeAreInternational Student Charter. Join us.
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