Welcoming international students to Oxford Brookes!
Announcement Global Buddies registrations for January 2023 will open on 2 December!
Global Buddies matches existing students (Mentors) and new international students (Buddies) in a programme of joint fun activities designed to create a warm and friendly welcome to Brookes. It doesn't matter whether you are shy or outgoing, anyone can join as a mentor or as a buddy.
Global Buddies runs every semester and brings together our current UK and current international students, who we call Mentors, with newly arrived international students, called Buddies, through organised events and activities. Many of these events are subsidised, and our events team has even organised the first 4 weeks, so bring your enthusiasm along and eagerness with you to make new friends. Groups are also free to organise their own activities!
Mentors can share their experiences and provide tips about how to settle into life at Brookes and Oxford, and new international students will share their unique experiences and culture.
After registrations close, the Global Buddies Coordinators will match 1 or 2 Mentors with a small group of Buddies based on common interests. Your Mentor will then contact you along with the rest of your group by email to organise an initial catch-up activity early in the semester (Between 1 - 10 February). Each group led by a Mentor will attend activities and events together which may be events organised by the Global Buddies Coordinators and/or your own activities.
More about how the programme works can be found in our FAQs.
To join, you need to:
Due to the high number of registrations we receive each semester, we are unable to send an email to each individual student to confirm we have safely received their registration form and signed Rules & Regulations document. We will however email you before the closing date: 27 January 2023. If you don’t hear from us by this date, please email global-buddies@brookes.ac.uk.
If you have any questions regarding the registration process and you cannot find the answer in the FAQs, please don’t hesitate to email global-buddies@brookes.ac.uk.
Registrations are now closed.
If you would still like to join, email global-buddies@brookes.ac.uk
Why become a Buddy?
Starting at university can be a challenging time, especially if you are also travelling to a new country and adjusting to a new culture. Being part of Global Buddies helps make this experience a positive and rewarding one.
Registrations are now closed
Why become a Mentor?
You can become a Mentor if you are a current UK or international student. You will be responsible for leading a group of new international students to help them integrate into UK life and encourage them to make new friends.
You must be able to attend the compulsory online training on Wednesday 18 January, 17.00 - 18.00.
Both Mentors and Buddies can:
To be eligible to receive a Certificate of Participation, please send us a proof that you have completed the 3 activities with your group by sending a photo or screenshot for each activity plus a 200-word paragraph about your experience of being on the programme. The deadline is to be confirmed. Please note, you cannot apply as a group – each member needs to email individually.
Week / date | Activity |
Wednesday 18 January | Mentor Training (online) During this compulsory online session, we will share tools and information to help you succeed as a Mentor. We will share the Zoom link via email closer to the date. |
| Weeks 1 or 2 1 February - 10 February (Mentor to confirm time and date with their group) | Initial Catch-Up It’s time to meet your group! Mentors will get in contact with their Buddies to organise a first catch-up through an activity, for example, going to a café or walk etc. |
Week 3 Thursday 16 February, from 17.30 | Ice skating Join us for a fun evening at the Oxford Ice Rink! Subsidised tickets will be available closer to the date. |
Week 5 Thursday 2 March, 17.30 – 20.30 | Board game café The café has a wide selection of board games which you can choose from. You will also be able to order food and drinks separately. Subsidised tickets will be available closer to the date. |
Week 7 Thursday 16 March from 17.30 | Junkyard Golf Join us for a crazy night of indoor golf: a 9-hole jungle-themed crazy golf course in a club atmosphere! Subsidised tickets will be available closer to the date. |
“This semester being a global buddy has been amazing. I have attended the junkyard golf event, and the board games event. Moreover, I have seen my buddies during other events around university too and going for meals too. It was nice to meet people that were so nice, friendly and kind to communicate with, and I feel doing global buddies therefore has made my university experience very rewarding, enjoyable, and memorable.”
“I have enjoyed Global buddies a lot this semester. I have had meet people from different parts of the world and made a lot of new friends. I have enjoyed the activities that were planned for us and also the activities that we did as a group on our own such as going to the pub to watch football matches.”
