Become a Global Buddies mentor and help new international students settle into life at Brookes

Starting at university can be a challenging time - especially for students who are travelling to a new country.

You can help make this experience a positive and rewarding one for our international students arriving in September by becoming a Global Buddies mentor.

The Global Buddies programme is run by the International Student Advice Team (ISAT) at Brookes and relies on the involvement of current students. Global Buddies mentors volunteer to lead and support a group of new students by sharing tips and experiences about academic and social life at Oxford Brookes.

It’s a great way to make friends from all over the world and learn from international students about their own countries and cultures. You can attend a range of free or discounted organised activities with your buddies, as well as taking advantage of training sessions where you can develop work-related skills for your CV.

For more information and to sign up, go to the Global Buddies webpage. If you have any questions, email the team at global-buddies@brookes.ac.uk.

Here’s what one of the current participants has to say about being a Global Buddies mentor:

Rebecca Mortensen

BA (Hons) Business and Marketing Management


“I am from Denmark, and after doing the first two years of my course at home, I decided to apply to Brookes through the final-year entry initiative and finish my degree in Oxford. When I came here, I signed up to Global Buddies so I could meet people and make friends. It was a lot of fun, so in my second semester I decided to become a mentor so I could do the same for new international students - it can be quite scary when you move to a new country and don’t know anyone.

“Oxford is a great city for students. It’s easy to get around, and there is so much to see and do. The best thing I did when I arrived at Brookes was join some student societies - my favourite is the Outdoors Society, as I love hiking and it has allowed me to see other parts of the UK.

“I have a group of five Global Buddies from the Czech Republic, India and South Korea. I’ve loved being a mentor and developing my leadership skills. So far we have done ice skating, mini golf and museum trips. I’d definitely recommend signing up to become a Global Buddies mentor - it takes you out of your comfort zone, you gain new skills, and you get to meet people from different countries and cultures. I’ve made some great friends and we’ll definitely stay in touch.”