果冻传媒

Adapting to the world of digital interaction has been strange for all of us, and especially testing for new students who have joined us from around the world. Alongside the normal challenges of adapting to university life, students had to navigate the complexities of self-isolation on arrival in the UK and find new ways of making new friendships and connections at a distance.

Anticipating these difficulties, the World at 果冻传媒 team established the Global Connections Community on Microsoft Teams in May 2020, to offer all students (home/EU or international) an informal space to connect with others in the University community.

---

Making connections

Students in the GCC can connect with others using one of the many channels around areas of common interest (food; crafts; walking; photography; music; film; TV and many more), by joining threads of discussion, sharing stories and photos of their experiences, or by participating in one of the twice-weekly live events hosted by the World at 果冻传媒 team.

---

Sharing interests

鈥淚 was glad that I was able to enjoy the festive spirit within the four walls of my room, in the company of friends who took time to join me in a festival, especially one that they don't usually identify as their own.鈥�

The community model empowers students to create and add to content as they wish, and some are responding to this effort by beginning to suggest and post their own student-led activities and content. Recently, a student-led events calendar was introduced, to further facilitate this.

Would you like to share any interests or hobbies outside of your role? Staff members are also welcome to offer events on the calendar.

View the events calendar and share your interest

---

Student feedback

鈥淔or someone who has lacked much social interaction during the pandemic, it was really energizing and exciting to see new faces and talk to people again.鈥�

Students have been very positive, with event feedback showing:

• 85% either agreed or strongly agreed that the community has helped them to meet people from a different culture
• 78% felt that it had helped them through isolation.

---

Membership

The community has gone from strength to strength, and now comprises over 700 members drawn from across UG, PGT and PGR student communities. Whilst many members are based in the UK, some joined from their homes around the world or while studying overseas at other institutions. Distance learners, too, have taken advantage of the opportunity to connect informally with the wider University.

It has been a real privilege to play a small part in helping students to find one another and begin establishing friendships and connections.

鈥淚t's my first time away from home and this place has been really kind to me!鈥�

Student feedback

Photo by Maddie Albertson

Photo by Sarah Harden

Photo by Shaun Chen