UOW and City join forces to assist international students
A new project involving University, Wollongong City Council and various community representatives will explore ways for international students to feel a greater sense of belonging in the Wollongong community.
The project, jointly funded by the University’s Community & Partnerships Office and Internationalisation Committee, puts into place the findings of research carried out by UOW researcher’s Associate Professor Peter Kell and Dr Gillian Vogl from the Faculty of Education.
These findings included an important link between international students’ level of English language proficiency and their social and cultural adjustment to life in Australia. The researchers were told it was not only the University but others in the broader Wollongong community who play an important role in facilitating this adjustment. Therefore the researchers recommended that community organisations and local businesses should be involved in helping to provide opportunities for students to be exposed to “authentic local” Australian experiences.
A community working group has been formed as part of the project comprising international and domestic students; Les Dion, director of Dion’s Bus Service and junior vice-president of the Illawarra Business Champer; Rebecca Perkins, marketing manager of Wollongong Central; community representatives from the Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council; Illawarra Multicultural Services; Volunteering Illawarra; the Community Relations Commission and representatives from Hope Church and Rotary.
The community working group comprises of (left to right) Dr Gillian Vogl from the Faculty of Education, Mignon Lee-Warden from the Illawarra Ethnic Communities Council, Peter Kell from the Faculty of Education, Darinka Radinovic from Wollongong City Council, Wendy Weeks from Hope Church, Manager of Wollongong Central, Rebecca Perkins, Jan Sullivan from UOW's Office of Community and Partnerships and Project Research Assistant and international student, Natasha De Silva.
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