International student awards

The International Student Awards 2010 is an exciting competition that celebrates the achievements of international students and their contributions to life in the UK. To enter, students from around the world were asked to write a letter home explaining how they were making the most of their time in the UK. The focus was on life outside their studies; volunteer work, projects within the local community or any personal development since arriving in the UK.

Entries for this year are now closed. The panel of judges – NUS representatives, education professionals and British Council colleagues – are choosing the best letters to become shining examples of UK life for future international students.

The winners will be announced here soon.

Previous International Student Awards

The International Student Awards has produced many thousands of inspiring stories. Since the competition was first launched in 2002, more than 11,500 international students representing over 130 different nationalities have entered the competition and shared their experiences.

In 2009 there were 1,497 entries from 118 different nationalities, representing 289 UK institutions. Although many of those entering were ‘typical’ student age; late teens or early twenties, there was a true mix of ages - the youngest entrant was 15 and the oldest was 58.

The largest number of entrants came from China, India, the US, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Bangladesh with Malaysia, Hong Kong and Germany not far behind. It’s a truly global list of international students with representatives from Burkina Faso, Suriname, Armenia and Macao.

International Student Award prizes

• each of the 12 regional finalists will be treated to a fantastic, all-expenses paid trip to London for a two-day celebration that will include a night’s accommodation in the capital city and the chance to ‘glam-up’ for a prestigious awards’ presentation ceremony
• the overall winner – the International Student of the Year 2010 will receive £2,000 and a commemorative award
• 11 other regional finalists will receive £1,000 and a commemorative award
• 24 runners-up – two from each of 12 UK regional areas – will receive a £100 cash prize and a commemorative certificate

Judging the International Student Award 2010

The entries will go through a number of rounds of judging. After initial rounds of judging at national level, entrants will be grouped into regions:

• North West
• Yorkshire
• North East
• West Midlands
• East Midlands
• East of England
• South West
• London
• South East
• Northern Ireland
• Scotland
• Wales

Short-listed entries will go forward to a regional judging panel, from which a regional winner and two runners-up will be selected. Each of the 24 regional runners-up will receive a cash prize and a commemorative certificate - with each regional winner invited to the national final in London. Here, a judging panel will interview each regional winner and select the overall International Student of the Year 2010.

Shine! 2009 winners

Since the 2009 Shine awards there has been a lot of interest in the 12 winning students. You can find out more at the following websites:

• BBC China
• The Times of India
• Oxford University
• Daytona Beach News Online
• Cardiff University’s Flickr
• Protocolo Lifestyle and Foreign Affairs
• Wales Online
• Cannon Collins Trust
• Adelanta.info
• British Council (Hong Kong) UK alumni website
 
If you have any questions about the International Student Award 2010 please email the Shine team at shine@britishcouncil.org