The University of Liverpool has announced three new Indian student ambassadors who will offer support and advice to students looking to study at the University in the near future.
Sagar Gajjala, from Bangalore; Vinayak Das, from Guwahati; and Shiksha Garg, from Kolkata, have been appointed to be one of the first points of contact for Indian students seeking information about what it is like to live and study in the UK. Sagar, Vinayak, and Shiksha started their postgraduate degrees at the University in September 2011 and will now work in a team of more than 25 international student ambassadors over the next year to represent Liverpool worldwide.
The students will work with University staff as part of the International Recruitment and Relations Team to speak to students in India about degree programmes, the city, and accommodation, as well as attend events at airports to welcome Indian students as they arrive in the UK to start their studies. They will also give campus tours to students and parents visiting the University for the first time.
Sagar, who is studying a Masters degree in Advanced Manufacturing, said: “I instantly felt at home in Liverpool and I am looking forward to talking to potential students about what it is like to study here. On my first day in the city I remember looking for directions to my flat and a passer-by stopped to help me. She not only directed me to my new home, but gave me a map from her bag just in case I needed to find anywhere else. This is very typical of how friendly and helpful people are in Liverpool. It is also one of the safest cities in the UK and has a large international community.”
Vinayak, who is studying an MSc in Human Resource Management, said: “Choosing a good university is a difficult task when you live so far away from the campus and don’t know the country very well. Our job as student ambassadors is to use our experience of studying abroad for the first time for the benefit of students in India who will have lots of questions about what to study and how to adjust to a new country and culture. Liverpool is a fantastic multicultural student city, with a history of great sport, music and friendly people, so I am really pleased to be able to represent the University in India.”
Shiksha, who is studying a Masters in Consumer Marketing, said: “I am keen to talk to students in India about how important it is to look for a university that has good connections to business and industry to support them in work experience opportunities whilst studying in the UK. Liverpool has a variety of career focused modules and a dedicated careers service to support you with job searches and enhancing your CV. I have enjoyed my time in Liverpool so far and believe the next 12 months will be full of new opportunities to talk to future students from India.”
Students who are interested in studying at the University of Liverpool can contact the Indian student ambassadors at: india@liv.ac.uk