International Students’ Day is an international observance of student community held every year on 17th November. The date commemorates the day Nazis stormed universities in Czechoslovakia in 1939 – and the subsequent killing and interning of students in concentration camps.

This International Students Day, we’re sharing the stories of two international students and how they arrived in Stirling – and we’re proud to say #WeAreInternational.

Melissa, Germany

“My dad’s Scottish, so I’ve always had a connection to Scotland. I used to come here every year on holiday.

“When I was 12 or 13 I knew I wanted to live and study in Scotland. I visited campus and knew it was where I want to study. Stirling is just a really great place to be. My dad also studied here – but that’s just coincidence!

“It’s a really close knit campus and there’s a big international community here – I think it’s actually enhanced my experience of studying here.

“I’m in fourth year now, and I’ve enjoyed every moment. I’m really going to miss it when I graduate next year.”

Alex, Sweden

“I went to an international high school in Sweden, and we had a lot of teachers from the UK. We had a culture where students end up studying abroad – to grow as a person – and a lot of us end up in Scotland. That’s how I came to Stirling.

“The community here in Stirling is really welcoming – i’s a perfect size of university. You know a lot of people on campus.

“I’m really going to miss Stirling, especially the people and all the different cultures on campus. It’s been a great experience living abroad, meeting new people and growing as a person.

“I’m a bit worried about the future. There’s been no problems for me coming here to study, but Brexit introduces uncertainty. It makes it difficult for international people like me to plan our futures. Hopefully there won’t be any problems.”

This International Students’ Day, we celebrate our international people. Over 120 nationalities study and work on the University of Stirling campus, and over 20 per cent of our students are from overseas.

#WeAreInternational