UK Higher Education Supports #WeAreInternational

Higher education is a global community. Universities are doorways to education and experience. Students and scholars from around the world study, live, work, research and learn.

When the UK voted earlier in the year to leave the European Union (also known as "Brexit") a wall (real and/or figurative) was created. Experts were ignored and ignorance won the day.

In an effort to bring people together and celebrate the myriad benefits of internationalism and higher education, an awareness campaign (and hashtag) has been created to push back against the backwards thinking/policies of Brexit and champion dialogue that welcomes international students and academics.

The #WeAreInternational campaign originated out of a collaboration between the University of Sheffield's Students' Union and the University of Sheffield. Currently, more than 100 universities and higher education organisations across the UK are backing the #WeAreInternational movement.

At its heart, #WeAreInternational is an awareness raising campaign to make current international students and academics, as well as prospective students, feel welcome in the UK. Especially as many embark on a new adventure in the UK.

The #WeAreInternational campaign is driven by universities, student groups and people across the UK who want to advocate for universities to be given the tools and policies needed to remain open, friendly, inclusive and diverse as they seek to retain their leading role in international higher education.

#WeAreInternational is for every single UK university. It's a movement that is about opening up access to higher education. The entire sector is stronger when they work together to celebrate and promote the internationalism of UK higher education.

After you've watched the video and liked all of the tweets, take a read through "The truth behind We Are International by Ana Gabriela Popa. Popa is the International Students' Officer at the Students' Union at the University of Sheffield and her post is an important read on what it's like to be an international student at a UK university.