School of Science and Technology

International opportunities

International opportunities Want to learn about other cultures, experience new places and expand your skills? Why not consider studying, working or volunteering abroad during your degree? With business contacts across the globe, a range of volunteering opportunities and student exchange agreements with over 50 universities in Europe, Canada, Japan and South Korea, there is sure to be an opportunity to suit you.

Why spend time abroad? Research indicates that UK employers are increasingly seeking graduates who demonstrate international and intercultural awareness, an ability to work in multi-cultural teams and willingness to work internationally as part of their job. Spending time abroad in a structured, subject focused work, study or voluntary placement can help develop global perspectives and intercultural experiences valued by employers today. Spending time abroad is also an enjoyable and personally enriching experience. You can learn another language, immerse yourself in a different culture and build an international network of friends.

When can I go?

How can I go abroad?

Science and Technology undergraduate students who take an international experience spend time abroad during year three of their course and return to NTU to complete their final year of study. There are also opportunities for an integrated period abroad during the summer.

There are several options available: • International Work Placement • Study plus Traineeship • Summer Schools • International Volunteering

International work placement Students can take a sandwich work placement or a shorter summer placement. Placements can be in a variety of organizations and institutions or at one of NTU’s partner universities. A successful international work placement will demonstrate your ambition and help your CV shine. Once you’ve completed your placement and assessments you’ll be awarded a Placement Diploma in Professional Practice, an additional qualification to your degree.

Here are some examples of recent international work placements.

Organisation

Placement type

Subject area

University lab placement – full year

Biosciences

University lab placement – full year

Biosciences

France Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science International placement – RILKILT, the Netherlands "I hadn't initially considered an international placement, but the placement team gave me the idea. I was excited by the prospect of this new experience, moving away from the UK and exploring a different culture and way of living. I enjoyed living and working independently and meeting a whole range of new people and friends. As a result of this experience I feel I've grown as a person and become more confident, especially in the lab.”

Spain University of Navarra

Finding an international placement

Germany Georg-Simon-Ohm-Hochschule Project placement, short or Nürnberg long-term

Chemistry

Netherlands RILKILT Institute of Food Safety

Laboratory placement – full year

Biosciences

Laboratory placement – full year

Physics and Computer Science

Switzerland CERN

NTU will support you in identifying an appropriate international work placement that can help diversify and boost your skills and experiences in an international context. There are also a number of excellent online resources for researching international work placement and internship opportunities. The British Council is a good place to start (www.britishcouncil.org/study-workcreate/opportunity/work-volunteer).

Study plus traineeship We have a number of exchange partnerships with universities in other countries that offer combined study-work placements. These unique opportunities allow you to spend time, usually between three and four months studying relevant modules, followed by a placement of three months or more. Placements are either in the partner university’s research laboratory or at one of their business partners. During the study period, you select modules that diversify your subject learning and enable you to appreciate different approaches to your subject area. The modules will all be delivered in English and lab work is frequently supervised by Englishlanguage speakers. You may not need a second language to take a traineeship but you can enhance your experience by picking up some phrases while you are away. Some universities offer exchange students survival language courses to get beginners on their way to speaking another language. Opportunities for Study plus Traineeship places are limited and applications will be competitive.

Funding Students considering a placement or study plus traineeship in the EU, Iceland, Turkey, Norway, Macedonia or Liechtenstein, may be eligible for an Erasmus+ Mobility grant towards travel and living expenses. There are additional supplementary allowances available via Erasmus+ for students from low income backgrounds. If you receive a maintenance loan, you might also be eligible for a travel allowance. There are also funding sources to support students going on placement outside of Europe, such as the British Council's Generation UK-China initiative, which provides scholarships for internships in China. See www.britishcouncil.org for more information.

Study plus universities

Subject areas

Germany Hochschule Ravensburg-Weingarten

Computing

University of Applied Sciences, Bremen

Biosciences

Canada Brock University

All Sciences

South Korea Hanyang University

All Sciences

Summer Schools Why not make the most of your summer break? Summer study schools offer you the chance to expand your knowledge and learn skills without forgoing study time in the UK. You could spend your summer learning a language, developing your lab practice all while developing international contacts. New and diverse summer schools are on offer each year so be sure to check our website for details www.ntu.ac.uk/sat/international

International volunteering If you prefer to spend a shorter period abroad, you might be interested in International Volunteering Opportunities. Our International Volunteering team runs a number of volunteering programmes. Sports Science students, for example, can participate in the Balls to Poverty scheme which sees volunteers visit poverty-stricken townships in South Africa to participate in community coaching sessions and the distribution of sports equipment in accordance with the Balls to Poverty traditions. These sessions help to keep children in townships out of trouble (previous tours have been said to contribute to falling crime rate) and bring together broken communities. NTU helps students interested in volunteering schemes external to NTU make ethical choices when selecting opportunities, ensuring your assistance and money has maximum benefit for host communities. Or take a look at the International Citizenship Service (www.volunteerics.org) to find a volunteer position for you.

Sean Canning Volunteer project: Balls To Poverty – South Africa “Everyone should take the opportunity to volunteer abroad. My experiences have been life changing, really opening my eyes to what is happening in the world and helping me to get a job working for The Prince’s Trust.”

Global Lounge The Clifton campus Global Lounge keeps up-to-date resources on international opportunities including funding. Look out for our information sessions or drop in any weekday between 10 am and 4 pm, enjoy a free drink, and learn about what you can do to internationalise your studies while at NTU.

Contact us School of Science and Technology Nottingham Trent University Erasmus Darwin Building Clifton Lane Nottingham NG11 8NS Tel: +44(0)115 848 4460 Email: [email protected]

www.ntu.ac.uk/sat @NTUSciTech

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