Broadcast: News items
Spring Exchange highlights: Student-Led Events and Integration
By: Giuliana Lee
Last updated: Friday, 13 March 2026
This Spring, we welcomed 180 inbound exchange students representing XX nationalities from across the world, enriching our vibrant international campus community.
To help the cohort begin their new era as Sussex students, we hosted welcome week events, which were highly praised in the feedback we received. It’s been great to see the group become more confident as they make new friends and begin their studies.
A key contributor to this success was the involvement of current inbound exchange students, who volunteered to support the new arrivals. They played a vital role in the welcome programme, helping to deliver activities such as the Welcome Party, and organising a student-led trip to Brighton, and a Coffee meet-up. These informal and welcoming spaces provided valuable opportunities for students to connect, build friendships, and settle into life at Sussex with support and recommendations from peers.
Our student-led approach began with the Autumn intake, when returning Sussex exchange students supported the welcome programme by organising trips to Brighton and Lewes and offered peer-to-peer guidance based on their own exchange experiences. Building on this work, we have continued to develop and strengthen our welcome and integration activities, utilising the expertise of our Study Abroad volunteers.
We continue to work closely with the Students’ Union, particularly through the Buddy Scheme, which connects students with shared interests and encourages meaningful friendships. A highlight of this programme was the highly popular ‘Speed Mates’ event, where students met and became friends with a large group of fellow Study Abroad students – a lively and fast-paced event that always goes down well!
By strengthening relationships between inbound and outbound students, we enhance both pre-departure preparation and the settling-in experience for our exchange community. Together, these initiatives contribute to a more connected and internationalised campus that celebrates cultural diversity and creates an inclusive environment for all.