ARU Peterborough has welcomed its first cohort of international students, with approximately 120 students, the majority arriving from India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Ghana, starting postgraduate courses at the city’s new university this month.
The students are enrolled on ARU Peterborough’s new Masters programmes in International Business and Supply Chain Management. Unlike some UK universities, courses at ARU Peterborough have start dates in January as well as September.
In order to host international students in the city, ARU Peterborough has been awarded a site licence by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), a branch of the Home Office.
A survey of the new international students has found that for the vast majority (88%), this is their first time in UK, with 57% finding accommodation within 30 minutes of ARU Peterborough’s University House and almost half (48%) of international students either walking or cycling to campus.
The new students have already been given tours of the city – taking in key points of interest, nightlife, and supermarkets – and the university has organised social events including a pizza and music night, and a trip to Glo Golf in the city centre.
Professor Ross Renton, Principal of ARU Peterborough, said: “ARU Peterborough’s core mission is to provide opportunities and transform the lives of people in and around Peterborough but our fabulous facilities, combined with a beautiful city in which to live, are proving to be attractive to students from around the world.
“From my experiences at other universities, I’ve seen first-hand how international students can enrich campus life for the benefit of everyone, and they can also make a significant economic contribution to their host cities. Peterborough is such a friendly place, and I know from speaking to our international students that they have already received a warm welcome in the city.”
ARU Peterborough is a partnership between Anglia Ruskin University, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and Peterborough City Council.
Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, leader of Peterborough City Council, said: “I’m delighted that international students are starting courses at ARU Peterborough, with their arrival marking another significant moment in the university’s exciting development.
“Peterborough is a proud multi-cultural city with a long history of welcoming people from other countries and I’m sure the new students will enjoy their time here. ARU Peterborough is already playing a key role in our aim of making Peterborough an even better place to live, work and play.”
Deputy Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, said: “Drawing in Masters students from around the world despite only just opening is another really positive step for ARU Peterborough. International students bring so much value to their host cities and it is fantastic they are already being made to feel so welcome.
“Combined Authority investment in the university is about tackling skills deficits in Peterborough and the region, but it also about boosting the whole city, making it a more attractive place to live, learn, work and invest in, both nationally and internationally.”
