International students

International Student Experience competition 2018

Congratulations to the winners of the inaugural International Student Experience competition. The inaugural competition invited international students to describe the benefits of their experience living and learning in Sydney. The prizes for the competition include:

 
• the Lord Mayor’s morning tea, hosted by Councillor  Robert Kok on 19 September
• Sydney Opera House backstage tour vouchers for 2  adults
• bespoke cycle course and a customised City of  Sydney cycle tour
• local  beach tour with Surf Life Saving

 

The winners are:

Michelle Lee, an international student at the University of NSW, decided to study in Sydney because it offered a top-quality education. While studying here, she has been impressed by how  friendly and open Sydneysiders are, and seeks to gain confidence in her everyday interactions with people.

Manchen Wen’s best experience in Sydney was delivering a formal presentation to the marketing team at Unilever as part of his degree in Finance and Business
Analytics. The University of Sydney student wants to continue participating in projects to develop his creative problem-solving skills and to accumulate expertise and experience.

A Macquarie University student from Bangladesh, Fatema Tuz Zahra Quaid has been prepared for the working world because living in Sydney has equipped her with the relevant skills and experience. Her time  studying in Sydney has allowed her to develop a good understanding of how to  achieve a healthy work-life balance.

Hyunbin Park has been impressed by the ethnic and cultural diversity that he has encountered throughout Sydney: in its cuisine, architecture and the people he has met while studying here. As a media  arts student at the University of Technology, Sydney, his project will be a film that draws inspiration from Sydney’s vibrant culture.

Sonam Aggarwal benefitted from her studies at Charles Sturt University because she felt that she had become more self-motivated, confident and independent. Sydney’s diversity has allowed her to gain a global perspective and develop her understanding of people from different cultural backgrounds.

The cultural diversity in Sydney has allowed  Rajbir Singh to learn about the culture and traditions of the various ethnic groups residing here. In particular, he enjoys finding out more about the culture and history of the Indigenous peoples of Australia. Studying at the University of Newcastle, he has benefitted from Sydney’s business hub as it allows him to expand his knowledge and expertise.

 

Welcome to Sydney

The City of Sydney welcomes international students as part of Sydney's global talent hub. You can find out more in our international education action plan.

Sydney has always attracted people from many cultures and there are now over 35,000 international students studying in the City's local area.

International students enhance Sydney's vibrancy and liveability through contributing to our city's cultural diversity. The international student community also plays an important role to grow and strengthen Sydney's global connections – today and in the future. 

A great number of international students live in the local area because of its proximity to universities, TAFEs, colleges and other educational providers.

We worked with Insider Guides to put together the 2018 Sydney International Student Guide, which we hope will help you discover everything there is to love about your temporary hometown.

The guide covers:

• areas
• scenes
• public transport
• watching and playing sport
• food and drink
• culture
• cheap cheats.

If you need help contacting the City during your time in Sydney, please contact the Translating and Interpreting Service.

Lord Mayor's reception

Every year, Lord Mayor Clover Moore officially welcomes more than 1,000 international students to Sydney. The yearly reception marks the start of the students' journey and the beginning of life-long connections with Sydney.

Sydney is Australia's global knowledge centre and business hub, alive with opportunity and possibilities offering world class education and pioneering research institutions, and a wonderful array of cultural activities and professional experiences.

Contacts

To find out more about our programs for international students, or to order resources from the City for your students, please contact:

Susana Ng
Senior Community Programs Officer
02 9265 9333sng@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au

Images: The City's ISLA program won the inaugural NSW Government International Student Community Engagement Award in September 2014 (above).

Students at the 2015 Lord Mayor's reception for international students (below).