Monday 31-03-2025 - 11:54

As spring elections come to a close for many and induction planning is underway for your next officer cohort, we're excited to publish a report that has been over a year in the making. 

We followed 16 international students who were sabbatical officers around for a year - from colleges and universities and from different sized SUs across the UK. We heard from them at key points in the SU annual cycle - either by pulse survey, hour-long interviews or focus groups. 

This qualitative study dug into the experiences, thoughts and feelings of 16 different people from different backgrounds dealing with different contexts - but the one thing that united them was that they were all officers of SUs and students of institutions different to their home country. 

We know that there has been a significant increase in international students running for and winning their officer elections. This isn’t the first time that the demographics of our officer cohorts have evolved – and it won’t be the last. For at least a decade as a movement we have been pushing for more involvement from underrepresented groups within our democracies, and that work is paying off.

International students continue to navigate an increasingly hostile political environment shaped by national policies and institutional practices, so it’s no surprise that more and more are stepping up to create change. Their growing presence in sabbatical officer elections brings rich political perspectives from across the world into the UK student movement, strengthening cultural competence in the SU sector and driving urgent, necessary change. It’s inspiring to see international students refusing to be side-lined and instead leading the charge for a more inclusive and just student experience.

It’s crucial that we work collectively to support these officers to thrive in their roles, and to empower them to break down barriers and deal with issues they will likely face in reaching their potential, transforming themselves and transforming the lives of their students.

Read the full report and recommendations as part of your induction prep today!