Category Archives: Student opportunities

Apply for the Wellbeing Student Advisory Board

Applications for the Wellbeing Student Advisory Board are now open.

The Advisory Board’s purpose is to help guide Kent Students’ Union and the University of Kent in improving our approach to student wellbeing and ensuring our work is impactful and accessible to all students. This will involve discussing current and future plans and offering suggestions based on the board’s shared expertise and experiences. Topics discussed at meetings will include mental health, safety initiatives, the cost of living crisis, sense of community and belonging, as well as anything else that is important to you. You will help shape student wellbeing at Kent.

What are we looking for?

We are looking for 12 students on undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, from a range of courses and years to create a diverse and inclusive panel. Any student who is currently enrolled in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree at the University of Kent can apply to be part of the panel.

No prior experience is required to be a member. All you need is to be passionate about student welfare and helping all students to love their time at Kent.

What to expect

A two-hour meeting will occur three times in the academic year with additional opportunities to get involved in projects and campaigns. Invitations for these meetings will be sent once membership to the board is confirmed.

Students based on the Canterbury campus will receive £20 KentOne credit (or an Amazon £20 Voucher) in exchange for their active participation in the two-hour WSAB meeting. Students who are not based on the Canterbury Campus will be compensated for their time at the same rate through an alternative method. Students will also be able to earn Employability Points throughout the academic year.

How to apply

To apply, please submit either a maximum of a 500-word response or a 2-minute-long video telling us a bit more about you, what skills and experiences you feel you would bring to the role and why you would like to get involved.

The deadline to submit your application is midday on 23 October 2024

Apply now

If you have any questions please email Teslimat Bello (Vice-President Welfare and Community) at Kent Students’ Union, t.bello-650@kent.ac.uk

20% off Student Art Pass until 30 September

A Student Art Pass lets you dive into culture on a budget with FREE entry to hundreds of museums and galleries across the UK, and 50% off major exhibitions.

Plus, you’ll gain access to paid arts opportunities and grow your network by joining the #WeAreArtful @StudentArtPass community.

Limited offer: Use code FRESHERS to get 20% off your Student Art Pass before Monday 30 September.

Available for a limited time. Get your pass today.

Business Start-Up Journey Launch, 2 October

Two University of Kent alumni share their inspiring stories of starting their own businesses at the launch of this year’s Business Start-Up Journey, the University’s flagship entrepreneurship programme.

Nadia Simpson, a Kent Business School graduate and founder of the London-based fragrance and wellness brand From Amora, will share her experience of building a business that specialises in cruelty-free and alcohol-free perfume oils. With 25k TikTok followers and over 10k Instagram followers, Nadia has built a strong following and brand in a competitive industry.

Alex Ford, a Business and Computer Science graduate and serial entrepreneur, co-founded the fintech company Claro Wealth, based in London, which has secured over £7 million in funding and grown to a team of 32 professionals. The company has been featured on national TV and now has over 40,000 app users with £6 million deposited. Alex’s journey will offer incredible insight into what it takes to build a successful fintech start-up.

Both Alex and Nadia will talk honestly about being an entrepreneur and the ambition which drives them through the lows, to the highs.

What is the Business Start-Up Journey?

The Business Start-Up Journey is a 15-week programme packed with interactive and practical workshops that guide participants through every stage of launching a business. From coming up with an idea and testing it, to marketing, finance, and pitching to investors – the programme covers it all.

Whether you’re at the very beginning of your entrepreneurial journey or looking to refine your business idea, the Business Start-Up Journey offers the support and resources you need to succeed.

Business Start-Up Journey launch event

The 2024 launch will take place on October 2 in Lecture Theatre 1, Sibson, Canterbury. As the University of Kent’s largest extracurricular entrepreneurial programme, the event will be a fantastic opportunity to meet inspiring business owners and likeminded students.

The Business Start-Up Journey is run by ASPIRE, the University of Kent’s dedicated space to support student entrepreneurs. ASPIRE is open to all University of Kent students and helps develop the entrepreneurial skills needed to turn ideas into successful businesses. Join us on 2nd October for an inspiring event and learn more about how the Business Start-Up Journey can help you take your business ideas to the next level.

Register for the launch event.

Apply to be a Global Officer

We are delighted to invite Kent students to apply for this year’s Global Officers Leadership Development (GOLD) Programme. The programme is a co-curricular venture, designed to fit around your academic studies. It provides a framework of activities for globally-minded students at Kent to develop their leadership skills, global citizenship and cultural awareness.

There are 5 components which can be completed throughout the academic year.

Benefits include:

Employability Points awarded per activity
Certificate of recognition and open reference from the Director and Dean for Global and Lifelong Learning
Practical event & project management experience
A chance for you to record your international skill development in the Kent Global Passport.

This programme is also offered as a credit-bearing ‘wild’ module, GOLD5000.

For further details please see our website or you can come along to our information sessions:

Canterbury campus

Wed 02 Oct, 16:00-17:30 in Ingram LT
Wed 09 Oct, 14:00-15:30 in Ingram LT

Medway campus

Thurs 10 Oct, 12:00-13:00 in Oasis Lounge, Medway Building

Deadline to apply is 12:00 (noon UK time), 14 October, 2024.

(If considering taking this as a wild module, usual module registration deadline applies).

What past students have said:

I would highly recommend this programme to any student who is globally minded and wants to be more active on campus, as well as wanting to learn new skills that you don’t get when you join a society.

Preena Dodhia, BSc Biomedical Science

My time on the GOLD Programme has been absolutely amazing. I truly enjoyed learning about different cultures, meeting new people and taking part in the initiatives under it. Not only have I become more confident as an individual, but I have also improved in my leadership and cultural awareness capabilities.

Global Officer, 2023-24

The GOLD programme is a GREAT opportunity for anyone looking to place themselves out of their comfort zone, gain skills and meet like-minded people. It gave me the chance to develop new interests and connect to other programmes and opportunities with international universities, all of which can be utilised in my search for a job after university. I have made amazing friends who I will keep in touch with, and felt like I have extended my year abroad experience in the comfort of Kent, keeping my passion for understanding cultures alive! I would recommend GOLD to all Kent students with an interest in the international and encourage you to put yourself out there.

Lucy Lavender, BA Politics and International Relations with a Year in Continental Europe

Conserving collective learning from two decades of welcoming refugees in Kent

Volunteering Opportunity for Kent staff and students

Are you interested in learning more about Kent Refugee Action Network (KRAN) and the work they do with refugees in Kent, and also build skills in oral history transcriptions and producing transcription summaries? You might wish to get involved in this project! Read on to find out more…

The University of Kent’s Special Collections and Archives are delighted to be working on the KRAN Family Matters: Kent Refugee Action Network 20th Anniversary Heritage Project. This is a project funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to celebrate the 20th anniversary of KRAN by recording oral histories with the people involved with the organisation.

Capturing two decades of work to welcome refugees in Kent

The project aims to learn the story of the organisation first-hand, from the people involved in setting it up and realising its vision to support under-age asylum seekers. During the project, KRAN’s Youth Ambassadors will be trained in Oral History techniques, and will interview those involved in the organisation, recording and conserving the collective learning gained from two decades of working to welcome refugees in Kent.

The oral histories will provide a record of the challenges and successes in KRAN’s history through stories and experiences passed down from founders, volunteers, staff and supporters. The project team will be working to fill gaps, bring in new perspectives and give voice to people excluded from traditional historical records.

Special Collections and Archives at the University of Kent will be providing a permanent home for the KRAN oral history collection, and ensure they are catalogued and preserved using professional standards, and made accessible according to data protection and confidentiality requirements. Look out for more information on a November launch event in the Templeman!

How can you get involved?

If you are interested in this opportunity please do get in touch with Beth Astridge in Special Collections and Archives: SpecialCollections@kent.ac.uk. All training will be provided and the work can be done entirely remotely.

What is a Year In? Apply by 20 Sep 2024

Stand out in the labour market by adding a Year In to your degree.

A Year In is a programme offered by Kent which allows you to take a year in another course. This means you can enhance your knowledge and offer a unique skillset to future employers.

You can take an additional year in another course between stage 2 and stage 3 of your course or after you have completed stage 3. The programme you take will be added to your degree title which can really enhance your CV.

Find out more about what Year In courses are on offer for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Summer at Kent: what’s on in August

As well as relaxing in the sunshine, summer is a great time to meet new people, develop your skills and explore!

Summer at Kent is a series of events aimed at students who are staying on or near campus, whether that’s for a few weeks or the whole summer.

Get involved this month

Plan ahead

Use the summer to plan ahead with sessions on how to find a part-time job, working abroad and how to plan your career.

Get outside

Head to the Kent Community Oasis Garden near Park Wood on Wednesdays and Fridays (10:00-14:00) for their open volunteering sessions. Everyone is welcome at Kent Community Oasis Garden, whether you’re an expert gardener, a complete beginner, or just coming along for a chat.

Get creative

Every second Friday, you can join us for Creative Spaces, a crafting and social meet up. Enjoy some crafts, come for a chat or just as a space to chill out.

Be productive

If you’re a postgraduate researcher, join the ‘Shut up and write’ session to help get past any writer’s block and give you that motivation to keep going. The idea behind Shut Up and Write is that you bring your notes and writing implements (whether pen and paper or laptop), and write in focused, concentrated bursts with short breaks for chats with other Researchers. It’s a great way to get writing, even if you edit later!

There are also dissertation workshops at Canterbury campus and online to help you focus on progressing your research project to a conclusion, managing the writing-up process and thinking about how to optimise your dissertation (presentation, formatting, purpose and direction).

Chill out

Relax in the Chill Zone with Nintendo Switch MarioKart, arts and crafts and games including Klask, Table Football and board games. Plus refreshments and cookies.

Celebrate love and acceptance

It’s Medway Pride on Saturday 17 August! Pride Medway takes place in Rochester and features a Pride Parade followed by the Pride Celebrations. There are still some free tickets available for Kent students. And look out for Kent students and staff in the Pride Parade! If you would like to join the Medway Pride Parade, please email R.S.Lamyman@kent.ac.uk.

Get prepared for any resits

If you have resits, there are online sessions around revision skills and coursework resit planning to help you progress.

See all Summer at Kent events.

Free Medway Pride tickets now available

Tickets allocated specifically for the Universities at Medway for Medway Pride on Saturday 17 August are available now!

Free tickets for entry to the Medway Pride 24 Festival at the Castle Gardens – entry from 10:30, closes at 20:00.
Free tickets to take part in the parade (Rochester High Street to Rochester Castle Gardens) – meeting time and location to be confirmed.
If you just want to view the Pride Parade, you can do so without a ticket.

Please only book the tickets you need, as these are limited.

Paid job: Student Content Creator

Are you an enthusiastic and outgoing Kent student with a flair for creating engaging social media content? Do you have an eye for the latest trends on Tik Tok and Instagram? Are you confident on camera?

If so, we’re looking for Student Content Creators just like you to help bring the student experience at Kent to life online.

As a Student Content Creator, you’ll work across our digital channels to produce a wide range of content from Instagram reels and trending Tik Toks to vlogs and blogs and everything in between.

This is a great opportunity for a student interested in a career in social media as well as Marketing, Advertising, Communications and PR.

The job:

You will help shape and promote online and social media community experiences for the University. It will involve representing the institution on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the University website.

The Social Content Creator will:

Be active across the University community, researching and producing high quality content for the University website and social media.
Create interesting, timely and engaging social media content on a regular basis.
Be a visible presence at events and on campus – promoting events, posting live, taking pictures and video, interacting with students and presenting on camera when required.
Support the University with student and general online communications, providing feedback and recommendations for improvement.
Present on camera and interview students to help promote university services, support and values.
Help create content for blogs, the website and email.
Work across a wide range of content themes. Areas include: Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); sustainability; support; wellbeing; faith and belonging; employability; sport; music and Medway campus life.

Skills and attributes:

Enthusiastic and passionate about the University and social media.
Excellent communication skills and be able to work independently as well as within a team.
Expertise in all main social media platforms (Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, etc).
Good understanding of social media fundamentals, effect on customer experience and brand perception.
Good presentation skills and happy talking to camera.
Outgoing and prepared to professionally interact with others on behalf of the University.
Reliable, motivated and creative.
Some proven experience in photography, videography and/or blogging. Including editing (Capcut, VN and on platform).
Well organised and able to multitask.

Hours: 4-8 hours a week during term time.

Salary: £12.82 per hour

Contract: Start on 1 September 2024 and finish on 13 June 2025, with a one-month probationary period.

Apply now: To apply, please send a short ‘Day in the life’ video (60 secs max), reel or TikTok. Sharing what your typical day at Kent looks like, to give us an idea of what you study, your interests and any extracurricular activities. If you have a particular interest or network in one or more content themes listed above, please include that in your video. The more creative the better!

Find out more and apply through Jobshop.

GRC Annual Postgraduate Conference, 3 July

This summer, the Annual Postgraduate Conference returns and will exhibit exceptional work carried out by our research community at the University of Kent.

Join us on Wednesday 3 July in Sibson and Kennedy at the Annual Postgraduate Conference to celebrate postgraduate research and our community at Kent.

This year, the Graduate and Researcher College (GRC) will be collaborating with the Division of Arts and Humanities, Division of Computing, Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, Kent Business School, Division for the study of Law, Society and Social Justice, and Division of Natural Sciences to celebrate our postgraduate researcher community.

The Annual Postgraduate Conference is an excellent opportunity for all postgraduate students to attend talks, take part in interactive workshops, learn from colleagues, a chance to view research posters – there are even GRC prizes to be won too!

There will be an awards ceremony and buffet lunch provided – an excellent opportunity to network.

Find out more and book your place.