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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

With a parliamentary election taking place on 4 July 2024, please take note of the following:

• We know many of you will have left your term-time address until the start of the next academic year, and so you are reminded to make sure that you register to vote each time you change address.
• While you may register at your home address and also your term-time address, you can only vote ONCE. It is a criminal offence to vote more than once in this election.
• The deadline to register to vote is 23:59 on 18 June and you can register online Register to Vote. You can check whether you are registered at your local council electoral registration office.
• If you remain registered to vote at your term-time address you can still choose to use your one vote there instead of at your home address.
• Don’t forget that as well as registering, you will need valid voter ID on the day. The NUS has produced some helpful guidance for students covering both topics. NUS guidance – voter registration and voter ID FAQs.

About the Santander Universities Research Awards

As part of Santander Universities’ commitment to supporting higher education, they’ve launched this initiative exclusively for postgraduate students and academic staff providing them with the funds they need to support or develop their research.

Santander Universities are giving away 50 awards of £1,000. The funding can be used on resources, equipment, travel, workshop or conference attendance and any other research-based expenses.

Who’s eligible to apply?
This opportunity is open to any postgraduate student (masters, postgrad taught or research, PhD) and academic staff conducting research at any UK-based university. You can be conducting research in any field, but you must be conducting the research in the 2023/2024 or the 2024/2025 academic year.

How to apply
To apply, visit the Santander Open Academy platform, where you’ll need to register for an account (if you don’t already have one). After registering, you’ll get a confirmation email. Once you verify your account you can then apply for the Santander Universities Research Awards initiative.

The application process is quick and easy. You’ll need to:

• provide a valid university student or staff ID number,
• confirm which university you attend or work at, and
• complete a brief personal profile which includes your education/employment details and your area of research.

Applications close on 11 July 2024.

Learn more about the Santander Universities Research Awards and apply now here.

Summer is just around the corner, but that doesn’t mean that learning has to take a backseat. In fact, with the right tools you can make this summer your most productive yet and fully prepare for the new academic year.

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce Santander’s iPad Prize Draw. They’re giving away 25 tablets to enhance your study experience.

How do I enter?
To enter, visit the Santander Open Academy platform where you’ll need to register for an account (if you haven’t already got one). After registering, you’ll get a confirmation email. Click on the link in the email to verify your account and then you can log on and apply for the prize draw. Once entries close on 27 June, Santander will pick 25 students at random.

Who can enter?
All university students can enter including undergraduates, postgraduates, part-time and full-time students.

You also don’t need to bank with Santander to get involved. So be sure to share with your friends, coursemates and anyone else who could benefit from this opportunity.

Key dates:
Entries to the prize draw close at 11pm on the 27 June 2024. So don’t hesitate and get your entries in pronto!

Giving you the tools you need to build a brighter future
This is just the latest in a series of initiatives that Santander are running throughout the year to help students.

On the Santander Open Academy platform, you can browse free on-demand learning content to help with your studies. You can also apply for free learning programmes ran in partnership with world-leading educational institutes.

Santander is committed to connecting anyone, anywhere with whatever they need to make their better happen.

By offering cutting-edge tools and unique learning opportunities, they’re paving the way for a future generation full of thinkers, creators, and leaders.

Enter the prize draw now and let’s make your academic journey extraordinary together!

Enter now