International Students Special Interest Group

The UKAT International Students Special Interest Group (SIG) is a professional, member-led community that supports UKAT’s strategic priorities by enhancing the quality, consistency, and sustainability of personal tutoring and student support for international students within higher education in the UK, in British institutions abroad, or other international higher education institutions. The SIG is grounded in two core priorities identified by its members: professionalism and community.

The SIG recognises that international students are not a single or homogenous group, but a diverse population shaped by multiple cultural, educational, and personal contexts. We focus specifically on the intersection between international student experience, personal tutoring, and inter‑cultural understanding. Our work promotes inclusive, relational, and student-centred approaches to personal tutoring that respond to individual needs and expectations, while engaging critically and ethically with cultures without essentialising them. Practice within the SIG is informed by scholarship, reflective dialogue, and a shared commitment to professionalism.

Alongside this, the SIG prioritises the development of a strong, supportive community. Through peer support, collaboration, and shared learning, members work together across institutions to raise awareness of international students’ strengths and challenges, share good practice, and support one another in enhancing practice. The SIG is democratic and inclusive, welcoming a multiplicity of perspectives, experiences, and professional roles, and actively nurturing members’ ideas and contributions.

Through UKAT recognition, partnership working, and scholarship-informed activity, the International Students SIG aims to inspire positive change, strengthen professional confidence, and contribute to an active, supportive community of practice across the sector.

Benefits of Joining

• Engagement with a professional community
• Peer support within an active, inclusive network
• Opportunities to share and learn from good practice
• Engagement with scholarship, policy and research
• Opportunities to collaborate on SIG‑led initiatives
• Increased confidence and capacity to develop practice

Professional Development Opportunities

Participation in the International Students SIG supports professional development through collaborative learning, reflective practice, and engagement with scholarship related to international student support. Members are supported to develop greater understanding of international students’ strengths and challenges, feel equipped to enhance their own practice, and contribute to initiatives that inspire change within and beyond their institutions. These opportunities align with UKAT’s commitment to professionalism, sector enhancement, and sustainable communities of practice.

Audience

All UKAT members who have a role in supporting international students in higher education institutions. This group is also open to colleagues with an interest in inclusive personal tutoring.

Aims

• Raise critical awareness of international students’ diverse strengths, challenges, and experiences
• Share and develop good practice through collaboration and peer support
• Foster a supportive, active community of practice across UKAT member institutions
• Enhance professionalism in personal tutoring and student support for international students
• Promote scholarship- and research-informed approaches to international student support
• Support members to feel equipped and confident in enhancing their own practice

Forthcoming Meetings

Friday, May 15, 2026 - Online meeting