Global Opportunities

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Contact Us

Meet the Team and contact us with any questions

Contact us and meet the team!

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Meet the Team

The Global Opportunities team supports incoming and outgoing students.

For Study Abroad and all Exchange related queries: global.opportunities@ncl.ac.uk 

Global Opportunities Team

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Dimitra Boutsioukis

Senior International Mobility Manager

dimitra.boutsioukis@ncl.ac.uk

(+44) 0191 208 8275

I manage the Global Opportunities Team which is part of the International Office. This includes responsibilities for the following teams and areas:

  • Student Mobility Team (Erasmus, Non-EU Exchange and Study Abroad Programmes)
  • Loyola Team (the Loyola University Maryland Center at Newcastle).

 Andrew's face

Andrew Griff-Owen

International Mobility Manager 

andrew.griff-owen@ncl.ac.uk

(+44) 0191 208 5187

I manage the Student Mobility Team. My main responsibilities include:

  • Leading the administration and promotion of the University's international mobility programmes
  • Managing the Erasmus+ Programme for student and staff mobility (Erasmus+ Institutional Coordinator)
  • Signing Erasmus+ inter-institutional agreements
  • Managing mobility outside of Europe.

 Marsha

Marsha Leask

Student Mobility Coordinator

marsha.leask@ncl.ac.uk

(+44) 0191 208 6689

I administer the Non-EU Exchange and Study Abroad Programmes.

  • Maintaining relationships with partner universities and colleagues at Newcastle University who are involved in the Exchange and Study Abroad programmes
  • Producing the necessary documentation for students to apply for a Tier 4 visa
  • Promotion of the Mobility Programmes to current and prospective students
  • Responsible for managing the Erasmus Interns and Student Ambassadors.
 Katie's face

Katie Lavender

Global Education & Community Manager

Katie.Lavender@newcastle.ac.uk

(+44) 0191 208 7838

I am responsible for the organisation and delivery of mobility opportunities which support our students to enjoy a truly global experience during their time at Newcastle University. My areas of responsibility include:

  • Short term mobility opportunities, summer schools, internships and international volunteering
  • The International Study Year
  • Postgraduate mobility
  • Funding opportunities
  • Virtual exchange
  • New pathways for international mobility.
 

Jamie Jones

International Exchange Assistant (Non-EU)

Jamie.Jones@newcastle.ac.uk

I provide administrative support for our Non-EU Exchange and Study Abroad Programmes. My responsibilities include:

  • Processing applications from incoming Non-EU Exchange and Study Abroad students
  • Promoting exchange and other global opportunities to Newcastle students and assisting them with the outgoing application process
  • Supporting Newcastle students currently abroad on Non-EU and Study Abroad placements
 

Lana Spour

International Exchange Officer

lana.spour@newcastle.ac.uk 

(+44) 0191 208 6846

I am responsible for a range of functions related to international mobility:

  • Turing Funding management
  • International partnerships and stakeholder relations
  • Exchange partner liaison and communications
  • Frameworks development for the delivery of new mobility programmes
  • Policies and procedures development that meet compliance requirements
 

Natasha Prinsloo

Senior International Exchange Assistant

I am responsible for the administrative support of different programmes; this includes: 

  • Processing applications from incoming Exchange students
  • Promoting exchanges and other global opportunities to Newcastle students and assisting them with the outgoing application process
  • Answering of queries related to incoming and outgoing exchange students
  • Supporting Newcastle students currently abroad on all exchanges

natasha.prinsloo@newcastle.ac.uk
 

Grace Barker

Loyola Study Abroad Center Manager

grace.barker@newcastle.ac.uk

(+44) 0191 208 7522

I am the Loyola Study Abroad Center Manager. The Center supports students studying with us from Loyola Maryland and affiliated Universities. 

  • I work with the Center Coordinator to support students in multiple ways during their time here
  • We run an extensive Student Orientation week, as well as the Loyola Excursions to various UK and European destinations; from Edinburgh to Florence, and lots of places in between! 
  • I oversee all the Center activities including strategic planning and finance
  • I support students personally with any issues they may have whilst studying here
  • We work closely with the Schools to ensure the Student Experience is positive throughout all aspects of their study.
 

Alice Cooke

Loyola Study Abroad Center Coordinator

As part of the Loyola Center team, helping to deliver an exceptional study abroad experience to our students on the Loyola programme, including:

  • Providing personalised pastoral and academic support for students during their study abroad experience
  • Organising and leading trips and events as part of the Loyola Center programme
  • Supporting the administrative needs of the Center
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Vikki Hedges

Study Abroad Manager

Vikki.Hedges@ncl.ac.uk

I am responsible for:

  • Leading the university’s Study Abroad recruitment strategy
  • Creating and nurturing institutional relationships with global Study Abroad partners
  • Designing and developing innovative programme components relevant to student needs
  • Working in close collaboration with colleagues across the University including Professional Services teams and our academic Schools and Faculties

 

Your Coordinator

Your School Exchange Coordinator is responsible for providing you with the academic advice to make sure that your exchange activity meets the requirements of your degree programme.

Global Ambassadors

Our team of Global Ambassadors is made up of students who have had an experience abroad and want to share their insights with and support students who are going abroad! 

Get in touch with them via global.ambassadors@newcastle.ac.uk or chat with them during the weekly drop-in!

Hear more from our Global Ambassadors!

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Amanda Stane

Course: BSc (Hons) International Business Management with Spanish

Global experience: Summer job in Greece in 2017, Au Pairing in Spain (Madrid) in 2018, Erasmus Study Placement in Barcelona in 2021/22.

I can help with:

  • Cultural awareness
  • Language learning

Aniket Kochhar

Course: Medicine (intercalated Masters) 

Global experience: Medical elective in India, where I completed a Paediatrics placement at a hospital.

I can help with: 

  • Organising a Medical Elective
  • Choosing an international experience
  • Funding options and grants
  • Preparing to live abroad and pre-departure advice
  • Making the most of your experience abroad

Chloe Cuskin 

Course: Spanish, Portuguese, Translation and Interpreting BA 

Global experience: A semester studying in Porto, an internship at a hostel company in Lisbon and an internship at a translation firm in Seville!

I can help with: 

  • Finding internships abroad  
  • Studying in Portugal  
  • Culture shock and adjusting to a new way of life 
  • Finding accommodation 
  • Language barriers 
  • Ways to meet new people

Cristina Guirola Carias De Newell

Course: MPharm Pharmacy  

Global experience: I am originally from Guatemala but have been living in the UK for 10 years now. I love to travel and had many international opportunities including an exchange programme in Seattle, USA, and a mini scholarship to travel to Taiwan.

I can help with: 

  • Choosing an international opportunity
  • Culture shock and learning to adapt to a new country
  • Applications and travel arrangements
  • Living in Latin America

Eve Jones

Course: Politics and History (with study abroad)

Global experience: Au Pairing in Sweden, working as a swimming teacher in the US, Ambassador for the EU through DiscoverEU and Erasmus study placement in Spain.

I can help with: 

  • Visas
  • Living abroad
  • Applications 
  • Funding

Gemma Farquhar

Course: BSc Biomedical Sciences

Global experience: Exchange study abroad year in Pittsburgh, USA in 2021/22.

I can help with:

  • Study abroad application 
  • Living in the USA  
  • Finding accommodation abroad 
  • Funding and Finance  
  • Making the most of your Global Opportunity

Grace Hogan

Course: BSc Modern Languages (Spanish) and Business Studies

Global experience: For the first semester of my year abroad, I had a work placement at a translation company in Córdoba in the south of Spain. For my second semester abroad, I moved to Barcelona where I completed a six-month study placement at Pompeu Fabra University.

I can help with:

  • Study and work placements
  • How to get started finding a placement
  • Finding accommodation abroad
  • Living in Spain (specifically Barcelona and Córdoba)
  • Ways to meet people while abroad

Leah Dorotiak 

Course: Combined Honours; History and German

Global experience: During 2021/22 I had the opportunity to spend a year working in Berlin as a full-time translator.

I can help with: 

  • Visas
  • Working abroad
  • Language learning
  • Cultural awareness,
  • Finding accommodation
  • Living abroad
 

Sarah Moberly

Course: Biomedical Sciences BSc 

Global experience: Study abroad year in Lund, Sweden 2021-2022.  

I can help with:

  • Study Abroad year
  • Applications
  • Visas
  • Funding
  • Living abroad
 

Sophie Roberts

Course: Modern Languages (French, German, Spanish) BSc

Global experience: Year Abroad at Universidad de Granada in Spain. I have also completed a summer language course in Montpellier, France, and worked in two translation companies in Berlin and various hotels in France.

I can help with:

  • How to meet people abroad 
  • Living in Spain, France and Germany
  • Learning languages 
  • Finding accommodation abroad 
  • Getting a study visa for Spain

GO Newsletter

Find out more about international opportunities, as well as other updates, in our Global Opportunities Newsletter.

February 2023 Newsletter

Sign up to join the mailing list and you'll receive our newsletter straight to your inbox!



Launch of Open Badge in Global and Cultural Awareness

To gain our new open badge students must take part in and reflect on activity that supports them to develop global and cultural awareness. Activity might include virtual or physical exchanges or experiences, research trips overseas, peer-assisted language learning and exchange, or engaging with societies or volunteering organisations with an international or cultural focus.

The first deadline for submission for the Global & Cultural Awareness Open Badge is the end of January 2023, with a second deadline in mid-June. The badge is open to all students and to recent graduates with Canvas alumni access.

More information can be found on our webpage and students can contact global.opportunities@ncl.ac.uk (with the subject 'Open Badge') with any queries.

Students can enrol directly on the Open Badge in Global & Cultural Awareness Canvas community.

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GO Global Competition Winners

A huge thank you to all students who shared their experience by entering the competition, the judges had a hard time choosing from such fantastic entries.

The winners are:

Image - Poppy Sheward-Skelton who travelled to Cambodia through the Newcastle University International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Internship programme.

Video - Julia Bamber who travelled to Warsaw, Poland, on a Fine Art study exchange.

Literary - Geminis Danae Peguero Bueno who travelled to Mexico City to take part in a Newcastle University International Coalition of Sites of Conscience Internship.

We'd also like to say a huge thank you to our judges: Helen Challis (Head of International Relations & Partnerships), Chris Whitehead (Dean of Global, Humanities and Social Sciences) and Tom Bramald (Head of Enterprise Marketing)

Watch the video, read the poem and enjoy the other entries.
   

Drop-in Sessions

LIVE CHAT with a Global Opportunities staff member and one of our friendly Global Ambassadors every Wednesday in term time from 2-4 pm!

The Global Opportunities Team is here to answer any questions you may have about going abroad as well as international experiences offered by Newcastle University. Our drop-in sessions take place every Wednesday in-person 2-3pm and virtually 3-4pm.
 
Please feel free to come along with any questions you may have about your opportunities, applying for an overseas programme or to chat with one of our friendly Global Ambassadors.
 
We will be running themed drop-in sessions, which are designed to support you preparing for your overseas experiences. More sessions will be announced soon. Please note that the general support drop-in will also still be on every Wednesday.
How do I join a virtual drop-in sessions? 
Virtual sessions: dial in from MS Teams Go Abroad Fair drop-in channel 3-4pm term time every Wednesday.

 

 

 



Connect Before You Go

Going abroad this year and wanting to meet students going to the same country? Connect Before You Go allows students to meet peers that are travelling to the same country (or even same university). This could be to discuss accommodation, visa applications or just to have a friendly face when you get there! 

The first Connect Before You Go event will be held straight after during the Pre-Departure event 2022-2023 which is Wednesday 22nd March from 1pm in RB Green Lecture Theatre, Ground Floor, Dental School. Pre-Departure is a mandatory session which will give you all of the details you need to get prepared for your placement, then there’ll be the opportunity to meet fellow students! 

We have also set up a Connect Before You Go Teams Channel with tips and advice for specific countries – you can join your relevant channel and connect with other students here too.