Lancaster Summer Award launched
Published 11 August 2010
With the growing success of the Lancaster Award that encourages students to get involved in activities outside the confines of their programme of study, Lancaster University launched a new Lancaster Summer Award for Lancaster students based at the GD Goenka World Institute campus in India.
Dr Paul Devadoss (left), Professor Bob McKinlay and Dr Radka Newton (centre) presenting awards to LUMS student mentors who looked after GD Goenka participants throughout the whole Summer School programme.
Professor Steve Bradley, who has been involved in setting up the partnership with GD Goenka in India said: “It is absolutely essential that students based at our overseas partner institutions have access to all Lancaster University facilities, and get a chance to bond with their University colleagues from the Lancaster campus. The Lancaster Summer Award has been specifically developed for our partner institutions and it has been a fantastic experience for all of us.”
In the first two weeks of July 26 GD Goenka students engaged in various activities framed within personal development planning techniques. Some of the biggest challenges was to cope without luggage for 24 hours (following a baggage mix-up in Brussels) and get used to jacket potatoes with 'chicken tikka'.
The programme was designed by the three Lancaster University faculties LUMS, FASS and FST, together with the Centre for Enterprise, Employability and Careers and Lancaster University Volunteering Unit. The highlight of the Summer School was a mentoring day with Heysham High School students that encouraged the students from India to get to know British youth culture and share their life stories.
Professor Emma Rose, from Lancaster's Faculty for Arts and Social Sciences, presenting at the Summer School
The students also had a great opportunity to engage with major graduate employers KMPG and PWC who prepared interesting presentations and business games.
One of the students from the GD Goenka campus commented:
“The Summer School was a novel experience. It provided everything I lacked in terms of personal development at this stage of my career, such as presentation skills, portraying the best you have, a sense of social responsibility and also the feeling of being prepared for what the future is expected to hold. Coming into a new cultural environment with people from all walks of life and from all parts of the world seemed challenging. I had doubts whether I would be able to actually learn anything from this experience at the individual level. Interaction with great faculty was a delight as I experienced mentoring and refinement through being here. As I now evaluate the experience, I can feel a lot more confident and aware of myself, which I consider as a great achievement.”
The Lancaster Summer Award is a unique way to enhance the experience of our student body based at our overseas partners by exposing them to extracurricular activities available at the Lancaster campus, and also by providing them with opportunities to learn about the British graduate labour market.
Dr Radka Newton, who managed the Summer School, was very pleased with the outcomes and the students’ positive comments:
“I think the students enjoyed the variety of the Summer School as well as the new campus environment. They established an invaluable partnership with our Student Union and our Volunteering Unit who will be sending five volunteers to GD Goenka World Institute this September to launch a new joint volunteering project between Lancaster University students from the two campuses”.
Professor Sue Cox (centre) with students from the GD Goenka World Institute campus in India
