Dunya Alruhaimi1
1Student, University of New England
Studying in the higher education sector in regional Australian as international student is a different experience to studying in a metropolitan area. Beyond having access to high quality education, training and research, there are other advantages of studying in a regional area. These include lower cost of living, availability of accommodation and a quieter lifestyle for families. It was identified at the University of New England that while services that were available to international students, the services available to family members who join them and stay for long periods of time could be improved. The International Hub project at the University of New England has changed that. The International Hub operates as a referral service for international students, their families and community members by linking them to available services in the New England region. The International Hub is running free and cheap programs for the international community with the aim of promoting safety and healthy lifestyle practices. This presentation will explain how the UNE International Hub project was born from a friend requesting interpretation assistance at a doctor’s appointment, and has assisted hundreds of international students and their families to socialize and settle in the city of Armidale. The International Hub is the result of partnership between UNE International, Study NSW and Bupa under the Northern Tablelands International Community Partnership Project. The International hub project won the 2017 International Students award in the community engagement category.
Biography:
Dunya Alruhaimi is the project officer of the International Hub at the University of New England. The international hub is a project which is funded by Study NSW, Bupa and UNE international. Dunya had finished her bachelor in English Education at Baghdad University. She works as high school teacher in her country for 8 years. She moved to Australia to do her maste
r degree in Education. Dunya caries master degree in TESOL Education from the University of New England and she currently studies PhD in Systemic Functional Linguistics at the same university. During her study, she did a lot of voluntary work to help the international community in New England area. She was the finalist and the winner of the NSW international students awards of 2015 in the Higher Education category. She was also shortlisted for the PIEoneer Awards 2017_International alumni of the year and was the winner of this award for 2017.
Please see below links:
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tL5tQzRTfk
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72dvQurHG7U
3. http://www.study.sydney/english/news-and-stories/student-stories/dunya/
4. http://www.adammarshall.com.au/une-student-finalist-in-2015-nsw-international-student-award/