Visit from Luke Pollard, local MP

We were delighted to welcome Luke Pollard, local MP for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, to the College.

Matias Shortcook, College Director and Principal, greeted Luke alongside UPIC staff and a small group of international students.

Luke was interested in finding out how we prepare students for a brand-new life on campus. Matias told him all about our pathway learning experience and took him on a tour of the classrooms. After a short break, he met with some of our fantastic international students to learn more about our courses:

🔹Milena, from Brazil – Marine, Coast & Ocean Sciences

🔹Ankit, from India – Engineering & Robotics

🔹Tinovimba, from Zimbabwe – Health & Human Sciences 

🔹Amanorbea, from Ghana – Arts, Design & Architecture

It was wonderful to welcome Dindu Okechukwu, a successful UPIC graduate who recently won his second term in office as the University’s Student Union President (SU). He chatted to Luke about how Plymouth is a great place to be for international students, with multicultural restaurants and various religious festivals popping up each year.

Dindu delved into his academic journey, highlighting the opportunities he took to achieve his goals. Luke then went on to express his desire to get Plymouth on the map.

The UPIC team offered some examples of how we deliver a first-rate student experience, from application to graduation. Luke spent some time with Poorna Gunasekera, the Associate Dean for International Faculty of Health at the Peninsula School of Medicine, to explore how we can work together to further improve the student experience.

We finished the visit with a discussion about current policy and development for international education. Luke praised UPIC for its role in helping to create a culturally diverse community: