Global Buddies

Global Buddies connects Birkbeck alumni with new international students during their first term of study to help them settle in.

International students face additional challenges when coming to live and study in London. The aim of Global Buddies is to welcome students to the Birkbeck community and support their transition to life in the UK. 

Share your experiences

As a Global Buddy you can make a real difference to a student’s Birkbeck journey by:

• Welcoming students to Birkbeck.
• Signposting students to services, support and opportunities at Birkbeck.
• Sharing tips for how to make the most of their time at Birkbeck and living in London.
• Encouraging students to get involved with student life.
• Enabling students to practice conversational English.

Interested in taking part?

Registrations for Autumn 2024 are now open.

Alumni buddies registration

International students registration

Programme Timeline, Autumn 2024

Global Buddies

“When I started at Birkbeck, the university didn’t have a formal mentoring programme but I still managed to get a mentoring relationship with Professor Daniel Monk (Professor of Law at Birkbeck), who gave me a lot of support. I want to make sure nobody is left behind. We need to share opportunities and share experiences. You never know when you will need someone you know at some point in the future.”

Philippe Mandangi, mentor and Birkbeck alumnus