Students from across the world who have been granted a prestigious Rotary scholarship to help promote world peace and understanding descended on Birmingham this week for a special welcoming event.
The 84 students taking part in the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship programme enjoyed the sites of Birmingham at the Ambassadorial Link Weekend from Friday 26 September to Sunday 28 September before heading off to carry out a range of masters degrees at universities throughout the UK.
The students from 21 different countries – including China, Australia, Canada, Germany, Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Russia and USA – were officially welcomed at the weekend long event where they took part in a range of fun activities including a visit with the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, a canal boat trip and a barn dance.
Rotary’s Ambassadorial Scholarships scheme is the world’s largest privately funded international scholarships programme where undergraduate and graduate students are sponsored to take part in a range of scholarships overseas.
Since it was founded in 1947, nearly 38,000 young men and women from 100 nations have studied abroad.
David Robinson, Ambassadorial Link Weekend organiser, said: "Since Rotary was formed more than 100 years ago, everything we do has been done to help promote peace and world understanding and improve the lives of others.
"Through this scheme, students get to experience another country’s way of life and also have the chance to share their own cultures with students in this country. By ensuring there is more understanding across the world, we hope that it will promote friendly relations among people of different countries and geographical regions."
Rotary clubs throughout the whole of the UK will be hosting the students throughout their academic stay which lasts between 12 to 24 months.
Eleven of the students will become Rotary Peace Fellows and will be studying Peace and Conflict Resolution at Bradford University.
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