|  The International Office
has been established at Edge Hill for 15 years, initially supporting
American students on the study abroad programme. Today the office
has a broader remit, recruiting students from countries such as
India, Pakistan and Canada.
The office provides a full support service from students’
initial enquiries through to graduation and beyond.
Bermudian Chris Conway is one such student who arrived at the Ormskirk
Campus last September to join the second year of the Business and
Management Studies degree. Despite never having visited Edge Hill
before, Chris felt as if he knew it well. His mother, originally
from Liverpool, was a student who lived on campus 25 years ago,
when she was a trainee teacher, prior to emigrating to Bermuda.
Twenty-year-old Chris, who was born in Bermuda, studied the first
year of his degree in Canada but decided to transfer to Edge Hill,
attracted by the range of sporting facilities and the chance to
experience a more community oriented campus life.
As a Bermudian citizen Chris is used to life on the islands that
cover just 21 square miles with a population of 64,000, and he wasn’t
too keen on the impersonal feel of the city university experience.
“I’ve noticed a very different style of teaching here.
The lecturers seem far more motivated to help you. It’s a
lot more personal than in Canada and really, the community feel
is more like home for me.”
Chris was impressed with the service provided by the International
Office. “Everything went really smoothly. For months before
I arrived I was in constant contact with the office by email and
phone, and my mum and dad were able to keep in touch too. The Office
arranged the transfer for me from Dalhousie University in Canada
to Edge Hill, as well as arranging accommodation, campus tours when
I arrived, and help with getting through the whole registration
process.”
Chris quickly settled in to life at Edge Hill and as a successful
triathlete he is making full use of the Ormskirk Campus’ track
and field facilities, as well as the gym. Support from the International
Office will continue throughout his studies, with staff keen to
ensure that he has made a successful transition.
With over a year’s work experience at KPMG accounting and
AIG insurance, Chris is hoping to return to Bermuda after graduation
to take chartered underwriter qualifications with a view to gaining
employment in insurance.
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Edgeways
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