Westminster partners with IFSA Butler and American universities to widen access to study abroad in London

This year, Westminster expanded its partnership with IFSA Butler to become part of their Biosciences Career Accelerator programme. This programme gives students the chance to spend a semester in London and earn credit towards their degree. They will study modules at Westminster while also exploring the Biosciences sector and building professional skills, through taking part in group challenge projects, visiting a range of companies and listening to guest speakers.

The initiative has been developed by IFSA in partnership with HBCUs in the US and aims to increase access to studying abroad. This visit gave representatives from some of the partnering universities the opportunity to visit host organisations and explore themes together.

 As part of their visit to Westminster, the US delegation joined a session with the University’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Network to learn more about Westminster’s approach, speak to students and colleagues on the impact of the work and share best practice. The session brought together voices from all three of the University’s colleges and schools as well as Westminster’s academics and professional services.  

Students from Black History Year Create, which is part of Westminster's Black History Year programme, also shared their experiences of being part of the programme. The University’s EDI representatives and interns shared their insights with the visitors. The room was full of engaging conversations and ideas on creating inclusive environments and widening student participation in extra-curricular activities. This discussion produced a range of recommendations with a focus on student voices and storytelling at its centre.

Dr Deborah Husbands, Reader in Psychology who co-organised the event, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity to join our thinking and share our values with these US institutions and, from a global perspective, plan for future collaborations. We look forward to seeing what the future holds, with expectations of mutual benefits for Westminster students and colleagues as well as for our international partners.”

The day concluded with a discussion on how to make study abroad programmes more accessible, looking at what Westminster can do to encourage students to go abroad and better support international students coming to Westminster.

Eduardo Lees, Head of Global Mobility at the University of Westminster and co-organiser for the event, added: “This kind of event demonstrates the power of international collaboration and study abroad. We truly value our partnership with IFSA Butler and the collaboration with universities in the US and around the world. By sharing best practice, we can continue to develop and improve the education and services we offer students and create increasingly inclusive and impactful programmes.”

Gretchen Cook-Anderson, IFSA Associate Vice President at Career Readiness and Global Industry Partnerships, added: “Partnering with Westminster for an event like this and across course offerings is an example of how global institutions like ours, together, can advance student learning and career exploration across cultures, with an unflinching mutual priority on belonging and inclusion that enriches every student's experience.”

The Biosciences Career Accelerator programme will include Westminster for the first time in September, with one student already signed up, and will build on the range of collaborations already available in this area.  

This partnership directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4: Quality Education, 10: Reduced Inequalities and 17: Partnership for the Goals. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.

Learn more about partnership opportunities by contacting the Global Mobility team.