Scotland Alive: University of Dundee, University of Abertay and Dundee College

Dundee University's first application to the Challenge Fund was made jointly with the University of Abertay and Dundee College.

"We used the fund to stage a two-day event called Scotland Alive," explained Susan Scott, International Student Support.

"The idea behind the event was to bring together international students with domestic students, the local community and employers.

"We wanted to help our international students learn about Scottish life as well as providing them with the opportunity to meet employers and feel inspired about staying on in Scotland after graduation.

"Local ethnic community groups were really keen to get involved, to show the students that there was already a support network for their cultures out there in the community."

As well as demonstrating the diversity of Scottish culture, employers were also on hand to talk to students.

VisitScotland, Dundee Chamber of Commerce, Scottish Enterprise Tayside and a number of recruitment agencies exhibited information and offered advice about the job market.

"Another successful part of the event were informal talks from five former graduates," said Susan.

"The students were part of the Fresh Talent: Working in Scotland Scheme so they could give a real-life perspective on living, studying and working in Scotland.

"They were able to talk about the benefits of the scheme and their positive experiences."

And finally, a lively programme of entertainment was led by students, local children and members of the community, including a ceilidh which attracted students from all three institutions.

"We welcomed students from over 20 different countries – India, China, different African countries. It was a real success. We far exceeded our target of 1,000 attendees over the two days. In fact, we had about 900 people on day two alone!"

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