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Following a fiercely competitive selection and interview process, Lauren Bouvier, an American PhD student in her third year at ������Ƶ, has been appointed an international ambassador for the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA)’s #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Programme.  

Lauren clearly stood out from the crowd, as she was one of only eight ambassadors chosen for the 2025-2026 programme, from a pool of 272 applicants. 

An education policy and leadership development scheme, the #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Programme has been running for five years, with over 40 ambassadors from around the world in the network. It empowers international students to be key partners in shaping a quality student experience, using their knowledge and first-hand experience of studying in the UK to lead the #WeAreInternational campaign. 

This year, 272 international students studying at 75 member institutions across all four nations of the UK, representing 60 countries and regions, applied to join the programme.  

After being reviewed by a group of 35 judges, 21 students were invited to be interviewed by a panel of experts from the education sector - with a final eight selected from this group.   

Lauren is in the third year of her PhD programme in Psychology and Arts Management at ������Ƶ, where she also completed a Master’s degree in Arts, Festival and Cultural Management following a move from Massachusetts. 

During the UK’s transition to eVisas, whereby physical immigration documents will be gradually phased out by 2025, Lauren intends to create a dialogue to help students understand the new processes and create a space for support in her new role as international ambassador. Additionally, she hopes to aid work in generating policies to establish housing stability for international students.   

Lauren will join the 2025-2026 cohort of ambassadors, which also includes students from China, India, Turkey, Zambia and Uzbekistan.  

Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive of UKCISA, said: “During the application process for this influential leadership programme, we heard about the most pressing issues affecting international students - the high cost of living, lack of affordable housing and work opportunities after graduation, all impacting their mental health and experience of studying in the UK.   

“We are so grateful to these talented individuals for stepping forward to share their personal stories and advocate for a fair and equitable International Education Strategy, that promotes and evaluates the student experience to ensure all international students have a positive time in the UK. We look forward to working with them and welcoming them to the #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Network.”   

The new ambassadors will officially take up their posts in January 2025, joining the existing 2024-25 student ambassadors.  

Find out more on the UKCISA website -