17 Mar 08

Oxford student Xin Hui Chan from Singapore won the title of South East’s International Student of the Year 2008, impressing the judging panel with her story of extra-curricular work at Oxford.

The sixth annual International Student Awards is a major initiative from the British Council that aims to highlight the contributions that international students make to life in the UK.

Xin Hui is studying clinical medicine at Lincoln College after she completed her pre-clinical degree at St Edmund Hall, both at Oxford. She is one of more than 1,500 students, representing 127 nationalities who entered the competition. Participants had to write a personal ‘letter home’ in English, detailing the out-of-class achievements that helped make their time in the UK rewarding.

Xin Hui outlined her volunteering work which took her to Kenya, Morocco, Bosnia and Georgia. Volunteering also made her realise how important it was spread the word about global health issues to her fellow medical students. She first became Assistant Treasurer of the 2007 General Assembly of the International Federation of Medical Student Associations (IFMSA), one of the largest student-organised meetings in the world. She was then elected President of Medsin-Oxford, the Oxford branch of the UK member of the IFMSA (International Federation of Medical Student Associations), and in that role helped Oxford win the bid to host the Medsin National Global Health Conference.

She writes: ‘Another more unexpected outcome of my volunteer work was learning to deal with issues of identity. My personal experience has underscored the need to promote diversity and understanding among people of different cultures.’

Xin Hui was able to do so first as President of the Malaysian & Singaporean Students’ Association (OUMSSA) and continues to do so as co-chairperson of the OUSU International Students’ Campaign, which organised the inaugural Oxford International Festival this year and will be distributing the first Oxford International Students’ Handbook in the summer.

As one of 12 regional winners, Xin Hui will receive a £1,000 prize. The ultimate winner of the UK International Student of the Year 2008 title will receive a £2,000 prize at the competition final, to be held in London in April.

Martin Davidson, Chief Executive of the British Council, said: ‘The British Council knows that international students make a huge contribution and commitment to life in the UK. ‘This competition provides a fantastic opportunity for them to earn some well-deserved public recognition for their achievements – a great chance for them to show the world what they’ve achieved while living and learning in the UK.’