BRISTOL SOCIALS: Alumni taking part in the Bristol Voices programme gather for a social event.

Credit: University of Bristol

Challenge: How can universities support students who are moving somewhere new to study? 

Solution: At the University of Bristol, U.K., the solution was to create Bristol Voices, a programme matching international students with local alumni to create a buddy system. The initiative was a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, when many international students were unable to go home. As restrictions were lifted, alumni volunteers were encouraged to meet their students in person and show them around Bristol.

“We want our international students to be able to engage with our local community, our alumni, and feel supported at the university,” said Sarah Price, Alumni Engagement Officer. 

Aligning with the university’s goals, including “harness[ing] the transformative power of the global civic university,” Bristol created Global Voices in 2024. This programme pairs students studying abroad with alumni volunteers at their destination. Price noted that the university team thought it would also be a nice opportunity to engage with international alumni. 

While matches for both programmes are primarily based on geography, for Bristol Voices they are also based on interest, as alumni volunteers should already be located close to Bristol. On the application, student requests include an alumni buddy who has the same experience with neurodivergence, is queer, or is the same gender.

Advancement Matters: Since 2020, Bristol Voices has matched 440 students with 203 alumni volunteers. Sixty percent of the alumni have been first-time volunteers, with 40% having volunteered before (mainly for the mentoring programme). About 20% of the new volunteers have gone on to volunteer again. Price shared that the alumni volunteers noted that the programme gave them the chance to show their favorite parts of Bristol to a younger generation and to meet people from different cultures.

Global Voices has paired 106 students with 101 alumni volunteers since its start in 2024, with 75% of the alumni engaging with the university for the first time. Price noted that there are fewer options for engagement with international alumni as there aren’t as many events happening in other countries, so Global Voices provided a lovely opportunity. She highlighted the emails from alumni that “remind you that the alumni are out there, that they do want to hear updates from the university, [and] they enjoy hearing our news.” In 2025, while matching students studying abroad in the United States with alumni volunteers, she received messages from alumni stating that they had been international students, and that they wanted students to have the same opportunity.

Transforming Lives: The Bristol Voices programme aims to boost international students’ sense of belonging. Price highlighted a story from Sizun Cho, a student from Korea, who was paired with Jill White, who was in her early 80s, in 2025. Cho shared that Jill became family to him during the exchange period, adding that he was looking forward to reaching out when he’s back in Korea. Another student mentioned that their buddy was a “moment of relief and joy amid the chaos of the university schedule.” Eighty-five percent of the students surveyed shared that the initiative helped them feel less daunted by their experience. 

Price highlighted that of the 2025 cohort of Global Voices, just over 50% of the students surveyed reported that taking part in the initiative made them feel less daunted by the study abroad experience, and that almost 50% felt they had made contacts they wouldn’t have met outside of it.