Wales International Study Centre: access to world-class universities in Wales

Contact us for free advice

About Wales International Study Centre

(Left:) international students in a lecture, (right:) The Kegie Building - home of the Wales International Study Centre

Students from over the world come to study at the ISC. Meet some of them here:

Ismail Camkaya

Age: 19
Nationality: Turkish
Course: Science and Engineering Foundation

“When I arrived at the Wales ISC, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do at university. The staff here worked with me to find the right choice for me. I want to be an aircraft engineer, so I finally decided to study aeronautical engineering at Glamorgan University.  I am really happy with the choice I made.

Mitra Seirafi

Age: 19
Nationality: Iranian
Course: Science and Engineering Foundation

"I didn't really choose Wales; it chose me. I desperately wanted to do civil engineering at Cardiff University. To get into Cardiff, I had to attain very high grades on my Foundation course. Thankfully, I achieved high grades and I am now in my first year at Cardiff.  I also made a lot of friends at the Wales ISC and we are still I regular contact with each other."

Thanh Nguyen

Age: 19
Nationality: Vietnamese
Course: English Language Preparation

"I came to the ISC in September so have been in the UK for only two months. I'm studying English Language Preparation course and hope to study on the Business, Law & Social Studies Foundation course in January.

When I have finished my Foundation Year I would like to do a Business degree or maybe Mathematics. When I've finished University I will go back to my country and work in Vietnam but first I want to improve my English and do my Foundation Year before choosing which University in Wales I'd like to go to.

I chose Wales because it is beautiful here, it is also very quiet here which is better for study. I am always hearing and speaking English which is better for me to improve my English.

I like it here very much. I'm not homesick because there are many other international students at Newport and they are very helpful."

International student Thanh Nguyen from Vietnam
Pratik Deshmukh

Age: 22
Nationality: Indian
Course: Science and Engineering Foundation

Read Pratik's student blog

"I arrived from India and it is my first time here. It was a long journey. I come from a city called Pune near Mumbai. I flew from Mumbai to Frankfurt in Germany, to Bristol and then arrived here in Newport.

I didn't really choose Wales, it chose me. I want to do architecture but I needed to do a foundation course. Cardiff is one of the best Universities for architecture, so the Wales ISC was a great choice for me.

I am doing the Foundation Year course in Science and Engineering and then I want to do an architecture degree at Cardiff. My father is an architect and has a business in India so I have plans to study and work here and then work with him back in India. We already have a lot of offices in India so it would be good to have some abroad also.

There are not many Indians around here so I'm speaking a lot of English, and my friends are English, so it is good for picking up the vocabulary.

I socialise with my room-mates and my friends. There are regular nights out on Wednesdays and Fridays and people often have small parties in their accommodation. I am always meeting new people from different places. Each flat has four or five people in it so it is very easy to meet people from different countries, from different courses, and they have different ideas and views on everything so it is very interesting. It is very nice here - the environment is very good."

International student Pratik Deshmukh from India
Abdullah Ali

Age: 17
Nationality: Kuwaiti
Course: English Language Preparation

"I like it here. It is a wonderful place; good for study, very quiet and very beautiful. The people also are very friendly. This University is very good for students, they really look after the students.

My language, Arabic, is not here at all, so I have to use English. I like it because everyone is helping me understand much better.

I'm currently studying English Language Preparation and aftwards I want to do the Foundation Year in Science and Engineerinng.

When I have finished my foundation course I would like to take a degree in Fire and Safety Engineering. I like this because it is very important for my county, Kuwait. Because of all the oil and industry there, an Engineering degree will be very good for me when I go back home."

International student Abdullah Ali from Kuwait
Ping Chuan Sun

Age: 18
Nationality: Taiwanese
Course: Business Foundation

"I chose Wales because my Student Advisor told me about it and it sounded like a really great place to study and a nice place to stay. I came to the UK first in 2005 and I was studying English and then my GCSEs here.

I'm studying on the Business Foundation and when I finish I'd like to do a degree in Marketing if my Maths and Economics is good enough. After this I'd like to find a job here in the UK. 

There is a lot to do here, lots of activities, so it's a lot of fun. There is a great social life on Fridays and Saturdays, many bars, and parties in the accommodation. I have my own room, an en-suite room with my own bathroom, but I share a kitchen with many people and it is great to be living with them. They are very friendly.

The teachers are very friendly too, and very useful. Sometimes I don't know something and they will try to explain to me. They are useful, like a dictionary! My favourite teacher is our English teacher, Jane!"

International studentPing Chuan Sun from Taiwan
Khadijah Eniafe

Age: 20
Nationality: Nigerian
Course: Business, Law & Social Studies Foundation

"I have definitely grown academically from start to finish of my foundation course, all thanks to the wonderful staff at the Wales International Study Centre (WISC).  The conducive environment of the university and the friendly students boosted my confidence and my skills as a learner have soared.

My greatest help would be attending all my classes and completing assignments on time, I found out that whenever I did assignments and I came across them in exams, I always remembered what I wrote.

My words of wisdom for students hoping to, or studying at the WISC, are to always be confident and believe in your self. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and stay focused in your studies. Lastly, enjoy the city of Wales and have a wonderful and fruitful year at the centre, good luck!

Completing my foundation course at the WISC has projected me forward and prepared me for my future aspirations and present course, which is BA (Hons) Fashion Design. In addition, I was also given an opportunity, by the university to attend fashions shows in London during the duration of the foundation program."

Khadijah Eniafe

Maintained by Study Group working with WIC and University of Wales, Newport