Food, music and games help bring students together at Christmas

The University of Huddersfield’s students have kept their spirits up during the Coronavirus pandemic by sharing what makes their home countries special with their fellow students, despite the distances enforced by COVID-19.

The International Office helped set up a myriad of online events during the UK’s first lockdown from the end of March, and with the festive season in the offing a selection of ‘greatest hits’ can be seen on the Facebook page all over again!

Cooking workshops, live DJ sets, gaming nights, quizzes, musical performances and even just chats allowing people to catch up and share their experiences were all features of the UoH Campus Events Facebook page in that first lockdown. Such was their success and popularity that more online events followed once term began in September, and so despite the pandemic forcing students apart over Christmas there will be a chance to come together over food, music and more.

And for those will be in Huddersfield over the festive period, there is also the ‘Winter in Huddersfield’ Facebook group. It will give students the chance to buddy up with each other for gaming, walks or shopping during the five-day period around Christmas when people can join together in extended bubbles.

I think that the pride our students have in the music, food and culture of their home countries has helped for a greater shared understanding of the countries represented at the University of Huddersfield - Alan Tobi, International Student Experience Manager

Highlights from the online get-togethers included:

• Cooking workshops on a range of cuisines including Thai, Cypriot, Polish, Indian, Italian, Chinese, Moroccan, Czech, and Lithuanian
• Singing and music recitals from the UK, Pakistan and Bangladesh
• An Egyptian DJ set

“Even in more normal circumstances, we would want our students to gain some great memories from their time in Huddersfield, but this year that has been even more important,” says Alan Tobi, International Student Experience Manager.

“The online events have really helped bring our students from the UK and around the world together in a way that’s not been possible in person because of these unprecedented circumstances. I think that the pride our students have in the music, food and culture of their home countries has helped for a greater shared understanding of the countries represented at the University of Huddersfield.

“We would always want both our international and UK-based cohort of students to be curious about where their fellow students come from, and the events we hosted during pandemic have certainly done that, so it’s nice to revisit some over the holiday period.

“We’d also like to encourage anyone remaining here over the break to join the ‘Winter in Huddersfield’ Facebook group, so we can help keep people together at especially important time of the year.”