Overseas Students' Page
Tutor: Ata Kaban
Office: UG32, SOCS
Tel: (+44) 121 414 2792,
A.Kaban [at] cs bham ac uk
News:
■ Welcome letter for new overseas students
■ English test for international students: Wednesday 6 Oct. 2010, 2pm; Vaughan Jeffries Lecture Theatre, Faculty of Education (Red R19 on the campus map)
■ Induction
meeting for new overseas students: Wednesday
6 October, 2010, 4.30-5.30pm; UG40, Computer Science School (Yellow
Y9 on the
campus map)
■
English
for International Students - free courses and other useful
information.
■ Regularly check the International Students' Newsletter at the International Relations Office web page.
■ A trip for new overseas students: To be scheduled on a Saturday towards the end of Oct. or the beginning of Nov.
Dear students,
Welcome to join the School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham! As the International Students Tutor, I am happy to assist you in sorting out problems/difficulties you may encounter while studying at the School of Computer Science. If you would like to see me in person, please come during my office hour for overseas students on Wednesdays 1-2pm, or make an appointment with me by sending an email to A.Kaban@cs.bham.ac.uk. In my absence, please arrange a meeting with your programme director.
There is an additional mentoring system organized by our student society. This should help you to get settled smoothly in your new environment.
Feel free to make use of the University's International Relations Office. Especially, note that their International Student Advisory Service (ISAS) provides free advice and information to international students, researchers and their families.
Please read carefully the important information and bookmark the useful links below.
For new undergraduate students, there is an induction week that usually takes place in the first week of the first semester each new academic year. For the induction week this year, please see the Timetable.
According to university regulations, all overseas students (whose first language is not English) must take an English Language Test organized by the English for International Students Unit (EISU). The test will be usually held on the first Wednesday of semester I. If this is not convenient for you, please arrange with EISU to take the test on any weekday.
The purpose of this assessment test is to identify international students who would benefit from the free support provided by EISU. For example, some students with fluent spoken English may still require advice on how to write academic essays.
Results are sent individually by email together with a copy of the Free English Courses timetable. Students getting a score of 65% or below are requested to to consult the EISU for individual advice and information about ways in which they can improve their English.
Throughout your study, make use of a special service provided by the EISU: free individual help in any aspects of written/spoken English. These 30 minute sessions are particularly useful when writing dissertations or reports.
In general, you are supposed to discuss all ordinary (academic) matters with your academic advisor, academic program managers and/or project coordinators. Specific concerns on specific modules should be addressed to the lecturer concerned. Information about the relevant staff members and their responsibilities can be found at Information for Students.
It is very important to register with a general practitioner (GP), which provides you with the National Health Service (NHS) while staying in the UK. Please visit The University Medical Practice for detailed information.
In case of a visa problem, please visit International Relations Office located in the first floor of Aston Webb Building. They also provide visa application/extension forms. Click here to see their contact information. In addition, their web page also provides a lot of useful information about medical practice, life in the UK etc.
Some overseas students need to
register with the police. In such cases your visa should clearly
state that you need to have such a registration. The address of the
police registration office in West Midlands is:
West Midlands
Police Headquarters
Lloyd House
Colmore Circus, Queensway,
Birmingham, B4 6NQ
Phone: 0845 113 5000
The address of the local home office
is:
Solihull Home Office
Birmingham Public Inquiry Office
Dominion Court, 41 Sation Road, Solihull Birmingham B91 3RT.
There is a special mail-list for international students at the University of Birmingham. If you would like to join in, then
· send email to majordomo@bham.ac.uk (leave the subject blank), and have ``subscribe interlink'' in the body of the message.
We traditionally offer our new overseas students a trip to an interesting place with a flavour of local history and culture. The school will provide transportation, entry tickets and lunch boxes. This trip will be scheduled on a Saturday near the end of Oct. or the beginning of Nov. More information will be released soon.
You should be able to sign up for the trip at the induction meeting for new overseas students.
In past years, we visited the Black Country Living museum. Check here to see photos of this trip.
·
International
Relations Office. Detailed information on applications, UK,
finance/fees, scholarships, accommodation, English language, Welfare,
induction courses, pre-arrival information, university staff etc.
·
Information
for Current International Students. FAQs on immigration, finance,
work, healthcare, childcare and schooling.
·
English
for International Students Unit. Detailed information on English
courses offered by the unit.
· Home
Office Immigration & Nationality Department. Information on
how to apply for/extend visa etc.
· Work
Permit UK. In order to work in the U.K., non-European Economic
Area nationals must have a work permit.
· West
Midlands Police. Their overseas office address and related
information on registration.
·
Birimingham
City Council. Plenty of useful local information.
·
International
Students House. Housing service outside the University housing
service.
·
Central
Lettings and Sales. Local housing service outside the University
housing service.
· Association of Residential Letting Agents. Local housing service outside the University housing service.
Special thanks go to Dr. Peter Tino and Dr Guilin Wang, the former International Students Tutors. This webpage is mainly adapted from a similar one maintained by Peter.
It is my pleasure to get your feedback on this webpage so that more useful information or links for our overseas students can be added.