This blog is the third in a series of four posts from the QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project, Supporting Staff to Enhance the International Student Experience. The project is led by De Montfort University in partnership with the University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, and the University of Wolverhampton.

Our recent workshop at Manchester Metropolitan University created a valuable opportunity to advance a core priority within the UK Quality Code: the continuous enhancement of learning, teaching and student support through staff development. Bringing together academic and professional services colleagues, the session enabled critical, cross-institutional dialogue on how we collectively support the international student experience.

A key strength of the workshop was its deliberate challenge to siloed working practices, which can often limit the effectiveness and coherence of institutional approaches to internationalisation. By fostering an inclusive, cross-functional space, the workshop aligned with QAA expectations around embedding a shared, institution-wide responsibility for student success, ensuring that expertise across roles is recognised, connected and mobilised.

Structured small-group discussions invited participants to reflect on current practices, with a particular focus on the support available to staff working with international students. This approach supported enhancement-led evaluation, enabling colleagues to identify both strengths and areas for development. Participants highlighted consistent challenges, including limited access to targeted professional development and the fragmentation of resources. Critically, these insights were framed as opportunities for enhancement, prompting consideration of how institutions can better equip staff with the knowledge, confidence and tools required to support diverse student cohorts effectively.

The workshop also foregrounded the importance of relational and inclusive pedagogical approaches, underpinned by an ethos of care. Colleagues reflected on the complex transitions experienced by international students, including linguistic, cultural and academic adjustment, and the implications for both learning and wellbeing. In this context, staff capability was understood not simply in terms of technical knowledge, but as encompassing intercultural awareness, inclusive practice and reflective engagement.

The principle that “every interaction matters”, reinforced by our Pro-Vice-Chancellor International, resonated strongly throughout the session. It underscored the role of all staff in shaping an inclusive student experience, aligning closely with QAA’s emphasis on creating equitable and supportive learning environments.

Importantly, the workshop has acted as a catalyst for sustained enhancement. The establishment of a Community of Practice focused on the international student experience provides an ongoing mechanism for peer learning, reflective practice and the continuous development of staff capability—ensuring that enhancement is embedded as an active, collective and evolving process.