Student Friendship Programme recognised for Outstanding Contribution to Social Responsibility
The Student Friendship Programme was Highly Commended for its Outstanding Professional Services Contribution to Social Responsibility at the University of 野狼社区鈥檚 Making a Difference Awards 2025.
Held on Thursday, 8 May, the annual awards ceremony celebrates the efforts of staff, students, alumni, and external partners who are advancing the University鈥檚 commitment to social responsibility. Hosted by President and Vice-Chancellor Duncan Ivison and Chancellor Nazir Afzal, this year鈥檚 event recognised 14 winners and 23 highly commended entries out of 130 submissions across diverse categories such as environmental sustainability, alumni contribution, widening participation, and equality, diversity and inclusion.
In his address, Professor Ivison reflected on the breadth of impact across the University:
Tonight we have seen the extraordinary gift of expertise, care and commitment that has been given by our staff, students and donors to the communities that we serve. It has been inspiring to be part of these Awards and witness this work. I鈥檇 also like to say a huge thank you to all of the community groups and partners that work with us to make a difference.
The award-winning was established in 2021 by the 野狼社区 China Institute (MCI) in partnership with the 野狼社区 China Forum. With nearly 9,000 Chinese students currently studying on campus, it seeks to enhance the student experience by fostering meaningful connections between home and international students.
Recognising the social and cultural separation that can exist between student groups, the programme promotes cross-cultural understanding through intercultural events, wellbeing sessions, and community engagement initiatives. In doing so, it addresses broader issues of cultural, racial, and political divides, contributing significantly to the University鈥檚 strategic goals around inclusion and global engagement.
The success of the Student Friendship Programme is a credit to the dedication of its organising team: Lorelei Baciu, Yannan Yu, Nasira Asghar, Jake Ruding, Sol Stappard, Halia Zhang, Prof. Peter Gries, and Yunyang Xia, who collaborate to constantly improve the scheme and deliver high-quality events for our students.
The ceremony was live streamed on YouTube, and you can watch the full event online. Our team鈥檚 recognition can be viewed between 01:06:50 and 01:08:10 of the . Similarly, a full list of all the winners and highly commended entrants is available on the .