UKCISA appoints six #WeAreInternational Student Ambassadors for 2026-27
December 10, 2025
UKCISA is pleased to announce the appointment of six new international students to our #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Programme, selected from 267 applications, representing 74 countries and regions, studying at 60 institutions in all four nations of the UK. The new Ambassadors will join the #WeAreInternational network of global future leaders using their knowledge and first-hand experience to shape a quality student experience.
The #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador Programme is UKCISA's education policy and leadership development scheme that has been running for six years. Student Ambassadors guide UKCISA’s work, speak at sector events, meet with policymakers and work with their institutions to centre the voices of international students and promote the #WeAreInternational Student Charter.
The 2026-27 student ambassadors are:
-
Aaina Mohapatra, University of Manchester, India
-
Amina Manal Zidi, University of the West of Scotland, Algeria
-
Navin Vinod Shirodkar, University of Sheffield, India
-
Saba Mohaved Nia, Queen Mary University of London, Iran
-
Serin Baek, University College London, South Korea
-
Taveesha (Tamie) Karunaratne, University of Bristol, Sri Lanka
We would like to thank the 30 judges on our expert education sector panel for their time in reviewing applications and interviewing candidates.
The new ambassadors will officially take up their posts in January 2026, joining the 2025-26 student ambassadors and the network of over 40 alumni.
Anne Marie Graham, Chief Executive, UKCISA said:
“During the application process, applicants told us that frequent policy changes are creating uncertainty for international students and leaving many feeling unwelcome in the UK. We also heard about all the work that they are doing to use their experiences to support others and change the systems and policies in their own institutions.
We look forward to working with them, as they guide our strategy and policy work at UKCISA, and use the #WeAreInternational Student Ambassador platform to champion change for international students across the UK.”
Work with our Ambassadors
Our student ambassadors share their stories, highlight issues affecting international students and advocate for policy change. In the past year, they have spoken at sector events, conferences, in the UK Houses of Parliament, on podcasts and written news articles and blogs. If you are interested in working with our #WeAreInternational Student Ambassadors, please email WeAreInternational@ukcisa.org.uk
