Published: 20 November 2025
The University of Sunderland in London was celebrating last night at the UKCISA’s #WeAreInternational Awards 2025, where it won the prize for Outstanding Student Support Award (Making a Home in the UK).
The prize was awarded by the UK Council for International Student Affairs (UKCISA) at its inaugural annual ceremony, held at the Bloomsbury Ballroom in Central London, with UoSiL staff joined by hundreds of other guests from educational institutions across the UK.
The award, for UoSiL’s international student support team, recognised the innovative and comprehensive support programme for its 1,500 plus Nepali student community.
The programme has led to students being supported, empowered, and engaged with university life – and, most importantly of all, feeling at home in the UK.
Winning the award saw UoSiL succeed against five other institutions competing for the prize.
Celebrating with colleagues at the awards, Lynsey Bendon, Deputy Director (Operations), said: “Winning this Outstanding Student Support Award is a fantastic achievement for the university. It showcases the positive impact of UoSiL colleagues working on international student support.”
“Congratulations to the other award winners and thank you to everyone at UKCISA for such a wonderful occasion.”
Suraj Achraya, Students’ Union President, said: “Congratulations to the university on this well-deserved award. I have seen, first-hand, how this support programme has led to a profound cultural shift on campus, with Nepali students truly engaged with UK life and the broader student community.”
The UKCISA Award caps off a groundbreaking year for the University of Sunderland in London, based near Canary Wharf. Earlier this year the university opened its brand-new campus and last month celebrated its 30,000th student enrolment since opening in 2012.
The #WeAreInternational Awards 2025 recognised international students and everyone who supports them across the UK, shining a light on excellence in leadership, innovation, and community impact.
