Brad Hodge

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Brad is one of the Regional Managers at Edge Hill University's International Office based in their campus in Ormskirk, Lancashire. His role takes him to both South East Asia and the USA to talk to students about the Study Abroad opportunities that Edge Hill offers.

What is your favorite travel memory?

There are so many to choose from, such as road tripping down the Pacific Coast Highway in California to sailing overnight on a houseboat in Kerala, India. But the one which comes to mind is making my way to the top of Victoria Peak in Hong Kong and taking in views of the city; from up there it was simply incredible.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I am incredibly lucky in that my role enables me to travel to different countries and I've definitely had my eyes opened up to how big the world actually is and how much more of it I still need to see.

Talking to International students and hearing how they have the passion to study abroad, even when they have never been out of their hometowns really puts it into perspective that these students are the future generation that are going to make a difference in the world.

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

We run the 'Global Friends' program for incoming International students to help their integration to UK student life and it's great to see these students and our own UK students form such close friendships.

In some instances, these friendships have resulted in our Edge Hill University student going to study at the International students home institution. More recently, I saw that two students who met through the Global Friends program were traveling together through California. Seeing these lasting friendships form is very rewarding.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

Without sounding too biased, I think if I was an International student I would be keen to join the Study Abroad program at Edge Hill. Not only do students have a wide range of subjects and modules to choose from, but Edge Hill is very close to the city of Liverpool and its airport, which offers inexpensive flights across Europe that suit most student budgets.

So it is incredibly easy to visit other countries during your free time and see more of the world, Amsterdam, Dublin, Paris, and Brussels are all under a 90-minute flight away from Liverpool.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

The level of support our International students receive really sets us apart from other Universities. We strive to make International students feel integrated and welcome from the moment they arrive at the airport with a meet and greet collection service, an orientation week then follows including a welcome event, campus and Liverpool tours and social activities to help meet other students.

Each month there is a free UK trip or event for International students, so we make it easy to see around the UK even if you are on a budget.

How hard the International Office work to support and ensure that our students have the best time was put into perspective recently when we were shortlisted at the WhatUni Student choice awards for best International University.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

I believe communication is the biggest key factor for a company to be successful. Edge Hill provides International students with information in advance on things like module choices, their orientation activities, accommodation, the local area and of course the University facilities.

This helps us ensure that students are well informed and prepared before they arrive which allows the team to concentrate on we what we do best, providing the students with an amazing study abroad experience.