The auld grey toon of St Andrews, nestled along the North Sea, in rural Scotland, is not your typical model of a cosmopolitan intellectual hub, and yet its winding stone streets bustle with students from across the world. As simple a question as “where are you from?” draws lines over every continent, and I have made friends from places as far away as New Zealand and as close as Dundee. The University of St Andrews now tops the 2023 Guardian Universities Guide as the best university in the UK, and this is due in no small part to the diversity of both the student body and the curriculum. In a public email to students and staff, Principal and Vice-Chancellor Dame Sally Mapstone credits this success to “our strengths… as one community”. It is extraordinary that such a wide range of nationalities and backgrounds have converged in this small Scottish town to form this community, and the opportunities this brings are both academic and personal in nature.
From sitting in our kitchen at 3 am, debating the differences between the flavours of American vs. French sweets, to learning about the struggle to form a cultural identity while growing up and moving between different countries, meeting so many people from diverse backgrounds and cultures has opened my eyes to new perspectives on the world. I know that the friendships and connections I have made here will only enrich my own understanding of the diversity of the world, and the limitations of staying within one point of view.
University exposes students to different cultures and personalities all the time, and St Andrews is no different in that its diverse student body means that students must become more adaptable and open in order to connect with each other.
The international environment of St Andrews provides a milieu in which students are able to make these connections with different backgrounds and cultures, often discovering more about themselves in the process. Just take a look at the number of societies which cater to almost every interest, societies which allow you to explore the customs and cuisine of other cultures directly from people of that culture. I know that I always enjoy it when my friends cook me their childhood dishes, and it’s a great way to connect with them!
When we eventually leave the bubble, this type of ability to network and build lasting relationships through intercultural sharing is vital to both work and personal lives. By encouraging students to explore and develop different interests and perspectives, the cosmopolitan community in St Andrews helps to build critical thinking capacity and propose unexpected career opportunities and personal interests.