4. WIHEA and Masterclasses: WISE and the International Student Experience

In this episode of Inside WIHEA, ⁠Tom Ritchie⁠ speaks to Sam Wilson-Thain (Director of Student Experience, School of Life Sciences), Echo Zhou (Deputy Director of Student Experience), and Tom Greenway (Intercultural Training Programme Development Consultant) about WISE, the Warwick International Student Experience project.WISE began as a departmental pilot in the School of Life Sciences and Warwick Medical School, co-led with Emily Róisín Reid, before scaling into a full WIHEA masterclass. The project challenges the assumption that international students are a homogenous group. With over 145 nationalities represented at Warwick, the team explores what it takes to understand students as individuals, their backgrounds, their transitions, and their unspoken expectations, and how staff can be better equipped to respond.The conversation covers how international student ambassadors shaped the masterclass content from the inside, surfacing real mismatches between staff assumptions and student experience. The team reflects on the thinking behind a train-the-trainer model designed to embed change sustainably across the institution, alongside the co-produced staff toolkit that underpins it.The episode also explores what meaningful co-creation actually looks like in practice, including the question of whether students should be paid for the work we ask them to do, and what it means to move from equity as a principle to equity in action.Inside WIHEAExploring educational excellence through genuine collaboration between staff and students.A University of Warwick WIHEA PodcastThis podcast series was developed by Dr Tom Ritchie in partnership with the ⁠⁠⁠Warwick International Higher Education Academy (WIHEA)⁠⁠⁠. WIHEA is the UK's first institutional academy dedicated to advancing learning and teaching excellence through meaningful partnerships between educators and students, all united by their commitment to 'Learning Beyond Boundaries.'This podcast is designed to take listeners behind the scenes of WIHEA's transformative work, sharing the stories, strategies, and successes that are reshaping higher education. We want to showcase the collaborative innovation happening at the University of Warwick to inspire educators, students, and institutions worldwide.Join each month for in-depth conversations with WIHEA Fellows, alumni, and partners as we explore:Learning Beyond Boundaries: How cross-disciplinary collaboration enhances student opportunities. Innovative Pedagogies: From compassionate teaching to AI-enhanced education. Partnership in Practice: Real stories of staff-student collaboration and co-creation. Global Connections: How WIHEA's work influences higher education internationally.If you want to join the podcast as a guest or learn more about WIHEA, contact ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠.