international | International Office Blog

Happy Hanukkah featuring the Menorah and the Star of David

Hanukkah 2025: Traditions, meaning and ways to celebrate

The 8-day Jewish holiday known as Hanukkah falls on the evening of 14 December 2025 and ends on 22 December 2025. This holiday is an opportunity for the Jewish community to reflect on the past year and participate in traditional foods, games and gifting. What is Hanukkah? Hanukkah (or Chanukah) means ‘dedication’ in Hebrew and is an eight day long celebration, usually falling between late November and December. It’s a holiday celebrated by the…

Happy Thanksgiving from the university of brighton infant of a green and white plaid backround,with pumpkins and leaves

Thanksgiving 2025: How to celebrate the American holiday while in the UK

Bringing some pumpkin-spiced warmth to the November chill by celebrating friends, family and gratitude during the American holiday. Thanksgiving falls on the fourth Thursday in November every year, and this year is on Thursday 27 November. What is Thanksgiving? Thanksgiving is a national holiday, celebrated primarily in the United States. Often commemorated with a large feast, the iconic…

Group of students taking a selfie with a phone while on Brighton Palace Pier

Celebrating International Students’ Day at the University of Brighton

International Students’ Day is an annual celebration on 17 November that honours our global student community in higher education. This year we’ll be sharing some of our international student stories on our social media channels, and current students will be marking the day on campus with our International Student Advice team. The history of International…

Welcoming the Iraqi Cultural Counsellor to the University of Brighton

The University of Brighton was delighted to welcome Professor Kossay Al-Ahmady, Cultural Counsellor of the Republic of Iraq, to our Moulsecoomb campus. Hosted by Professor Rusi Jaspal, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange), the visit included conversations about collaboration, a tour of our facilities, and time for speaking to some of our current Iraqi students….

Day of the Dead title surrounded by colourful flowers and skulls with text in the centre.

Day of the Dead 2025: How to celebrate life and honor loved ones

2 November marks the start of one of the most celebrated and treasured traditions in Central and South America. Day of the dead is a three-day long celebration that brings love, light and joy to a concept that is often surrounded in sadness. It is said that Mexico’s outlook on the passing of loved ones…

Happy Diwali colourful blog image with floral elements and candles

Celebrate the festival of lights for Diwali 2025!

This year, the celebration of Diwali will begin on 20 October 2025 and last for five days. Diwali, also known as Deepawali, is a festival celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists. What is Diwali? Diwali, or the festival of light, is an important religious holiday. Originating from India, Diwali is named ‘row of…

Shola from Nigeria shares his experience studying pharmacy at Brighton

Shola Alabi reflects on his time studying at postgraduate level in the UK. A recent graduate from our Pharmacy (OSPAP) PGDip course, Shola shares why he chose to study at the University of Brighton and how the course has influenced his future career ambitions. Shola shares what parts of his course he most enjoyed, how…

New international students on Brighton Palace Pier for orientation

Inside the University of Brighton’s international orientation programme

We welcomed our newest cohort of international students to Brighton last week for our international orientation programme. What is international orientation? At the University of Brighton, starting your journey isn’t just about gaining a degree – it’s about feeling at home in a new country and building a community. For new international students our International…

The holiest day in Judaism, Yom Kippur

The tenth day of the Tishri lunar month marks the start of the Jewish religious holiday, Yom Kippur. This year Yom Kippur will be celebrated from sunset on Wednesday 1 October and ends the following evening on Thursday 2 October 2025. Yom Kippur falls ten days after the start of Rosh Hashanah, which is the…

Brighton student wins global prize with AI-powered platform which predicts injuries for elite athletes

Abdulmalik Alshamari, an international student from the Middle East, has won a global prize for his AI tool that predicts sports injuries and could transform how sports clubs manage player health. Abdulmalik Alshamari, a first-year Software Engineering student, developed Champions Hub, a web-based platform that uses open-access player data and a custom-built algorithm to predict injury risks with over…