International students from UOW are working with Wollongong police on ways to get a key safety video to its target audience –their peers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The 14-minute Stay Safe in our State video is set in Wollongong and intended to show overseas visitors everything from how to identify a NSW Police officer, to safeguarding their belongings, to how to report a crime.
The question of how to best deliver the video to newly arrived or soon-to-arrive visitors remains.
For the past month, five UOW students have been turning their minds to the task, as part of the Global Scope program, which pairs international students with mentors from the business world to deliver business projects to real-world clients, including NSW Police.
This is the first time the program has been offered in a regional area.
UOW Master of engineering student Arivoli Mani, of India, presented the group’s ideas at Wollongong Police Station, Monday.
He proposes several strategies, including having overseas agents – those set up to connect international students with UOW – include the video in the forums they host with students and their parents, pre-departure.
“Many students who come to Australia go through agents,” he said.
“They usually come to a big seminar a couple of weeks before they [depart].
“I went to an agency and …. I went to both [its] seminars. They talk about safety, but the video content was much more clear – it was very easy for us to understand.”
Wollongong Police District Inspector Dave Parker has overseen the students’ progress and was there on Monday to see their final presentation.
“We gave them feedback on their proposal as they went along,” he said.
“It’s given us more of an insight into the international students and what they need from us.
“It was a really good program to be involved in.”