UOB | RanaKarimi

Project Overview

This project applies experience mapping (traditionally used in customer service) to the higher education sector. It evaluates the "belongingness" of international postgraduate students at the University of Buckingham across four pivotal lifecycle stages: Application, Academic, Campus, and Graduation.

Project Solutions

The research proposes a holistic support ecosystem that includes:

Streamlined, transparent administrative communication.
Targeted postgraduate social programming (moving beyond "undergraduate party culture").
Enhanced post-graduation career-pathing and alumni integration.

Project Problem

International students face a "belonging gap" caused by cultural, social, and academic transitions. While universities often focus on academic output, the lack of emotional connection and support in non-academic touchpoints leads to decreased engagement and higher dropout risks.

Method: We applied the Double Diamond framework, focusing on Discover, Define, and Develop phases.The Deliver/implementation phase was out of scope.”

Tools: Student Journey Map: Tracking emotional highs and lows across four stages. Semi-structured Interviews: Deep-dive sessions with 11 participants (6 male, 5 female). Thematic Analysis: Using "Sticky Notes" and color-coding to identify recurring patterns.

Discover

By conducting 11 in-depth interviews and mapping the emotional trajectories of both students and graduates, I was able to pinpoint the critical friction points and catalysts for their sense of belonging:

Based on the data analysis from the interviews, four primary themes were identified that form the foundation of a student's sense of belonging. Below is a breakdown of these themes:

1. Communication

This is the most frequent theme across the entire journey.

Speed and Ease: Rapid responses from the Admissions department created an immediate positive impression.
Personalisation: In the academic stage, being known by name by lecturers was a critical driver of belonging.
Engagement: Interaction in the classroom and through digital channels (like LinkedIn or newsletters) helps maintain the connection after graduation.

2. Support

Support is identified as a fundamental emotional and practical need.

Academic Support: Empathetic and supportive behavior from professors significantly impacts academic commitment.
Administrative Flexibility: Helping students with visa delays or enrollment extensions fosters a sense that the university "cares".
Career Support: For postgraduates, support from the career department is a primary factor for recommending the university.

3. Accessibility

This theme focuses on the physical and digital infrastructure of the university.

Physical Facilities: 24/7 access to the Business School and the beauty/safety of the green campus areas were major highlights.
Extracurricular Access: A lack of diverse activities (other than parties) for postgraduates was a significant barrier to belonging.
Resource Availability: Slow maintenance or lack of food services during weekends negatively impacted the student experience.

4. Familiarity

Familiarity relates to the student's comfort level with the environment and system.

Academic Transition: Students struggle with belonging until they understand the Western education style, critical thinking, and essay structures.
Pre-arrival Familiarity: Webinars and orientation programs help "humanise" the university before the student even arrives.
Cultural Adaptation: Cultural differences and language barriers often hinder the achievement of a full sense of belonging.

Define

Strategic Insights

The "Safety First" Insight: Failure in Safety Needs (e.g., unresolved accommodation theft or maintenance issues) can cause a 50–100% drop in belongingness, regardless of academic success, as it violates the base of Maslow’s Hierarchy.
The "Mentorship" Insight: In Western systems, professors are mentors; for international students, they are often seen as "authorities." This mismatch creates a "detachment" that hinders belonging.
The "Postgrad Invisible" Insight: Most campus social life is designed for younger undergraduates. Postgraduates feel "alone" because extracurriculars don't match their maturity or professional goals.

Problem & Opportunity Statements

Stage: Application & Campus Support

Problem Statement: International students feel like "customers" during the application but feel "abandoned" when basic living needs (hot water, security) are ignored by campus services.
Opportunity Statement: How might we transition the "high-touch" responsiveness of the Admissions team into the Housing and Maintenance teams to ensure a consistent sense of being "cared for" throughout the residency?

Stage: Academic & Social Integration

Problem Statement: While students value the intimacy of small classes, they struggle with the "unfamiliar social norms" of Western critical thinking, leading to early-semester isolation.
Opportunity Statement: How might we design "bridging workshops" that gamify the transition from rote memorisation to critical thinking, while creating social "study-buddy" pairs between domestic and international students?

Stage: Post-Graduation Engagement

Problem Statement: Graduation ceremonies often ignore the cultural/religious calendars (like Ramadan) of the very international students they aim to celebrate, turning a "proud" moment into an "uncomfortable" one.
Opportunity Statement: How might we use data-driven scheduling to design "Culturally Inclusive Commencements" that maximise family attendance and solidify long-term alumni loyalty?

Develop

Strategic Solutions: The Global Belonging Framework

Based on the identified pain points, I propose a three-pillar Global Belonging Support Framework (GBSF).

Pillar 1: Proactive & Culturally Responsive Advising

Bridging the "Authority Gap": Training for faculty to transition from "knowledge authorities" to "mentors". This includes workshops on "Critical Thinking for International Students" to ease the transition from rote-learning systems.
Cultural Competency Training: Mandatory training for non-academic staff (Housing, Maintenance, Security) to improve empathy and communication with diverse cohorts.

Pillar 2: Community & Peer Support Ecosystems

Postgraduate "Logic" in Social Design: Moving away from party-centric events to design professional networking, "Global Kitchen" cultural exchanges, and sports-based social integration.
Peer Mentorship: Pairing new international postgraduates with established "Student Ambassadors" to navigate the "hidden curriculum" of UK living and education.

Pillar 3: Data-Driven Lifecycle Management

Culturally Inclusive Scheduling: Auditing the academic and ceremonial calendar to avoid conflicts with major cultural or religious observances like Ramadan.
Unified Support Dashboards: Using student engagement data to spot "at-risk" students early—specifically those who stop interacting with non-academic campus services.

Anticipated Impact & Results

Improving the "Belongingness Arc" isn't just a social goal; it's a financial and reputational imperative.

Reputational Results

Higher Global Rankings: Quality of student experience and "Safety Infrastructure" are primary factors in institutional reputation and global ranking metrics.
Alumni Advocacy: High belongingness converts graduates into "Brand Ambassadors," improving the university’s reputation in their home countries.

Economic & Operational Impact

Increased Retention: Improving sense of belonging can reduce student withdrawal rates by up to 10 percentage points.
Revenue Stability: International students are an "economic lifeline". Every retained student protects approximately £37,000+ in total economic impact (fees + local spending) per year.
Conversion Lift: Personalised, supportive student journeys have been proven to increase enrolment funnel conversions by up to 11% year-on-year.