A new student-led program at the University of Melbourne is helping foster friendships and cultural connections between international students and older Melburnians.
As an international student at the University of Melbourne and a board member of the North and West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre (NWMNC), Peiqi (Kevin) Shi understood the unique social barriers and cultural adjustment challenges these two cohorts face.
After identifying similar experiences of loneliness and isolation amongst seniors and international students, Kevin came up with a way to connect these two often overlooked groups.
He teamed up with fellow international students Nava Lok and Arnav Goyal, migration and student wellbeing experts from the University of Melbourne, Dr Ash Alam and Dr James Thompson, and the local neighbourhood centre to develop the "Being a Melburnian" program.
The inclusive initiative is aimed at easing foreign students' transition into Melbourne life, while offering seniors an opportunity to engage with their community by sharing their valuable life experiences and knowledge.
During the pilot program in 2025, 42 international students and 28 seniors participated in a series of activities celebrating Australian culture such as attending an AFLW match, exploring Melbourne's coffee scene and de-coding Aussie colloquialisms and accents.
The six sessions were designed to strengthen participants' sense of belonging, bridge cultures, improve confidence and reduce loneliness by creating intercultural support circles.
"International students often struggle to build social support networks and participate in community life due to language barriers, limited confidence and a lack of awareness of local networks," said Kevin.
"Engaging with older Melburnians in one-on-one conversations and small group settings facilitated meaningful cultural exchanges, grounded in mutual respect. The student feedback was extremely positive, with many describing how the program helped them feel more at home in Melbourne."
Dr Ash Alam said: "Older Australians are at heightened risk of loneliness due to life transitions in later years such as retirement, bereavement, and declining health, all of which can contribute to social isolation.
"The Being a Melburnian program is also designed to help senior citizens recognise the immense value in sharing their wisdom with the next generation. The program created lasting friendships, with participants continuing to meet up socially even after the sessions had wrapped up."
University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) Professor Gregor Kennedy praised the program.
"This initiative shows how our international students not only enrich our campus and campus life, but it also shows how they contribute beyond the University, connecting in meaningful and beneficial ways within our communities," Professor Kennedy said.
"This is such an important role of our Universities; academic staff and students working together and engaging with local communities for everyone's benefit."
The 2025 program received $20,000 in funding from the University of Melbourne Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) Grant Program, which supports projects that enrich campus life and strengthen community connection.
The City of Melbourne has now injected $121,930 to fund the Being a Melburnian program for another two years (July 2026 – June 2028).
The program will be delivered by North & West Melbourne Neighbourhood Centre in August and September this year and is open to international students from all tertiary institutions across the local government area.
