Edinburgh College celebrates as Panamanian students graduate from bespoke English language programme
Edinburgh College recently celebrated as the first cohort of Panama IFARHU scholarship programme students graduated from a bespoke English Language Development programme in November 2022.
The graduation event, which took place at Sighthill Campus, was a culmination of eight months of hard work and enjoyment for the students, as they return to Panama with improved English language skills and certification to support their ambitions for further study and career development.
At the graduation event, the 25 students from Panama were joined by their homestay host families and members of the College’s English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and International teams to celebrate their achievements. Certificates were presented by Sarah Gore, International Business Manager and Sarah Donno, Head of School for ESOL. As part of the event, students presented songs, dances and artwork created by the group, and inspired by their time living and studying in Edinburgh.
This ongoing project, funded by the Panamanian government, provides students from across the country with the opportunity to study languages intensively, in immersive environments in countries including the UK, USA, Germany and Italy. While at Edinburgh College, students study from home for two months online, before travelling to Edinburgh for a six-month programme including homestay accommodation and a rich social and cultural programme. The first cohort joined the College’s ESOL and Summer School programmes, with opportunities to meet and study alongside international students from around the world.
Students also took full advantage of the excellent opportunities for travel from their base in Edinburgh, with group and independent visits to the Highlands, Glasgow, St Andrews, London, as well as Dublin, Paris, Barcelona, Rome, Amsterdam and Madrid. The students also got a taste for traditional Scottish culture at ceilidhs, and experienced one of Edinburgh’s cultural highlights, Edinburgh Festival Fringe – the largest arts festival in the world.
Edinburgh College looks forward to welcoming the next cohort of IFARHU scholarship students from Panama to start their programme in early 2023.
“We were delighted to welcome this first cohort of students from the Panama IFARHU scholarship programme to Edinburgh College this year, to continue our longstanding partnership with Panama. The students have demonstrated commitment and dedication to their studies, and have taken every opportunity to immerse themselves in Scottish and UK culture during their time here. As we bid farewell to this group, I’d like to say a special thank you to our wonderful homestay host families, for providing such incredible support and a home-from-home experience for our international students. We wish our Panamanian graduates every success and happiness in their future studies and careers.”Sarah Gore, International Business Manager