Please note: Images in this article were taken before current COVID-19 safety measures were in place.
If you want to bring people together, you can’t go wrong with a friendly game of sport.
In that spirit, a diverse team from Victoria Police recently took to the field against international students from La Trobe and Swinburne universities in a soccer game at Melbourne City Football Club (MCFC) in Bundoora, to strengthen lines of communication and foster relations.
Hosted by City in the Community, the charity arm of MCFC, the aim was to show international students - many of whom are away from their native home for the first time - that our police force is approachable and puts a high priority on student safety and social inclusion.
And it also kicked off the latest wellbeing projects funded via the Victorian Government's International Student Welfare Program to help tackle issues facing international students.
With pro-active initiatives such as soccer friendlies and wellbeing support, it’s no surprise Melbourne ranks as the third best student city in the world, two spots up from last year’s ranking, leapfrogging Paris and Montreal.
Find out more about the International Student Welfare Program, a Victorian Government initiative through Study Melbourne.
