"Here I feel accepted and I don't have to change who I am"
The University of Surrey is a vibrant multi-cultural community, where every individual is respected for all they bring to University life. Our Proud to be Surrey campaign shines the spotlight on some of our brilliant staff and students who make Surrey such a diverse and welcoming place to work and study.
Our Stag Hill campus is home to the Roundhouse – the Centre for Religious Life and Belief – and a team of Chaplains from eight faiths and the humanist tradition. The University Chaplaincy exists to support the faith and belief of our students and to listen to personal issues, questions of personal identity and faith and to offer bereavement support.
We spoke to students from Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu and Sikh communities about what makes them proud to be part of the Surrey community.
Katalin
Katalin Koltai is a PhD student and professional musician from Hungary. She moved to Surrey with her family to study under the supervision of Professor Steve Goss, Professor of Composition in the Department of Music and Media and Director of Surrey’s world-leading International Guitar Research Centre.
“I have had so many opportunities to break out and make international connections to the guitar world,” says Katalin. “Through my research I was able to give lectures at big international conferences such as the Guitar Foundation of America and the American Musical Instrument Society in Canada.”
Katalin’s ground-breaking research has seen her invent a new type of guitar, the Ligeti Guitar, which has paved the way for a new genre of music on the instrument.
“My research is about stretching the boundaries of the guitar idiom; what is possible on the guitar concerning its language,” she explains. “I invented a new type of guitar which has a magnetic capo and a magnetic fret board and I am able to play musical textures and structures which have never been possible on the guitar before because [now] I can reach notes which are so far off each other no one could ever reach them by hand.
“I named the guitar after one of the most famous Hungarian composers György Ligeti because much of my inspiration came from his music and the whole immersion wouldn’t have happened without loving his music and wanting to play.”
Katalin’s grandfather Vilmos Klein escaped from a labour camp during the Holocaust. Katalin shared his story as part of our commemoration of Holocaust Memorial Day 2023.
Of her Jewish faith, Katalin, says: “I believe I have quite a strong Jewish identity, which comes from my grandfather, who lived in Tel Aviv. I only had the opportunity to meet him a few times but we stayed in Israel for a month when I was nine and this visit completely changed my identity.
"He shared something with me that had a lifelong impact, not only on my identity but my journey in music. Later as a teenager I started to visit different synagogues. Now in Surrey, it is the first time that I have belonged to a Jewish community.
I always felt like an outcast, but here I feel accepted and I don’t have to change who I am.”
Toby
Oluwatobi (Toby) Folasade Balogun is an MBA student from Lagos, Nigeria.
“It’s been an experience coming to Guildford all the way from Nigeria and experiencing the diverse cultures, people, and the environment,” says Toby, who joined her local Redeemed Christian Church of God when she arrived at Surrey. "Lagos is quite noisy so it’s a breath of fresh air being here.
“I applied to schools in America, in Canada, but my friend referred me to Surrey – his brother-in-law had just graduated from here. I’d never heard of Surrey but it’s such a vibrant community really close to London, I just felt comfortable here.
“I’ve never been part of such a large and diverse community. I love how the various cultures and people from different origins do different stuff and invite other people. The community makes me proud to be Surrey, because no man is an island, and you can’t do things on your own (especially in a foreign land).
“I’m looking forward to when I become an alumna so I can do more things and be more impactful, within the UK and back home in Nigeria and refer more people to come here and do incredible things.”
Mohan
Hindu Mohan Kumar graduated in April with a Masters in Business Analytics and is now working in London. During his time at Surrey he regularly shared his experiences on his YouTube channel.
“Surrey is a happening place,” says Mohan, who is originally from Chennai, India. “There are so many events, and when you are feeling homesick or missing your family and friends that phase passes quickly [because] there is such a strong student community.
“I get a lot of queries from students back in India asking about Surrey and I say, ‘You won’t feel lonely at all, there are so many different societies and cultures and everyone is really friendly and that’s one thing I love about Surrey – I recommend it to everyone!”
Kiran
Kiran Kaur Johal is studying Criminology and Sociology and despite her university education being affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, has a positive view of her Surrey experience.
“I started at Surrey in 2019 so only had first year in person for half the year before everything went online,” says Kiran, who is part of the University's Sikh student society. “When you sign up to go to uni you expect it to be in person not online, but in my second year the University organised different events and activities outdoors in the Marquee; I know a lot of other universities didn’t do that.
“Being part of Surrey has definitely made me more independent, organised and persistent in terms of achieving my goals.
"Everyone is very welcoming and everyone is willing to help each other achieve what they want to achieve, or if you are struggling in that aspect you know you can always reach out to someone and they will help you. The campus is so beautiful; it’s nice to be around here, the area is so nice. I’ve never had a bad experience in Guildford or at Surrey.”
“At Surrey there are over 2,000 Muslims on campus. We have a vibrant Islamic Society which we hold throughout the year such as Charity Week, Discover Islam week and Welcome Week. Throughout the year we also hold events such as Ramadan and Eid, and also Friday prayers on campus. I love the sense of community and belonging here.”
“Surrey really exemplifies the ethos of acceptance. I haven’t met a soul who has had any negative emotions towards me or anyone else. The lecturers are outstanding, my course is outstanding, the campus is beautiful and personally I think this university is amazing.”
Before coming to Surrey I looked it up on social media. I found a lot of societies and a lot of wellbeing and student support which made me choose to study here. Surrey feels like a home away from home. My course, my teachers, my professors, all the student support and such a beautiful campus makes me truly proud to be part of this community.”
“I am proud to be part of the Surrey family. There is a variety of different people here on campus and there are so many different types of societies – there is a society for everyone. The University gives us a lot of freedom and after the pandemic everything is going back to normal and bringing everyone back together. I am blessed to have made friends here that feel like family and it makes me proud to be part of this community.”
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