We’re pleased to announce that the first seven Seren students who’ve travelled to Yale University’s US campus in New Haven have arrived and are settling in to their home for the next two weeks.

The students will spend the next two weeks sampling life at one of the world’s most prestigious academic institutions.

They’ll join more than 1,500 other students from 126 countries and 50 US states on Yale’s Young Global Scholars Programme as part a new scholarship opportunity made possible through the Seren Network.

While there, they’ll take part in a rigorous academic programme led by world-leading academics in one of six areas, including International Affairs & Security, Frontiers of Science & Technology and Politics, Law & Economics.

The summer school has been made available to Welsh students thanks to a scholarship from Yale Young Global Scholars, funding from Welsh Government through the Seren Network, and sponsorship from 10 Welsh organisations.

The partnership has been established to broaden the academic horizons of Welsh students, giving them a taste of university life in the States.

We’ll be hearing lots more from them over the next two weeks, but here’s a glance at your first cohort of Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS), and their Seren Network hub.

Cardiff Seren hub:
1. Yousuf Bakshi
2. Carys Bill

EAS hub
3. Cassie de St Croix

RCT-Merthyr hub
4. Joseph Phillips

Carmarthenshire/Pembrokeshire hub
5. Tom Long

Vale of Glamorgan Hub
6. Emily Nanji

Swansea hub
7. Elli Rees

We caught up with Thomas Long from the Pembrokeshire/Carmarthenshire hub before he set off to Yale to find out what he was most looking forward to about the YYGS programme: