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De Montfort University: Global Mobility and Collaboration
Overview
De Montfort University’s DMU Global initiative provides life-changing international experiences for students from all backgrounds. With a strong focus on accessibility and widening participation, DMU Global program provides meaningful international opportunities for students that broaden cultural horizons, develop skills valued by employers, and empower students to become global citizens.
DMU’s relationship with Diversity Study Trips, part of Diversity Travel, brings these trips to life, ensuring every journey is expertly planned, risk-assessed, and tailored to both academic and student needs.
Key Areas of Collaboration
1. Widening Participation & Inclusive Access
Diversity Study Trips directly support DMU’s commitment to widening participation by removing common barriers to international travel for underrepresented groups.
Trips are designed with value for money in mind, ensuring accessibility regardless of financial background.
Visa support and pre-departure guidance is provided, recognising that many participants are inexperienced travellers.
Inclusive planning ensures that students with medical, dietary, or support needs are fully considered and accommodated.
A dedicated DMU Global Disability Officer who reviews participants individual needs, collaborating with Diversity to make adjustments to the booking where necessary.
2. Consultancy & Planning
Diversity Study Trips plays a consultative role from the start, aligning trip design with academic and institutional goals.
Destination consulting tailored to course objectives, student demographics, and budget.
Early-stage meetings with academic leads and DMU Global via campus visits or Teams.
Advice on trip inclusions (e.g., educational visits) to boost learning value.
Input on pricing and logistics before trips are launched to students.
“Our academic trip leads really value the opportunity to meet with Diversity Study Trips colleagues at the initial planning phase of trips. Having these meetings on our campus allows for a positive relationship to be fostered, for staff to gain an understanding of group travel and for any potential risks/opportunities to be identified.” — Leo Smith (Head of Global Mobility)
3. Effective Trip Confirmations
DMU’s dedicated Account Manager at Diversity Travel ensures a streamlined, flexible booking process and hands on support throughout.
Tailored quotes for approx. 65 group trips each year, to include flights and accommodation.
Timely updates to quotes based on changes in group size / requirements, included logistics.
Frequent check-ins with the DMU Global team and trip leaders to ensure trip bookings are progressing, budgets are being met, and trip leads feel supported.
Flexibility to add or remove additional elements like transfers and luggage.
All accommodations and services audited to meet DST’s and DMU’s Health & Safety standards, risk assessment guidelines shared with trip leaders where needed.
4. Pre-Travel Preparation
Diversity Travel’s Operations Team handles all the details to ensure stress-free pre-departure readiness.
Fast, transparent management of amendments, tickets, itineraries, and travel vouchers.
Ongoing communication with DMU Global and academic leads.
Pre-trip briefings for trip leads to ensure readiness.
Special consideration for support needs—medical, dietary, or otherwise.
5. On-Trip Support & Emergency Response
Support continues throughout the trip, ensuring students and staff feel safe and confident.
24/7 emergency contact available to trip leads and DMU Global team.
Direct line to the Account Manager for urgent needs or updates.
Fast, human responses to travel disruptions or health issues.
“Support first, admin later” ethos that prioritizes wellbeing.
Review of escalations and emergencies to obtain feedback, check for learnings and update processes where appropriate.
Outcomes
Seamless delivery of approx. 65 international group trips throughout the academic year, covering worldwide destinations.
Stronger participation from underrepresented student groups, including those new to international travel.
Students feel empowered, supported, and safe due to ongoing support from DMU Global and Diversity Study Trips before, during, and after their trips.
Academic teams report high satisfaction with trip planning and in-trip responsiveness.
Student and staff feedback shapes future trip planning and supplier selection.
Conclusion from Petra Albrecht, Head of Development at Diversity Study Trips
"The partnership between De Montfort University and Diversity Travel stands as a model of values-led, inclusive collaboration in the realm of international student short-term mobility. DMU is widely respected as a leader in global mobility across the UK and Europe, and it is both a pleasure and a source of pride for me and the entire team to support them with around 65 trips each year. Having worked closely with them for several years, I’ve seen first-hand how their approach - aligning trip planning with academic impact and widening participation - ensures that all students have the opportunity to grow, explore, and thrive on a global stage".
Conclusion from Owen Sheridan, Deputy Head of DMU Global
"Diversity Study Trips have been our travel provider for a number of years now and are a key stakeholder in the delivery of DMU Global overseas activity. They have been able to efficiently book a high volume of trips to varied destinations, meeting the different demands of each individual opportunity. Having booked hundreds of overseas trips with them, Diversity have been able to offer a service built around our specific requirements and aligning to our core objectives. Perhaps most valuable, is the way in which they have been able to manage unforeseen incidents abroad. On the few occasions where things don’t go to plan (e.g., cancelled flights), their team have swiftly found a resolution, taking a students centred approach to ensure participants are satisfied with their experience".
If you would like to learn more about how we can help develop international experiences for your students, you can browse our example itineraries on our website or contact us today - our team would be happy to help.