Have you ever lived with a "Chinese phantom" in student halls? According to urbandictionary.com, these phantoms are usually (but not necessarily) Asian and they "don't socialise apart from at phantom gatherings."

While many universities pride themselves on their international reach, students' friendship groups are often defined by nationality. And it's not just Chinese students who don't mix, Brits also tend to stick together.

The reasons behind this social trend are complex. Fadi Dakkak, International Student Officer of the University of Sheffield's Student Union puts it down to "cultural differences".

Does British drinking culture stop overseas students from hanging out with locals? Well perhaps, but lots of the international students I know enjoy clubbing and drinking just as much as those born in the UK. More importantly, there are plenty of opportunities to socialise that don't involve alcohol, from sports to film societies.

British undergraduate Joshua Watts says students are likely to mix in an academic context, but adds: "I guess it's natural to revert to friends of the same background during your free time."

The UK university experience is very different for international students. While local students are living a few hours from home, at most, international students are thousands of miles away from their family and friends. Students' financial situations can also differ, with most UK students dependent upon termly loan instalments.

There's a danger that prejudice can also stop students from interacting says Dakkak, who recalls his own experience as a student: "If I had an issue with someone from a certain country or background, I made the mistake of assuming that everyone from that background would be the same."

He says: "Generalisations about other cultures can only be fought by educating people and actually providing students with the platform to mix."

Simply putting different people into the same space and expecting them to integrate doesn't always work, which is why many universities are finding new ways to bridge the gap.

The University of Sheffield's student union has produced a video campaign that puts this succinctly. It says: "We want to blur the distinction between home and local students. While we work with people from around the world on a daily basis, we are all international students."

In my academic department, staff make an effort to pair international students with home students for group projects. Student unions across the country also organise welcome events to encourage student mingling, and arrange for overseas students to stay with local hosts during vacations. All this is properly streamlined by a national initiative called UK Council of International Student Affairs.

The benefits of mixing with people from different backgrounds are obvious. In today's job market, students have to prove that they are culturally agile and aware of global issues.

As Dinesh Thayalan from Malaysia says: "I chose to study abroad to learn from and with a community of different cultures." Local students benefit just the same, having the opportunity to learn from different people, without going abroad.

But more importantly, one of the best things about universities is that it's a chance to meet people that you wouldn't otherwise encounter. It's a shame that more students aren't taking up this opportunity.