PM Launches Strategy To Make UK Leader In International Education

Thu, April 20, 2006

Source: Government News Network

Prime Minister Tony Blair has today unveiled two five-year initiatives to help secure the UK's position as a leader in international education:

Prime Minister Tony Blair has today unveiled two five-year initiatives to help secure the UK's position as a leader in international education:

* The second phase of the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education (PMI), which aims to attract an additional 100,000 overseas students to study in the UK and encourage partnerships between universities and colleges in the UK and overseas; and

* The UK-India Education Research Initiative (UKIERI) to improve educational and research links between India and the UK.

Both programmes are backed up with over £27 million in funding over the next two years from Government, the British Council, the education sector and businesses.

Hosting a reception for international students and programme sponsors at Downing Street today, the Prime Minister said:

"These links highlight the growing internationalisation of education at all levels. Increasingly education is crossing national boundaries as it prepares our young people for careers in the global economy. I am passionate about raising standards in education in our country, but that means that we must be willing to learn from the best in the world. It means sharing experience and knowledge and being open to innovation and creativity from whatever direction it comes.

"And it's not just about getting students to choose UK universities and colleges. It's about building sustainable partnerships between our universities and colleges and those of other countries. We want to see many more shared research projects, shared courses and joint degrees; we want to see more exchanges of students and academic staff; we want UK education to become genuinely international.

"Business also has a role to play, and I'm particularly delighted to welcome BP, BAE Systems, GlaxoSmithKline and Shell on board as Corporate Champions for the new UK-India Education and Research Initiative."

Lord Kinnock, Chair of the British Council which is supporting the programmes, said:

"We very much welcome these initiatives and will play our full part in supporting them financially and organisationally. Education is at the core of everything that the British Council seeks to achieve because international learning builds international understanding as well as opportunity, creativity and liberty. These initiatives will help the UK to build lasting relationships of mutual benefit with the people whose talents will shape our World in the 21st century."

Baroness Blackstone is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, which has over 3,000 international students from more than 100 countries. She said:

"Students from around the world who study in the UK will benefit from a long tradition of high quality education with intensive, well taught courses. When they complete their studies their British qualifications will serve them well in the global economy. British universities and colleges and their students also benefit greatly from working with people from all over the world. We learn from each other."

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