International Exeter
annual report 2010 -2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11 International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
foreword 3 communications and marketing
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UK Border Agency consultation process
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international summer school
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study abroad
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india 22 china 28 united states of america
34
international recruitment performance
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INTO-Exeter joint venture
47
international student experience
50
inward visits
52
investment into staff
54
international alumni
56
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International Exeter 2010/2011
foreword 2010/11 was a remarkable year for the University of Exeter and for the continued development and implementation of its Internationalisation Strategy. Heralded by The Sunday Times as one of the nine English ‘Ivy League’ universities, our Top-10 performance in domestic league tables was matched for the first time by our entry in the Times Higher Education/Thomson Reuters ‘World Top 200’ universities. This places the University in the top 1% of global institutions. At Exeter, we believe international should permeate everything we do and, as this report demonstrates, significant progress has been made in that regard in all Colleges and all Professional Services. From partnership activity, Study Abroad, recruitment and many other activities, colleagues from across the University have supported our ambition to become a University of Global Standing. Through out the year we again benefitted from the Vice-Chancellor’s Presidency of Universities UK, via his engagement around the world on behalf of the UK Higher Education sector. We have also profited from the wise counsel of John Allwood, the University’s Dual Assurance lead for Internationalisation, who ensured the direction and implementation of the Strategy stayed on the right course. The year was not without challenges, with changes to the international student visa system causing much consternation and use of management time. I wish to acknowledge the tremendous efforts undertaken by the staff of the International Office during the year. Their
efforts were reflected in Exeter being shortlisted for the Outstanding International Strategy in the THE Leadership and Management Awards 2011. The International Office was shortlisted for both Outstanding Team of the Year and for Outstanding Innovation/Project of the Year (for the International Summer School) at the University’s own Professional Services Recognition Awards. Furthermore, the International Office won Gold for the second consecutive year at the University of Exeter’s annual Green Impact award ceremony. It is very easy to launch an Internationalisation Strategy but more difficult to maintain momentum and deliver impact. I hope this report demonstrates to you the tangible results of our Strategy. We look forward to meeting and exceeding our challenges in the years ahead. Professor Neil Armstrong Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation) October 2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
communications and marketing January 2011 witnessed the launch of the International Exeter short film – ‘a University of Global Standing’ – designed to showcase the international nature of the University and its three campuses to overseas audiences. 4
communications and marketing 2010/2011
In the seven months since its release, the film – narrated by Jonathan Dimbleby – attracted over 14,000 downloads from a variety of external websites including You Tube, Hotcourses, Vimeo and YouKu (China’s version of You Tube). Given this success, the International Office, the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CEMPS) and the College of Life and Environmental Sciences (CLES) commissioned Three S Films to make a follow up film, ‘Science at Exeter.’ The film will emphasise the range of scientific research undertaken by the two Colleges in Devon and Cornwall while illustrating the beauty of the campuses and their environs. Filming commenced during the summer of 2011, and will be ready for release at the beginning of 2012. Colleagues from within the International Office, Communications and Marketing Services, CEMPS, CLES and INTO University Partnerships, worked on the University’s first digital marketing campaign to boost international recruitment into the two science Colleges.
The first stage was conducted in parallel with INTO and focussed on undergraduate and foundation pathway STEM recruitment. This campaign won the ‘Collaborative Marketing Initiative’ prize at the INTO Awards held in London in December 2010. The second centred around recruitment activities being undertaken in India in February 2011. In both cases a team of student ambassadors was recruited and trained to assist with enquiries resulting from traffic driven to a dedicated campaign site. The International Office seeks to capitalise on the Communications and Marketing Services team’s increasing expertise in digital marketing and social media to enhance our recruitment activities in different regions and to the benefit of our client Colleges. The International Office itself has invested in several external educational listings websites to provide greater penetration into key and emerging recruitment markets.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
UK Border Agency consultation process A robust regulatory environment is to be welcomed so long as it is fair and proportionate. In December 2010 we were alerted to proposed regulatory developments that posed significant risks to the implementation of the Internationalisation Strategy to which we had to respond rapidly. That month the UK Border Agency (UKBA) announced a consultation process on proposals to cut the number of international students obtaining Tier 4 visas to study in the UK. The University of Exeter was supportive of the Government’s efforts to clamp down on abuse of the system, but of particular concern was the potential impact on foundation programmes, which the draft proposals had not considered fully. The University was heavily involved in marshalling a number of sophisticated arguments to present to the UKBA in early 2011. Members of the University’s senior management team were involved in regular meetings at the Home Office between January and March 2011, supporting the Vice-Chancellor’s lobbying in his capacity as President of Universities UK. Our strategy was to concentrate on establishing the notion of separate ‘pre-degree’ pathway exemptions in the minds of senior civil servants. We worked closely with Universities UK and the 1994 Group to co-ordinate responses, but real progress was made by collaborating with our partners at INTO University Partnerships. Working together we were able to demonstrate to civil servants the benefits of the joint venture approach, and we secured an outcome that has put both the University and the INTO-Exeter Joint Venture in a stronger position relative to its peers.
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For example, we were able to secure alternative English Language proficiency entry levels for ‘pre-degree’ INTOExeter students (at B1 level) compared to direct entrance University students (who must attain B2). Exeter’s language requirements have always been high and our decision to raise standards further last year has paid dividends in the new post-UKBA review environment. We were unsuccessful, however, in our lobbying to retain the Post Study Work visa. We remain concerned by the way the press overseas has covered these changes in immigration policy. Feedback from the University’s agents in-country, along with alarmist press coverage in the Times of India and other local media, leads us to believe that in key recruitment countries such as India UK universities may experience a fall in demand as students turn to countries with visa regimes perceived as more friendly by comparison, notably the USA and Canada. We will not know the outcome for some time to come, but the University has been playing its part in seeking to counter misinformation: in April 2011 the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation) was interviewed by an Indian journalist in an attempt to explain the impact of the changes and counter some misleading press commentary in that country and, in May 2011, the Vice-Chancellor conducted a press conference at Universities UK for international press on the new UK visa regime. Our lobbying had a measurable impact, and we emerge in a better position than was feared in early 2011. As a result, the immediate level of risk from the new regulatory environment has reduced and was duly reflected in the University’s risk register in June 2011.
UK border agency consultation process 2010/2011
“England is blessed in having more than its fair share of excellent universities. The roll call is long, including not just Oxford and Cambridge but a host of others such as Imperial College, Exeter and Durham. These are some of Europe’s premier universities and the UK’s most important economic assets, pumping out invaluable research.” Editorial, Financial Times, 2 July 2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international summer school Sixty eight students from partner institutions around the world attended the 2011 International Summer School from 16 July - 6 August, a threefold increase on the number of participants in 2010.
International Summer School graduation party 2011
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UK borderinternational agency consultation summer process school 2010/2011
This year each College was represented by the five pathways on offer – Shakespeare and His World; Living with Global Change; Law; International Management; and Climate Change: Technology and Society. In addition, for the first time the courses were accredited, with each pathway worth 10 University credits (5 ECTS/3 US credits). The International Summer School is integral to our partnership engagement efforts, and it was particularly pleasing to see our partners and other world-class universities represented.
“An amazing and unforgettable opportunity” Caidengzhouga China University of Political Science and Law
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
International Summer School
Class of 2011 Climate Change: Technology and Society
Law
Andreas Atzl, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Luisa De los Santos, University of Toronto Fan Jiani, East China Normal University Hyun Kim, Brown University Sina Keller, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology Varun Murthy, Indian Institute of Science Dayashree Narasimhan, Indian Institute of Science Raman Sharma, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi
Morgan Aveni, Swarthmore College Chen Bingqiao, China University of Political Science and Law Cheng Kejun, East China Normal University Kimberly DeRosa, Bryn Mawr College Feng Jiayu, East China Normal University Jacob Flowers, College of William and Mary Hu Anzhi, China University of Political Science and Law Jin Meidong, China University of Political Science and Law Lau Kam Fung, Hong Kong University Lee Tin Yun, Hong Kong University Li Jun, East China Normal University Liu Jing, China University of Political Science and Law Li Yuanshuo, China University of Political Science and Law Claudia Paly, Zurich University of Applied Sciences Qin Zhengyang, China University of Political Science and Law Wu Pak Kin, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Zheng Qiyang, East China Normal University Zhou Jinyi, China University of Political Science and Law Zhu Wanlin, East China Normal University Zhu Yunyi, East China Normal University
International Management Promila Aggarwal, University of Delhi William Amante, College of William and Mary Aurnob Chatterjee, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore Chen Qianliang, China University of Political Science and Law Madhurima Das, Indian Institute of Science Guo Zheng, Tsinghua University Lama Hneidi, American University of Sharjah Hu Xuan, Tsinghua University Asha Kuzhiparambil, National Institute of Advanced Studies Law Kit Chi, Hong Kong University Joshua Leigh, University of South Florida Li Ning, China University of Political Science and Law Linkai Jiang, Haverford College Luo Guangli, East China Normal University Xu Chong, China University of Political Science and Law Yu Yanchen, East China Normal University
Just as last year, the programme opened with a four-day orientation in London and closed with a graduation ceremony and dinner. Rigorous academic and linguistic minima made for a selective programme to which only the best international students could be admitted. The 2011 International Summer School made sensitive use of student feedback from 2010 to add additional visits to the Eden Project and Oxford, alongside visits to St Ives and Bath. Having succeeded in offering one pathway per College this year, the challenge for 2012 will be to introduce inter-disciplinary pathways. It is our intention to include a pathway that draws upon the London Olympics using a Sports and Health Sciences theme. The 2012 International Summer School promises to be our biggest and best yet.
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international summer school 2010/2011
“An experience I will never forget!” Yong Jung Cho Bryn Mawr College
Living with Global Change Caidengzhuoga, China University of Political Science and Law Gu Yan, East China Normal University Hamida Inusah, University for Development Studies, Ghana Christina Lee, Bryn Mawr College Liu Ying, East China Normal University Li Wing Yan, Hong Kong University Adalyn Naka, Brown University Kendra Norrell, Haverford College Christine Pham, Swarthmore College Madhavi Ravi, American University of Sharjah Emily Richardson, Swarthmore College Yao Xinliang, East China Normal University Yong Jung Cho, Bryn Mawr College
Shakespeare and His World Ashley Banks, Swarthmore College Chen Guan-Ling, National Tsing Hua University Stephanie Eades, University of South Florida Mary Encabo, Bryn Mawr College Maria Etienne, Haverford College Willow Falconer, University of Victoria Natalia Fiore, Bryn Mawr College Megan Fishco, University of South Florida Kersti Francis, Bryn Mawr College He Linfei, East China Normal University Gili Kilger, Brown University Brenna Lash, Bryn Mawr College Hullur Rajarao Meera, National Institute of Advanced Studies Emily Starace, Haverford College Olivia Wells, University of South Florida
International Summer School Handbook 2011
“The lectures were an enriching experience; interacting with people from varied backgrounds and getting to know their views was very enlightening.” Dayashree Narasimhan Indian Institute of Science
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
Eden Project, Cornwall
“I loved the social and cultural aspects of the International Summer School. I learned the most from meeting people from all over the world. The Oxford
Exeter staff were great, the activities wonderful and well organised and the experience unforgettable.� Emily Starace Haverford College
London
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international summer school 2010/2011
“I had an amazing time over in England. I loved the fact that my study abroad trip was international. I learned from many different cultures e.g. China, India, Ghana – I truly valued my experience. I felt the programme was well balanced giving just the proper
London
amount of lectures and course work along with free-time and day trips. All in all, I felt the programme was an eye-opening experience, and I would absolutely do it again if I had the chance.” Joshua Leigh University of South Florida
St Ives
Exeter
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
study abroad The undeniable value of a period of study spent abroad resonates across the three leading strategies for the University – Internationalisation, Education and Research – while helping to underpin the key University strategy of making our students even more attractive to potential employers. 14
study abroad 2010/2011
Study Abroad is an increasingly popular option for our students. A total of 499 students undertook Study Abroad as part of their degree programme at Exeter in 2010/11 and a projected 515 students will do the same in 2011/12. As each annual cohort of undergraduates is currently around 4,000, this means that well over 10% of each cohort of undergraduates is studying abroad.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
study abroad Year or semester abroad
2010/11 2011/12
Erasmus International exchange Arabic Russian
374 362 80 103 31 33 14 17
Totals
499 515
Study Abroad continues to be a priority for the future, and we are working with Colleges to develop new programmes of study which will enable more students to take up this opportunity. For example, all undergraduate programmes in the College of Humanities will have the option of a period of study abroad from 2012/13 onwards, similar to that already undertaken by the Business School. We will continue to encourage more of our students to consider a period of Study Abroad. Following up on the poster and leaflet campaign conducted for all new students arriving in 2010,
CUPL Summer School
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we plan to promote Study Abroad via plasma screens in academic buildings, and messages on the student portal. In keeping with the goals of the Internationalisation Strategy, we are creating imaginative and attractive opportunities to bring an international element to the Exeter student experience. We hope to create opportunities which will encourage students to step outside the comfort zone of Europe, Australasia and North America and have therefore expanded options to include Asia. In 2010/11, financial aid was provided to assist 72 students to participate in international summer school programmes Australia which satisfied criteria (up from 62 the Sidney, year before) relating to the reputation of the hosting universities, the nature of the partnership between Exeter and the host, and the recommendations of Exeter faculty.
study abroad 2010/2011
Study abroad brochure 2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
study abroad (cont.) A big difference compared to last year was a concerted effort to tie international summer school activity to our institutional partners. In July 2011, our partner the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL) held its third annual summer school in Beijing for Exeter undergraduates, with 24 of our students (and three staff) participating. Nine students participated for the first time in Tsinghua University’s Summer Camp, seven attended Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s new Summer School, while two students attended INTO’s first summer school operations at its own partner universities in China, at the Dongbei University of Finance and Economics. We will continue to seek out and actively promote, via publicity and scholarships, summer school opportunities at partner institutions.
In May 2011, Santander Universities pledged a further £315,000 in support for the University of Exeter, bringing its total funding for the organisation to close to half a million pounds. The new funding will support exchange programmes for both students and academics, finance PhDs in Hispanic Studies at Exeter and provide bursaries for Year Abroad students visiting Latin America and Iberia. It will also support a Mexican research project involving the Graduate School of Education and two research initiatives in the College of Humanities.
Looking ahead to 2011/12, the International Office will commence work on developing and implementing a new strategy for Study Abroad. The strategy will articulate the value of Study Abroad as part of the student experience, and its contribution towards both the internationalisation and the education strategies. It will also provide agreed definitions for Study Abroad at the University (length of Summer School activity study abroad, destination, etc) and consider the matter 2010/11 of study abroad targets for the University and by College. Incentives for achieving study abroad targets will be CUPL 24 considered along with identification of institutional barriers Study India 11 to achieving these targets and ways of removing them. Study China (Easter) 2 Study China (summer)
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Tsinghua (Beijing)
9
HKUST (Hong Kong)
7
Engineers without borders
2
University of Queensland (research project)
1
National Chengchi Uni (Taipei)
1
Sapporo Gakuin Uni (Hokkaido)
2
INTO summer school (Dongbei)
2
Total 72
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UK border agency consultation process 2010/2011
ExeposĂŠ advert 2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
partnership engagement Helping connect our faculty with leading counterparts around the world is at the heart of the Internationalisation Strategy. We recognise that no one university, nor one country, has all the answers to the complex, global challenges we face. Rather, universities are more likely to be successful if they have a large number of international research collaborations. To claim to be a leading university we need our faculty to have an international dimension to their work.
IISc-Exeter research symposium, Bangalore, January 2011
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Consequently, we continue to invest heavily to support academic colleagues in building research links with the world’s leading universities. 49 Outward Mobility Academic Fellowships were awarded in the 2010/11 academic year, tenable at 33 leading institutions in nine countries.
2010/11 Outward Mobility Academic Fellowships activity partnership engagement 2010/2011
Host Country
Faculty Member
College
Partner Institution
Australia
Prof Philip Payton
HUM
University of Adelaide
Australia
Prof David Harvey
LES
Australian National University/University of Sydney/University of Western Sydney
Australia
Dr Emma Jeanes
BUS
Queensland University of Technology
Australia
Prof David Richards
LES
University of Sydney
Canada
Ms Pascale Duran-Vigneron
BUS
CIRANO, Canada
Chile
Dr Diego Gomez
EMPS
Pontifical Catholic University of Chile/University of Chile/ Technical University Federico Santa Maria
China
Prof J R Sambles, Prof W L Barnes and Prof Fuzi Yang
EMPS
Tsinghua University
China
Dr Li Xiao
BUS
Tsinghua University
China
Prof Huw Williams
LES
ECNU/Hong Kong University
China
Dr Bill Peng
BUS
CUPL/ECNU
China
Dr Karen McAuliffe
SSIS
CUPL/ECNU/Hong Kong University/Tsinghua University
China
Dr Fu Jia
BUS
ECNU/Fudan University/Tianjin University School of Management/University of International Business and Economics
China
Prof Richard Harris
BUS
Fudan University
China
Prof Eugene Mullan and Prof David Richards
LES
City University of Hong Kong/Hong Kong University
China
Dr Emma Jeanes
BUS
Hong Kong University
China
Dr Yongcan Liu
SSIS
Hong Kong University
China
Dr Mark Wilson
LES
Hong Kong University
China
Prof Rupert Wegerif
SSIS
ECNU
China
Dr Horace Yeung
SSIS
ECNU
India
Dr Surajeet Chakravarty and Dr Miguel Fonseca
BUS
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
India
Dr Grzegorz Trojanowski
BUS
Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore
India
Dr Prakash Kripakaran
EMPS
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
India
Dr Andrew Young
LES
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
India
Dr Sasha Dall
LES
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
India
Prof Bruce Bradley
HUM
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore/National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bangalore
Mexico
Mr Stephen Hickman
BUS
Instiuto Tecnologico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey
New Zealand
Dr Natalie Hempel de Ibarra
LES
University of Auckland
New Zealand
Dr Emma Jeanes
BUS
University of Auckland Business School
Taiwan
Six Biosciences Faculty including Prof Murray Grant
LES
National Taiwan University
USA
Prof John Dupre
SSIS
Brown University
USA
Prof Simon Barton
HUM
Brown University
USA
Dr Edmund Ramsden
HUM
Brown University
USA
Dr David Roesner
HUM
University of California
USA
Dr Matthew Wright
HUM
College of William and Mary
USA
Prof Jonathan Gosling
BUS
College of William and Mary/Richmond University/University of Maryland
USA
Prof Jonathan Gosling
BUS
Harvard Business School
USA
Prof Trevor Bailey
EMPS
Columbia University
USA
Dr Annette Plaut
EMPS
Columbia University
USA
Dr Clive Sabel
LES
Columbia University
USA
Prof Edward Watkins
LES
Yale University
USA
Prof Rupert Wegerif
SSIS
College of William and Mary/Vanderbilt University 21
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
india
In April 2011, the University of Exeter became the first British University to establish representation in India’s hi-tech capital of Bangalore.
Please note: this pic not high enough resolution to reproduce at this size
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india 2010/2011
Our decision to focus our attention on this city was unique, but it made perfect sense. Exeter’s network of extensive research partnerships in India are, in the main, to be found in Bangalore, home to a number of India’s best and most prestigious universities. We calculated that a ‘top down’ approach of formally establishing a presence there would only work with a ‘bottom up’ approach of existing faculty engagement.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
india
(cont.)
Such an approach was evident in January 2011 when a delegation of 12 faculty from the Colleges of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, and Life and Environmental Sciences together with three Professional Services staff, supported by International Exeter funding, participated in a return bilateral research symposium with the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore (IISc). The symposium resulted in collaborations in Engineering and Biosciences. In Engineering this included climate change, water engineering and functional materials. In Biosciences this included cell signalling in plants; behavioural genetics; protein structure and function; and hormones and behaviour. By the end of the 2010/11 academic year, nine separate research links were underway between Exeter and IISc. As a result of the symposium, Exeter hosted an IISc PhD student during the summer of 2011 in our Centre for Water Systems. Exeter’s representation in India commenced operations on 5 April 2011 through the ‘Base Camp’ scheme operated by Sannam S4 – a market entry & business development consultancy. Located in the central business district of Bangalore – MG Road – our operations are managed by Vivienne Fenandoe (Project Manager) who was formerly Area Manager for Karnataka and Pune at IDP Education India, together with Varun Ramesh (Project Officer), who recently returned to Bangalore after graduating and working at the University of Leeds. The University’s representation in Bangalore will accelerate partnership development, foster research links, support the University’s alumni based in India, develop an exploratory internship and graduate placement service for Exeter students in India and recruit high quality students.
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Secretary of the Department of Higher Education, Government of India, Mrs Vibha Puri Dai visits Exeter
Over the course of several years, Exeter has developed strong and deep research links with a number of India’s most prestigious universities. Prominent partners in Bangalore include the Indian Institute of Management (IIM-B), the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS). Exeter faculty also have collaborations with the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) in Mumbai and Delhi. In June 2011, Exeter hosted a delegation of senior faculty from NIAS, led by the Director Professor V S Ramamurthy. The visit concentrated on extending existing UKIERI-funded research collaborations in archaeology to incorporate Drama as well as History, Sociology and Philosophy. In May 2011, the University of Exeter Business School hosted two members of IIM-B faculty for a period of one month, to facilitate joint funding proposals and to investigate the delivery of healthcare services in India and the UK.
india 2010/2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
india
(cont.)
During 2011/12, our partnership engagement with India will extend to Law, an area where Exeter has particular strengths, and especially appropriate given that India’s top law school, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU), is located in Bangalore. The School is India’s first and most renowned centre of excellence for legal education and research in the country, and offers considerable synergies in research across its ten research centres and fourteen endowment chairs. One potential avenue of collaboration involves Study Abroad, where the prospect of the Exeter LLB International study component in India with NLSIU might bear fruit. Our team in Bangalore has also been instrumental in engaging Exeter’s School of Law with the Bar Council of India with a view to obtaining Bar Council of India recognition of the Exeter LLB. This would be particularly beneficial for Exeter’s Indian graduates when they return to India and advance their legal careers.
Delegation from NIAS led by Director Ramamurthy visit Exeter, June 2011
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In the first four months of its operations, the India presence supported Exeter’s recruitment activities through participation in multiple events. Exeter’s appointed agents Edwise International and The Chopras organised student recruitment fairs in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata in May 2011, attended by our staff. Additionally agent offices were visited in Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Coimbatore and Kochi to meet with offer holders and students who wished to apply to Exeter for the October 2011 term. The India team also participated in the British Council school event in Kolkata. This event provided a great opportunity to showcase and brand Exeter to over 300 Year 11 and Year 12 students across five prestigious schools. Colleagues used this opportunity to develop key links with the school counsellors and principals of the respective schools.
india 2010/2011
News article, Deccan Herald, July 2011
Looking ahead, the India team will host pre-departure sessions in Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi in conjunction with Exeter’s alumni currently based in India for students who have accepted the offer to study at Exeter. In preparation for the next recruitment season, the India team will also visit schools in Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Dehradun that prepare students for the Year 12 examinations under various boards ICSE, CBSE, IB and the A-levels. The India team will continue to support Exeter agents in India through the recruitment season. Employability will be a key theme going forward as we look to secure employment opportunities for our returning Indian graduates and work opportunities for our Home students. The India team has developed a comprehensive report on the employment scenario in India to provide a perspective to the international work placement team at Exeter. Additionally a list of India’s top 100 companies has been reviewed and companies will be contacted in accordance with a priority listing being developed. The India team is also working on an Exeter pack for employers based in India and will initiate contacts with HR heads of multinational companies based in India to develop a model for internship and graduate work opportunities for Exeter students.
Exeter has a relatively small base of alumni in India but with the growth of the Indian population at Exeter (179 students across all degree and foundation programmes in 2010/11) this is changing rapidly. The India team is working with colleagues in Development and Alumni Relations (DARO) to update the existing alumni database and identify international alumni ambassadors who are willing to support Exeter’s strategy in India. Looking ahead the India team will help establish the Exeter Alumni Chapter in India and help host multiple alumni events across the country, given India’s geography, and support the work undertaken by existing alumni representatives in India. Exeter’s India communication strategy has been largely successful in building market awareness and generating an interest in Exeter. The scope of the communications through some of the most widelyread newspapers in Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi has covered the commencement of operations, highlighted our best courses, focused on alumni, student life at the University and lots of general interest articles that reference research being undertaken at Exeter. We hope to be able to continue the momentum and ensure that we are able to get Exeter into the news, not just in Bangalore, but across India. This will help prospective students recognise our brand easily and place us in a very competitive position.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
china
Engagement with the People’s Republic of China constitutes a central part of the International Exeter mission.
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china 2010/2011
The University has over one 1,000 students from mainland China and they represent the largest single country group across our three campuses. In February 2011 the new Year of the Rabbit was celebrated on the Streatham campus with much fanfare and enjoyment in a programme of events supported by the University, the Chinese Student Scholars Association (CSSA), the Business School, the Students’ Guild, Streetwise and the Northcott Theatre.
2010/11
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
china
(cont.)
Meantime our partnerships with top Chinese universities continue to grow from strength to strength, research is flourishing, and we are seeing increasing evidence that our own students are interested in a period of study abroad in China, an activity which International Exeter is pleased to support and help resource.
Raising our profile in China has been a priority in the past year, and our Project Managers have played their part, for example in placing news stories in Shanghai Online and 21st Century English Weekly (the most popular English language newspaper with Chinese students), and uploading the International Exeter film to the Chinese equivalent of YouTube.
The appointment in July 2010, in association with the China British Business Council, of Limin Dai as Project Manager in Beijing and Bess Ying as Project Manager in Shanghai, represented a significant extension in Exeter’s outreach to this significant market. From the outset the decision was taken that, unlike some our peers, Exeter’s Project Managers would not be charged with the recruitment of Chinese students to the University. The emphasis instead would be on supporting our university partners in those cities; in building constructive engagement with businesses in China, to assist in finding internships for our students and jobs for returning graduates; to support and underpin alumni activities in that country; and to help raise the profile of Exeter in the People’s Republic, as well as provide intelligence and support in respect of research engagement.
The visit to Hong Kong and mainland China by a delegation led by the Vice-Chancellor in November 2010 played an integral role in the development in our communications strategy. Following meetings in Hong Kong with our partners and alumni, the subsequent visits to Beijing and Shanghai were an opportunity not only to meet with our university partners, but also to celebrate formally the launch of the service provided to our clients in China through the appointment of our two Project Managers, and to meet with alumni. (Events in Beijing and Shanghai attracted 66 and 72 alumni respectively). In the course of this visit the Vice-Chancellor was interviewed by some of the top media in the country, e.g. sina.com, Radio Shanghai, Shanghai Morning Post, Shanghai Online, China Radio International, China Daily and 21st Century English Weekly. The total audience/readership for these interviews alone was over 110 million.
Professor Sir Steve Smith at the Going Global Conference in Hong Kong, March 2011
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china 2010/2011
Professor Sir Steve Smith at Tsinghua University, November 2010
Last year’s Annual Report stressed that an immediate priority for 2009/10 had been the identification and cultivation of institutional-level partnerships in China and elsewhere around the world. For China, the story for 2010/11 has very much been one of consolidation, nurturing and focussed development. As a result the University of Exeter can truly be said to be partnering with some of the finest universities in the country. A key highlight of the Vice-Chancellor’s visit to China last November was his lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing on the theme of The Global University in the 21st Century: preparing students for a competitive world. The lecture, prefaced by a meeting with Vice-President Yuan Si, was by invitation and formed part of Tsinghua’s prestigious ‘Global Vision’ lecture series. Attended by over 100 faculty and students, the occasion provoked lively discussion and coverage in the Tsinghua media after the event. Our engagement with Tsinghua, often considered alongside Peking University as the top university in China, now encompasses co-operation across eight different areas of research expertise, and for the first time this year Exeter students were invited to participate as volunteers in Tsinghua’s English Summer
Camp, an annual event involving 3,000 Tsinghua students, 55 English language teachers and almost a hundred student volunteers from overseas. As a result of our partnership with Tsinghua nine of our students were selected to take part, receiving financial aid through the International Exeter Study Abroad initiative as a result. For 2012 Tsinghua has agreed to increase the number of places available to this programme for Exeter students, and in turn the International Office has undertaken to guarantee a similar number of places for Tsinghua students on its International Summer School. In the course of the year academic staff from, for example, the Schools of Law and Psychology have visited Tsinghua, and more recently a member of the University’s International Office visited China as part of a delegation led by the UK’s Meteorological Office, during which a joint visit was made to Tsinghua to discuss research collaboration. Finally, marking the end of a highly productive year and following the signing of an agreement to facilitate the exchange of faculty between the two institutions, a formal Agreement of Co-operation was signed by President Gu of Tsinghua University and the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
china
(cont.)
Relations with our other partner in Beijing, the China University of Political Science & Law (CUPL, acknowledged as one of the top Law schools in the country) continue to be warm and positive. The CUPL Summer School, attended by 24 Exeter students and three Exeter staff, now in its third year, remains a popular link between the two partners. In October 2010 Professor Huang Jin, President of CUPL, visited the University of Exeter as part of a delegation that included faculty from the School of Civil and Commercial Law, and the School of Sociology. This year we have two CUPL faculty with us in our School of Law, and are looking forward to welcoming a number of students into our LLM programmes as part of ongoing discussions about the feasibility of establishing joint degrees. In Shanghai we continue to enjoy a warm relationship with our partner there, East China Normal University (ECNU). Staff from across the University have visited ECNU in the past year, including from our
32
Graduate School of Education, but a key milestone in the partnership occurred in December 2010 when Professor Yu Lizhong, President of ECNU, visited Exeter for the first time with colleagues from ECNU’s International Exchange Division. The purpose of the visit was to explore ways by which both universities could take further their existing co-operation, and discussions were held with Exeter’s Business School, College of Social Sciences and International Studies and the College of Life and Environmental Sciences. More recently the Graduate School of Education was pleased to welcome three members of staff from ECNU as delegates to the 14th biennial conference of the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). Finally, the Vice-Chancellor has been invited to return to ECNU in November 2011 to help our partner celebrate its 60th anniversary, at which time it is planned to renew the MOU that exists between the two universities, and to explore how better to take forward the synergies identified in the fields of Education, Geography and Psychology.
china 2010/2011
ECNU President Yu Lizhoig and colleagues visit Exeter, December 2010
Professor Sir Steve Smith with Professor Lap-Chee Tsui, Vice-Chancellor of Hong Kong University, March 2011
A major part of the work of our Project Managers in China has been about enhancing still further the University’s reputation for employability. Throughout it has been part of our thinking that we want not only to provide our own students with study abroad opportunities in China, including work-based learning, but also to help enhance the career prospects of graduates returning to that country. This has been an important, albeit highly challenging role for our Project Managers, who have worked closely with the International Work Placement Coordinator in the University’s Employability and Graduate Development division. Top companies in Beijing and Shanghai were targeted and approached. Successful relationships have now been established with a wide range of blue-chip graduate employers including Rolls Royce, Arup, Sony, Bosch, HSBC, PWC, Ernst & Young and Tesco, as well as several leading Chinese legal practices. In the course of the year 352 work placement positions and 480 graduate vacancies from 40 employers were sourced and promoted to our students.
have seen high mobility on the part of our graduates, but a more fundamental issue for the University’s database was the challenge posed by having Chinese names and addresses being translated inconsistently into English spelling and Western conventions. (So, for example, the Chinese practice of putting the surname first and then the forename; or the same name being spelled phonetically in different ways in English.) As a result a comprehensive review was undertaken by both Project Managers, which led to over a thousand separate entries being cleaned up or, in some cases, removed altogether, with a consequent improvement to the service offered our alumni in China.
A key activity for the Project Managers has been working closely with both Research and Knowledge Transfer (RKT), in the identification of research funding opportunities, and Development and Alumni Relations (DARO) in support of alumni engagement and an assessment of the potential for fund-raising opportunities for the University in the People’s Republic. The number of Chinese graduating from Exeter has risen substantially in the past few years, leading to a position whereby DARO’s records had 1,278 entries on file. Not surprisingly the recent years
An innovation this year has been to grant alumni status to students undertaking the International Summer School at Exeter, of whom many are located in China, but central to the alumni work in-country has been the identification of new country contacts. In June 2011 over 20 alumni turned up for a social event in Shanghai to celebrate a re-launch of alumni engagement,and information on local job fairs together with career-related information is sent regularly by both Project Managers to alumni who have recently returned from Exeter to China. In the same month in Beijing arrangements were made with the British Chamber of Commerce, enabling Exeter alumni to attend an alumni event. Further assistance for DARO’s alumni engagement in China has included research on alumni operations conducted in-country by other British universities, and advice to DARO on social networking as a means of reaching alumni, e.g. through Kaixin, the Chinese equivalent of Facebook.
33
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
united states of america During the year we began to develop a more strategic engagement with the United States. Our first move was to work with the US-UK Fulbright Commission, where in September 2010 we signed two scholarship agreements.
34
united states of america 2010/2011
The Fulbright-Exeter Scholar Award will support one US academic to pursue research and/or teach at the University of Exeter for a three to nine month period in any subject. The Fulbright-University of Exeter Award will offer a US graduate student an opportunity to study for a one-year Master’s degree in any subject at the University of Exeter.
2010/11
35
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
united states of america (cont.) Soon after the agreement was reached we were approached by the Fulbright Commission to consider commencing our scholarship programme a year earlier than planned. In September 2011 the College of Life and Environmental Sciences will host Dr J Evan Ward from the Dept of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, as a Fulbright Scholar. Dr Ward directs the Marine Biodynamics Laboratory and Connecticut’s Oceans and Human Health training consortium. As a Fulbright Scholar at Exeter, Dr Ward will be teaching and conducting research on the impacts of nanomaterials on marine animals. As with its engagement in other parts of the world, Exeter wishes to have a smaller number of partner universities with multiple links, rather than a large number of institutions with one link. Of course, our faculty have many individual links with American universities and we continue to encourage them. But our strategic approach has been to identify American universities who share demonstrable research interests with the University of Exeter and where faculty links are already strong. One such University is Brown University, worldfamous as an ‘Ivy League’ institution. During the 2009/10 academic year, the International Exeter initiative funded two faculty (Professor Ian Cook – Geography and Dr Marjo Koivisto – Politics) to pursue links with counterparts in Rhode Island. During 2010/11, a further three faculty were awarded fellowships to visit Brown: Professor John Dupre (of EGENIS, the ESRC Centre for Genomics in Society) and Professor Simon Barton and Dr Edmund Ramsden (History). Funding from our partner Santander Universities enabled Dr Bryce Lease (Drama) to
36
attend the third annual Brown International Advanced Research Institutes (BIARI) in June 2011. During the 2011/12 academic year, five members of the Brown faculty will be visiting Exeter to deepen engagement in the areas of humanities, physics and social sciences. Efforts to extend collaboration into teaching resulted in the Exeter-Brown PhD Scholarship in Material Culture and Globalisation. The Award covers 4-year fully funded postgraduate studentship (MRes plus PhD) at the University of Exeter, comprising maintenance, international fees and research expenses for a recent Brown University graduate. The successful candidate, Maura Pavalow, will commence her studies at Exeter in October 2011 and finish in September 2015. Maura will be a Teaching Assistant on Professor Ian Cook’s undergraduate module ‘Geographies of Material Culture’ at Exeter and will also be offered a short-term Teaching Assistantship at Brown during a term ‘abroad.’
Providence, Rhode Island
UK border agency united consultation states of america process 2010/2011
Exeter-Brown Scholarship poster
37
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
38
united states of america 2010/2011
united states of america (cont.) Another Brown-Exeter collaboration is followthethings. com – a database of films, art work, journalism, academic and other writing. Most of its content has been produced by students at Brown and Exeter Universities, who have taken modules with Keith Brown at Brown and Ian Cook at Exeter. Brown University funded six students to undertake summer research work for the site in 2010 and 2011. This year, Exeter’s International Office funded ‘followthethings.com summer internships’ for five 2011 Exeter Geography graduates. They worked with Ian to complete the site ready for its launch in September 2011. Co-operation between Brown and Exeter’s College of Humanities is also progressing. In January 2011 Professor Nick Kaye, Dean of the College, visited Brown to meet with Professor Michael Steinberg (Director of Brown’s Cogut Center for the Humanities), and key staff from a number of areas, including Archaeology, History and Drama. Professors Kaye and Steinberg have continued to discuss potential developments, including the introduction of studentships, post doctoral fellowships and the exchange of doctoral students. Dr Melissa Katz, who has recently completed her PhD at Brown University, will undertake a post-doctoral Leverhulme fellowship at Exeter with the Centre for Medieval Studies from January 2011. Exeter History doctoral student Bethan Coupland is planning to study at Brown for three months during Spring 2012.
Our partnership with the University of South Florida has blossomed in the past year. One of INTO’s partners in the USA, in 2009 USF was ranked by Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac as the fastest growing university in the USA on the basis of federal research funds awarded. Increasing co-operation has revealed a number of areas that the two universities have in common – including the fact that USF Provost Ralph Wilcox is an Exeter alumnus – and the partnership has developed into a warm and highly positive relationship. In August 2010 a student exchange agreement was signed between Exeter and USF’s College of Business, while on the research front considerable synergies and opportunities have been identified in the field of water engineering, not least between our own Centre for Water Systems (CWS) and USF’s College of Engineering. In late 2010 a joint bid was submitted for funding under the British PMI2 Connect UK-US Partnership fund. The bid required close co-operation between staff in CWS, USF’s Civil & Environmental Engineering department and its pioneering School of Global Sustainability, and the Faculty of Meteorology, Environment and Arid Land Agriculture at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. Of the 230 proposals for funding received, only 23 were successful, including this innovative project, which aims to tackle the global challenges surrounding the sustainable provision of water. Building on these links a team led by Professor Jim Mihelcic, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at USF, will visit Exeter in September 2011.
39
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
united states of america (cont.) In October 2011 Exeter looks forward to welcoming a team led by Dr Roger Brindley (Associate VicePresident for Global Academic Programs) to discuss further co-operative projects, and in early 2012 Professor Robert van de Noort (Professor of Wetland Archaeology and Dean of the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter) will be visiting USF to discuss research co-operation with Professor Nancy White of the Department of Anthropology. Discussions are also underway with USF’s School of Physical Education & Exercise Science with a view to possible input in the form of students attending Exeter’s International Summer School in 2012. It is hoped that a member of faculty from this School will be able to accompany the students, and participate in the teaching of a proposed Sports pathway.
Williamsburg, Virginia
40
The University’s link with the College of William and Mary goes back many years, with an exchange arrangement having been set up as long ago as 1946, while in 1967 the William and Mary Law School, the oldest law school in the USA, began its Summer Law School Abroad Program, hosted by Exeter on the Streatham campus. Since 2004/05 some 40 Exeter students have gone to study at William and Mary and 40 students have come to Exeter, and good progress to extend this collaboration has been made following the visit to Exeter by Provost Michael Halleran in June 2010. Co-operation in the field of Classics continues to thrive, with Dr Matthew Wright visiting William and Mary in May this year, and Professor John Donahue visiting Exeter in July. In April 2011 Professor of History Jeremy Black visited William and Mary to give a lecture, and in June Professor Rupert Wegerif, Director of Research in Exeter’s Graduate School of Education, visited colleagues at William and Mary to explore opportunities for co-operation.
united states of america 2010/2011
International recruitment poster, 2011
41
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international recruitment performance A leading international university ought to be characterised by a range of criteria, including partnerships of quality, study abroad opportunities for all students, and the facilitation of staff mobility in support of the research agenda. But a clear key performance indicator for Exeter is also having a significant proportion of international students within the institution’s overall population. This means continuing to recruit the best students wherever they are found, while taking into account an appropriate balance between nationalities. One of the University’s 10 institutional key performance indicators is ‘the percentage of students who are international fee payers.’ We have witnessed significant success in this regard, ranking third in our competitor group of universities (up from 13th in 2007/08). The challenge for Exeter is no longer simply one of volume. Diversity and quality are the key determinants of Exeter’s approach to recruitment going forward. Between July and November 2010, the University constituted its Internationalisation of Colleges Task and Finish Group. The purpose of the group was to engage Colleges constructively in the recruitment of high quality international students in the years ahead, towards the goal of 4,000 non-EU students by 2014/15, spread across all programmes and all levels of study. The target figures, signed off by each College Dean, were approved by the Vice-Chancellor’s Executive Group in December 2010. Diversity is also uppermost in our recruitment decision making. Throughout 2010/11, the International Office routinely reviewed the markets in which it engaged in recruitment activity. International Office staff conducted analyses of country markets within their regions of
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responsibility to identify new and emerging market opportunities. An example of this was the Office’s first visit to Ukraine in July accompanied by INTO staff, with a return visit planned for October 2011. The HESA Census of December 2010 showed that the University had 3,087 full-time (FT) international-fee students (i.e. non-EU students), up from 2,820 at the same time the previous year. Several hundred additional international students joined us in January 2011 through our foundation pathway with INTO. We are therefore making good progress towards our aim to recruit 4,000 FT international-fee students by 2015. If we include FT students in all categories, including fee-waiver exchange students, then approximately 4,000 ‘international’ students are already studying at Exeter. Exeter is truly an international community.
international recruitment performance 2010/2011
International recruitment posters 2011
43
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international recruitment performance (cont.) While many of our international-fee students originate from South East Asia, our efforts to diversify into other markets are bearing fruit. The number of students from Africa admitted to degree programmes at the university in 2010/11 was up 38% on the previous year to 178, while numbers from Central Asia (Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine) continue their firm ascent over the past few years, with enrolments up 9% to 155 students. Our numbers from Vietnam rose by 24% over the same period, to 72, and the British Council recently confirmed that Exeter is now one of the top 10 receiving UK institutions of Vietnamese students. For obvious reasons 2010/11 has proven to be a much more challenging environment to operate in, due to deepening global economic uncertainty, increased competition from other UK and international universities, adverse perceptions in some countries of changes to the UK student visa system and higher entry standards implemented by the University itself.
Nevertheless, early indications suggest another good recruitment performance as a result of last year’s efforts. As of August 2011, the University had received a record breaking 17,537 international applications for 2011/12 (4% more than 2010/11 and 30% above applications for 2009/10 entry). Postgraduate Taught (PGT) applications totalled 12,317 (up 7% from last year and 34% up on the same period two years ago). Undergraduate applications were 4,043 (down 4% on the year but 35% up on two years ago). Postgraduate Research (PGR) applications totalled 1,107 (up 8% on last year). Exeter’s Top 10 international recruitment markets are China, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Malaysia, Turkey and the USA. The University received 7,496 applications from China for 2011/12 entry, up 15% from last year and a massive 70% over the same period two years ago), while India accounted for 1,671 applications.
Examples of markets where applications have increased for each of the last two years Country
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2009/10 2010/11 2011/12
Thailand
331 470 492
Malaysia
236 304 366
USA
223 283 297
Vietnam
189 196 248
Singapore
107 187 213
Jordan
110 112 117
international recruitment performance 2010/2011
International recruitment flyer, 2011
45
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international recruitment performance (cont.) In other recruitment developments, the International Office worked with University colleagues to take an active role in the Student Enquiry and Application project (in conjunction with Hobsons), with staff represented on the project board and team. Staff worked to define system requirements for the Apply Yourself (application) and Connect (CRM) systems, and International Office involvement has helped ensure that resulting programme functions anticipate and meet our international stakeholders’ needs. Connect will help to ensure that the University’s communications with prospective international students applications are both coordinated and consistent. The system will also allow the University to track customer journeys from enquiry to registration, thus helping us to analyse the relative success of different marketing channels and the performance of appointed agents, with a view to informing future marketing spend. A welcome function under development within Apply Yourself will be to allow our agents to view the status of applications they have referred; this facility is not commonly offered by UK HE institutions, and it is our hope that this will both provide us with an edge when it comes to working with agents to stimulate flows of well-qualified students, while at the same time saving significant staff time on the part of the Admissions and International Offices by reducing email application update enquiries. During the year we also reappraised our approach to international scholarship provision. The International Masters Scholarship scheme was not achieving desired outcomes, and the decision was taken to refocus resource by discontinuing the arrangement for 2010/11 in order to help support better the University’s PhD studentship campaign. In addition to helping to publicise these awards to students and agents, staff
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in the International Office also helped administer the Commonwealth, Fulbright and HESPAL (British Council/ Palestine) Scholarships, as well as the University’s internal STEM scholarships for undergraduate programmes in the Colleges of Life and Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences. Liaison with foreign embassies in the UK, including fostering opportunities for student funding, remains a tactical priority for the International Office. Our relationship with our network of overseas agents is one in which we invest a considerable amount of time and effort. In April 2011 the International Office hosted a Familiarisation Trip comprised of a group of 11 agents from as many different countries. A full programme of activities including introductions to College programme portfolios, research expertise and facilities were coupled with social events and a formal dinner hosted by the Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Internationalisation. This annual visit helps to showcase the University, enhance positive feedback to market and impact positively on future agency referrals. Bespoke visits by agents and school counsellors are encouraged and accommodated throughout the year. The International Office also produces a monthly newsletter for our agent partners. This represents an important vehicle to help train agents overseas, while keeping Exeter firmly in their minds. The newsletter is usually themed and stories over the last year have included important updates on new programmes, tuition fees and scholarships, deposit and accommodation deadlines, changes to UKBA requirements, the impact of the Bribery Act on third parties, employability, INTO programmes, research stories, rankings successes and on-campus cultural festivities.
international recruitment performance 2010/2011
INTO-Exeter joint venture Since its inception in 2006, the INTO-Exeter Joint Venture has been a tremendous success, with over 2,500 students from 89 countries passing through the Exeter Centre. The new capital programme is doing much to enhance aspects of the international student experience on the Streatham Campus. Exeter is the most successful of the INTO joint ventures in the UK, and there is much to be proud of in terms of achievements to date. On 19 May 2011, 300 guests, including staff from the INTO Centre, senior representatives from the University and INTO University Partnerships, together with their contractors and agents, celebrated the official opening of the academic building; the new development was recently voted ‘Building of the Year’ in the Michelmores and Western Morning News Commercial Property Awards, in recognition of its outstanding design.
The event celebrated the diverse nature of the teaching operation and highlighted the benefit of the partnership to the local economy, using local suppliers and produce and regularly adding to its workforce. £42 million of investment into teaching space and accommodation has resulted in a number of striking features including an independent learning resource centre, a lecture hall, multi-media IT suites, spacious classrooms (fully equipped with the latest educational technology), a science laboratory and an excellent café facility. The more visible profile of the Centre has led to more students and staff from the wider university being attracted to the facilities.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
INTO-Exeter joint venture (cont.) The first phase of the residential accommodation at Duryard was completed to schedule with 165 rooms available for the new intake of students in January 2011, and the remaining 4 blocks with 350 rooms came on stream in July 2011. The high standard of the facilities and the impact of the rural setting have greatly enhanced the international student experience. 824 students enrolled in INTO programmes during the year, beating the Centre target of 790. 739 students were registered on academic programmes and 85 FTE on preparatory English. There was a pleasing 26% increase in Foundation non-business pathway enrolments, albeit from a comparatively low base, supporting our aspirations for a broader diversity of academic disciplines. It is interesting to take a longer term perspective to consider the success of the INTO Exeter Joint Venture. Between January 2008 and January 2011, total numbers at the Centre have risen from 406 to 824, i.e. an increase of 103%. In the same period, the number of Foundation students increased by 110%. The number of undergraduate diploma students rose from zero to 167 and the number of postgraduate diploma students from 79 to 191 (142%). During this time the number of students on English language programmes fell from
145 to 84, i.e. a drop of 42%. In the same period the proportion of students taking English language at the centre fell from 43% to 10%. This is an indication of how the Centre has focussed on quality rather than quantity. Looking ahead, INTO University Partnerships is working with Colleges to extend the range of their academic programmes: the Certificate in Pre-doctoral studies in conjunction with the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences was launched in order to secure more international research students; a Diploma in Engineering is planned for September 2012 in order to increase the number of international students progressing to undergraduate engineering programmes.
INTO University of Exeter: Total student numbers, Jan 2008 to Jan 2011
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Jan-08
Jan-09
Jan-10
Jan-11
English
145
156
95
84
Foundation
182 290 401 382
Undergraduate Diploma
0
55
167
167
Graduate Diploma
79
128
182
191
Total
406 629 845 824
international recruitment performance 2010/2011
INTO Exeter, International Students Building
49
International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international student experience The University of Exeter is proud that the ‘Exeter Experience’ extends to all of its students. We recognise the additional challenges our international students face as they live and study in a new country, and we invest resource to support them. The 2011 International Student Barometer (ISB) survey by i-graduate of more than 63,000 international students from over 200 institutions confirmed Exeter to be one of the highest rated universities in the UK. Students were asked to score how satisfied they were in several key areas. These were Arrival, Learning, Living and Support. Satisfaction scores for Exeter were at the top of the scale, particularly amongst the University’s competitor group where it led on many measures. The University scored particularly well for its international student support, expert lecturers and careers. 91% of students also rated Exeter as a good place to live. Immigration advice from our International Student Support Office rated particularly highly in the ISB and in 2010/11 the team had over 2,500 in person appointments with students regarding immigration alone. Working with colleagues in the International Student Support Office, we invested heavily into a number of cultural events on campus, encouraging all students to participate. The Business School marked the completion of its new building with a free festival celebrating Chinese New Year in February. Organised by the Chinese Student Scholars Association and the International Student Support Office, an estimated 2,000 people saw a traditional dragon and lion parade along with performances of dance, drama, music and a tea ceremony. A fireworks display rounded off the celebrations.
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American students at the University of Exeter 2010/11
Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, was celebrated at a free public festival for the first time on campus in November 2010 supported by the International Student Support Office, the Students Guild and the Asian Society. The Exeter Hindu Temple led the opening Puja. Attendees enjoyed south Indian cuisine, traditional crafts, Bollywood dance and an Indian drumming workshop. The event ended with a dance show from the students, a drummed parade and fireworks. The International Office also contributed funding for Diversity Week (January 2011) organised by the International Students Society.
UK border international agency consultation student experience process 2010/2011
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
inward visits During the course of last year the International Office hosted visits by 19 senior level delegations. These included high-level visits by the University of Exeter’s partner institutions from China and India alluded to earlier. In December 2010, Dr Ralph Wilcox, Provost of the University of South Florida and alumnus of the University of Exeter, returned to Exeter with his colleague Mr Steve Prevaux. In June 2011, we hosted a visit by Mr Tim Beckett, the Registrar from one our student exchange partners in Australia, the Australian National University.
Outside of our university partners, the International Office also hosted a delegation from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (September 2010) and the Cultural Attaché for Oman (November 2010). In October 2010 we organised a workshop run by staff from the British Embassy in Beijing on how UK academics and businesses can work with China’s Science and Innovation Network to find research collaborations and funding opportunities.
Over the past year the International Office has welcomed a variety of potential partners interested in research collaboration or student exchange including faculty from Swarthmore College, USA looking into Study Abroad options for liberal arts students and from Hong Kong University looking into potential collaboration opportunity with the College of Life and Environmental Sciences.
Through inward visits we hope to raise the profile of the University and its research. Working with the British Council Russia, the University of Exeter hosted members of the Russian media in March 2011. The four journalists from Russia’s business press were given an overview of the University, its international links and the Business School including the One Planet MBA.
Visit by HE Dr Zola Skweyiya, High Commissioner for the Republic of South Africa, to Tremough and Streatham campuses, July 2011
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inward visits 2010/2011
Visit of China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to Exeter, September 2010
The visit generated a series of informative articles about Exeter in Russian newspapers and magazines. In March 2011 Mr Zhong Guo, First Secretary, Commercial Section from the Chinese Embassy visited Exeter to learn more about research at the University and how some of the work by academics at Exeter may have a commercial impact in China; this visit was supported by the China Britain Business Council. In July 2011, Dr Joanna Newman, recently appointed as Director of the UK HE International Unit based at Universities UK, visited Exeter and learn more about the University and our Internationalisation Strategy.
The International Office has also worked with local organisations including Exeter Active Citizens who brought a group of Ethiopian youth workers to the University in May 2011 to learn about Higher Education in the UK and a local International School who brought 50 students to the University to learn more about studying Science and Business at Exeter. We also offered support for events run by other University departments including logistical and financial support for a visit by Mr Filippo Grandi, Commissioner-General, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) who delivered a keynote lecture to mark the opening of the Centre for Palestine Studies within the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
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investment into staff 2010/2011
investment into staff There is a vital duty of care issue bound up in internationalisation – one that any senior manager who is conversant with their statutory obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 must consider when encouraging staff to engage in international activities. During the year we delivered on an objective set out in the Internationalisation Strategy – the launch of the Travel Tracker system. This innovative system provides an enhanced level of duty of care for University staff and postgraduates travelling overseas on University business, with similar cover for undergraduate students to follow. Travel security experts red24 are able to advise individuals immediately of factors affecting booked travel, as well as provide immediate and relevant advice about what to do, for example, in the case of a natural disaster. Moreover, booking travel through one of the University’s preferred travel suppliers will enable not just the leveraging of better value for money in procurement terms: the new travel notification system uniquely allows a limited number of individuals in Colleges and the Professional Services to access data in respect of intended travel overseas. For the first time it will be possible, for example, for Colleges to share information on travel destinations, information that can be used to plan more efficiently visits to partner institutions and for the purpose of international student recruitment. In June the International Office and red24 organised a ‘Travel Safe’ workshop as part of its services to Colleges and the Professional Services. We also organised another staff training session on the international implications of the Bribery Act 2010 by Martineau Solicitors. To the best of our knowledge Exeter is the first university in the UK to
adopt this holistic approach to duty of care and the sharing of travel information to take forward its internationalisation objectives. Working with colleagues in Human Resources, the International Exeter initiative again supported cross cultural competency training during the year, with 106 members of staff participating in the courses. The course aims to help staff learn about and engage with different cultural perspectives; explore a number of areas of potential cross-cultural difference (including status and hierarchy, concepts of time, communication, approach to task and relationships, approach to teaching and learning) and think about what impact this may have on work; and provide an opportunity to share good practice. Staff feedback suggests that they have benefited from the time and space to reflect on these issues and the opportunity to develop and share strategies they can use to be more effective in their increasingly internationalised working environment. One participant commented that “I have a clearer appreciation of some of the challenges facing international students”, while another said “I’ve learnt to feel more confident about communicating with students and colleagues from around the world”. The course received an overall 95% approval rating. The course will continue to be offered for a further year with a view to updating the aims and content in 2012/13.
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
international alumni The University has more than 70,000 alumni living in 172 countries.
Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi with Registrar David Allen, March 2011
Chancellor Baroness Floella Benjamin, NTU President Professor Si-Chen Lee and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Steve Smith, July 2011
Alumni are entitled to a range of benefits and services managed by DARO, from invitations to events to networking opportunities. There are now 35 alumni country contacts around the world, who organise activities for alumni in their region. The International Office is committed to supporting DARO as it invests in services for its global alumni network. During the last year, the University re-launched its alumni website with an exclusive online community and an Exeter Email for Life service to help alumni to network socially and professionally.
a pivotal state in regional and global trade’ was given by Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qasimi.
On 31 March the University held its fifth Annual Gulf Alumni Dinner, hosted by His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohamed Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, and attended by over 100 alumni from across the region. A new dimension to the annual University of Exeter Gulf Alumni Dinner was added in the form of a short conference on Gulf Affairs which preceded the dinner. The conference was led by leading academics from the University of Exeter’s Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies who chaired three seminars which focussed on economics, modernity and internationalisation. The keynote lecture ‘Securing the position of the Emirates as
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In July 2011, the University of Exeter awarded Professor Si-Chen Lee, President of National Taiwan University (NTU), an honorary Doctor of Engineering degree for his pioneering research and his outstanding leadership which has taken NTU into the Top-100 universities in the world. Exeter has established strong research links with NTU in the field of biosciences, partially funded through a Royal Society Taiwan-UK bilateral research programme. Scientists at both universities are working on Ralstonia infections of plants (a devastating bacterial pathogen in Taiwan). Several delegations of scientists visited each university over the course of the last year. Next year, through International Exeter support, five System Biologists from Exeter will run a Workshop at NTU incorporating course material that will enable NTU students to obtain course credits. Professor Lee and his family were invited by the University to visit Exeter as part of the Summer Graduation ceremonies, and met senior management and faculty involved in the Exeter-NTU partnership.
international alumni 2010/2011
“I think our universities are a real advantage that we have in the UK. Not just Oxford and Cambridge, but Imperial College, UCL, Manchester, Exeter and Newcastle. We have some great universities in Britain and I think they are a really good way of having links between our country and other countries.� David Cameron Prime Minister Beijing, November 2010
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International Exeter
annual report 2010/11
International Exeter Office Structure
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL Exeter
(Dr Shaun Curtis)
DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL OFFICE
recruitment
deputy head of international student recruitment
head of international student recruitment
(Nikki Padget)
(Dr John Withrington)
deputy head of international student recruitment
(Christopher Dean)
(Robin Rhodes)
international officer
international officer
international officer
(Marte Billington)
(Alicia Butterfield)
(Sarah Grant)
International Liaison officer
(Chloe Sharpe)
assistant director
(Lauren Murphy)
support International Liaison administrator
(James Healy)
PA to director of international exeter and Executive assistant
(Charlotte Allen)
International marketing assistant
(Suzanne Aburagheb)
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UK border agency consultation process 2010/2011
partnerships
project manager (Bangalore)
project officer (Bangalore)
international events officer
(Vivienne Fenandoe)
(Varun Ramesh)
(Jess Harrington)
Assistant director (partnerships)
Assistant director (partnerships)
(Richard Foord)
(Rachel King)
project manager (Beijing)
project manager (shanghai)
(Limin Dai)
(Bess Ying)
partnerships assistant
study abroad manager
(Lucy Thompson)
(Anne Worth)
acting erasmus officer
study abroad administrator
study abroad assistant
(Anna Moscrop)
(Isabela Coelho-Knapp)
(Tracie Hennessey)
PA to director of international office
International Marketing assistant
International Marketing financial assistant
(Carol Adkins)
(Katrina Macneill)
(Carol Walters)
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Professor Neil Armstrong
Dr Shaun Curtis
Senior Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation)
Director of International Exeter
University of Exeter
8th Floor, Laver Building
Northcote House
North Park Road
The Queen’s Drive
Exeter
Exeter
EX4 4QE
University of Exeter
EX4 4QE Email: international@exeter.ac.uk
www.exeter.ac.uk/international
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100% recycled
2011 INT 039