University Plans Global Degrees
A UK university is reinventing itself as a globalised institution with plans for degree courses in which units are taught in different countries. The University of Surrey wants to offer degrees in which students might move each year between partner universities in three countries. This could include universities in the US, China and elsewhere in Asia. The university, planning a rapid growth in student numbers, has confirmed a deal with Dongbei University in China.
The partnership will create undergraduate and postgraduate courses in management, computing and entrepreneurship with the aim of allowing Chinese students to study in Guildford and for UK students to spend part of the course at Dongbei.
Degree courses in which students will be able to switch between overseas partner universities are likely to be in subjects such as business and management and information technology, says University of Surrey vice-chancellor Christopher Snowden.
“At the moment, we are at the stage where UK universities have set up bases overseas – in the future, we’ll see these universities becoming international institutions which have a headquarters in the UK,” says Professor Snowden.
6th Nov 2007
