Study in Wales was officially launched last week at NAFSA in Boston, showcasing the brand to attendees with a booth in the expo hall and reception launch.

“We’ve attended international conferences before as a collaborative Welsh presence but we felt we needed a stronger brand”

“We’ve attended international conferences before as a collaborative Welsh presence but we felt we needed a stronger brand,” Gwen Williams, international policy advisor at Universities Wales, told The PIE News. “That was the beginning of the case for this coming together.”

A Study in Wales website has also launched which will act as an information portal for prospective international students, showcasing its cities, areas of outstanding natural beauty, history and culture.

It will also provide information about the country’s higher education offering and the application process.

A number of further initiatives to  promote Welsh universities on the international stage and facilitate international research collaboration through the brand and its partners are currently in the market research stage of development and will launch later in the year.

The Study in Wales booth at NAFSA

Funding for the brand comes from the founding partners as well as each of the the country’s nine universities through their Universities Wales membership.

Key messages were shaped using input from international students across the country, and include showcasing Wales as a welcoming, friendly and cost effective study destination, as well as highlighting the quality of the Welsh higher education system.

“Following the recent excellent set of results for Welsh universities in the Research Excellence Framework exercise, we are keen to promote what Wales has to offer as a premier international destination for students – both inside and outside the classroom,” commented Colin Riordan, chair of Universities Wales.