UK

The British Council's director of education and society has urged TNE players to establish a universal benchmarker to ensure quality and mutuality in the field after a recent study found "confusion within and among countries about what the different type or modes of TNE actually mean and involve".

In another new public-private partnership development, QA Higher Education and the University of Roehampton have announced an agreement to establish new pathway programmes, with further ventures to follow.

Global University Systems, the umbrella group that operates brands such as LSBF, The Language Gallery and St Patricks College, has announced it has acquired UK private degree-granting institution, The University of Law.

The former Universities Minister, David Willetts, used his platform at the British Council's Going Global conference this week to lament the lack of Treasury support to extend student loan funding for English students to cover periods of study abroad.

The newly elected UK government aims to increase education exports from £18bn to £30bn by 2020, but has no plans to reintroduce post-study work rights, the minister for universities and science, Jo Johnson, announced this week at the Going Global conference organised by the British Council.

In light of new immigration statistics released today, UK Prime Minister David Cameron's reaffirmed that the government will shut more bogus colleges and look to toughen English language requirements for foreign students.

Ovingdean Hall College, a vocational English language school in Brighton, UK, has announced it is likely to close due to ongoing financial difficulties. Forward bookings are being placed with other language schools.

With national priorities in Scotland on the radar following the SNP's landslide victory in the UK elections, the distinct voice of Wales has also emerged in the UK's English language teaching sector.

The UK’s ELT sector “faced on onslaught in 2014” according to English UK CEO Eddie Byers, who this week reported a decline in both student weeks and numbers for the country’s private and state ELT providers.

Following the shock majority win for the Conservative party in last week's UK general election, The PIE News spoke to sector stakeholders to see how the change in administration will affect international education.

The International House World Organisation directors' conference highlighted the importance of student well-being and safety, stating it wants to be an "industry leader" in this area.

Education partnering organisation INTO’s annual agent survey reveals agencies worldwide are optimistic about future outbound numbers. Responses also expose country-specific drivers for overseas study and a growing demand for high school qualifications.

The number of K-12 students coming to the Britain's independent schools from mainland China has soared in the last year, overtaking the traditionally strong cohort of Hong Kong students. "Market penetration in Hong Kong is very high; whereas in China, this is just the beginning," commented an adviser.

More UK students are spending part of their degree programme overseas, but there is still work to be done to turn academics into study abroad advocates, the head of the UK's Go International campaign has said.

Navitas has signed agreements to establish two new on-site colleges at the University of Northampton in the UK and Australia's University of Western Sydney.