Why English students are getting left behind

Organisers of the Student World Fair, set to take place in Leeds next month, say that figures show interest in going to university in another country has more than doubled among UK students but still remains at a very low level compared to other European nations.

The fair will see more than 40 universities from across the world heading to Leeds to promote themselves to students from the region and organiser Student World is touring schools in Yorkshire to raise awareness of the event and the chance of studying abroad.

Anna Boyd, the fair’s director, said that the increase in tuition fees to up to £9,000-a-year in England had led to an increased interest in going to overseas universities.

She told the Yorkshire Post that going to university in another country allows young people to learn another language and culture and become more independent and employable.

She said: “One of the main benefits of studying abroad is the personal challenge.

“It can have quite an impact on people, changing their outlook and broadening their perspective. Whereas a student might have had a group of friends from one town they might now have friends from three different countries.

“Learning the language of the country you are studying in is not essential but it is recommended. Although all of the universities at the World Student fair are either fully English language institutions or offer courses in English. Learning the language allows people to experience the culture of another country.”

She said that it would also help students to stand out in the graduate market - especially among English students where less people are bilingual.

She warned that learning a second language could become increasingly important for English students who do not want to be left behind in an increasingly global workplace.

The Student World Fair will also give young people the chance to learn how different universities in other parts of the world operate.

Ms Boyd added: “The academic benefits include the chance to study over four years and the chance to experience different learning styles to what people will be used to in the UK. Universities are all different. Some will offer lectures and lessons where there is much more interaction and others will be based more around lectures and learning independently.”

The Student World Fair event is being held at the Royal Armouries Museum on Sunday, March 17, from 10am to 4pm.

Students, parents and teachers will get the chance to meet representatives from world-ranked institutions, new universities and agent representatives to explore the opportunities to study in Europe, Asia, North America and beyond. International university representatives will be on hand to answer questions and offer advice, and seminars will be held on a range of topics such as employability, quality of teaching and tuition fees.

Jemma Davies, project manager at The Student World, said: “We’re excited to be bringing The Student World Fair to Leeds for the first time. It’s a fantastic opportunity for undergraduates and postgraduates to find out all they need to know about studying abroad.”

Currently less than one per cent of the students who go to university abroad are from the UK.

However new figures suggest numbers could increase.

Study Portals, a website which lists more than 32,000 study programmes at universities across the world says interest from Uk students in studying elsewhere in Europe has more than doubled.

Its chief executive Edwin Van Rest said: “Our research shows there been about a 122 per cent year-on-year growth in interest among students in the UK studying elsewhere in Europe.”

The Netherlands is said to be the most popular European destination for UK undergraduate students followed by Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Denmark, Austria, Ireland, France, Finland and Turkey.

The number of British students at Dutch universities has almost doubled from 2011 to 2012, according to reports in the Netherlands.

Teachers at schools in Yorkshire say they have seen an increased interest in studying abroad.

Denise Bennett, head of careers at St Aidan’s CE High School, in Harrogate, said that the higher fees had made students think more carefully about where they were applying.

She said she had noticed an increased interest in finding more about studying in another country but that pupils were not yet applying in large numbers.