H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N IN WALES

www.britishcouncil.org/wales

A career in scientific research has made the importance of an external review clear – to fully realise the wider context of your work, you must look for input from those outside your immediate environment. This is very true in the case of the work presented here; only when an environment is studied as a whole can the breadth and scale of work being undertaken be appreciated.

As a Swansea University graduate, I can vouch for the first class student experience in Wales; it is satisfying to note the numerous examples of research, teaching and learning which are of global interest and significance.

FOREWORD BY DR LYN EVANS 2

INTRODUCTION BY SIMON DANCEY 4

LIFE SCIENCES, HEALTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE 6

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING 8

ENERGY AND RESOURCES, EARTH, OCEANS AND PLANETS 10

INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS AND SMART LIVING 12

SPORTS AND TOURISM 14

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES 16

CELTIC IDENTITY, BILINGUALISM, LANGUAGES AND CULTURE 18

ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 20

EDUCATIONAL AND SOCIAL ACCESS AND JUSTICE 22

INTERNATIONAL ENGAGEMENT 24

STUDENT EXPERIENCE, EMPLOYABILITY AND SUPPORT 26

C O N T E N T S

F O R E W O R D

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Breakthroughs in the fields of bioscience, alternative fuel technology and medical treatment demonstrate Wales is not only using its higher education institutions’ resources to manage today’s challenges, but is also addressing tomorrow’s obstacles. Alongside these scientific disciplines, studies in the humanities and arts show the depth and diversity of knowledge being generated and shared in Wales and beyond.

I have seen first-hand the countless benefits that come from working across cultures and nationalities and the positive impact this can have on a project and its participants.

F O R E W O R D

I hope that after seeing the diversity and quality of these Welsh institutions you will want to explore further, form partnerships and develop your own links in a country which can boast a wealth of educational and research expertise alongside its world renowned hospitality, beauty and culture.

DR LYN EVANS cbe frs Director, Linear Collider, CERN

© CERN

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I N T R O D U C T I O N

I am delighted to present this strategic analysis of the Welsh higher education sector.

The UK is renowned for the quality of its research, as highlighted by its high rank in international league tables. However, the relative contribution of Welsh institutions has not been evaluated and collated in a singular piece of research. Our independent review has revealed, unsurprisingly to many, that Welsh higher education institutions are leading in several fields at a national and an international level.

Although Wales is, in the global context, a relatively small country it would be incorrect to assume the scope and focus of our universities is reflective of this. On the contrary, Wales’ institutions are hugely diverse and varied in their size, specialisms, research and teaching.

The university scene in Wales is fast-moving and dynamic, as evidenced by the recent merger of two institutions – the University of Glamorgan and University of Wales, Newport – to form the University of South Wales, now the largest in the country and sixth largest in the UK.

© Suma Pugh

This comprehensive review has shown multidisciplinary success in research output, publications and investment, with outstanding activity being identified in 11 key areas.

WELSH HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ARE LEADING IN SEVERAL FIELDS AT A NATIONAL AND AN INTERNATIONAL LEVEL.

Underpinning many successes is the development of strategic sustainable international partnerships – global collaborations which have enriched research and the student experience, demonstrating the openess and interest in global collaboration of Wales’ universities.

SIMON DANCEY Director, British Council Wales

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The life sciences sector has grown by approximately 20 per cent in Wales since 2009, with universities and companies collaborating at the highest level. Significant partnerships have been founded with global blue-chip companies such as IBM, Smith & Nephew, GE Healthcare, Siemens Healthcare and Johnson & Johnson, and research councils including the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). There are over 300 companies in the fields of medical technology, diagnostics, wound healing and contract research in Wales, and they employ over 15,000 people – contributing more than £1.3 billion per year to the economy.

Internationally-renowned academics, including Nobel Prize winners, are carrying out ground-breaking research that will help us to better understand diseases such as autism, Alzheimer’s, breast cancer and cystic fibrosis. With Welsh Government co-funding £5 million, the Psychology departments at Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea universities form the Wales Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience (WICN). The Institute brings together over 250 academics and has been awarded around £12 million in grants since 2009.

COVERING DIVERSE AREAS SUCH AS NEUROSCIENCE, BIOMEDICAL IMAGING, ECOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, ANIMAL SCIENCE, MENTAL HEALTH, PSYCHOLOGY AND AGEING.

L I F E S C I E N C E S , H E A LT H A N D Q U A L I T Y O F L I F E

In the School of Psychology at the University of South Wales, the development of the Fast Alcohol Screening Test (FAST) in 2004 resulted from research into the feasibility of screening and treating alcohol-related admissions in accident and emergency departments. The FAST is now used worldwide as an alcohol screening measure, recommended by bodies including the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NHS Wales Primary Care Support Service and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

IN THE 2008 RESEARCH ASSESSMENT EXERCISE (RAE), CARDIFF UNIVERSITY’S RESEARCH IN PSYCHOLOGY WAS RATED FIRST IN THE UK IN THE RESEARCH POWER RATING TABLE.

In the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), Cardiff University’s research in Psychology was rated first in the UK in the Research Power Rating table. The Psychology department at Bangor University is the third largest in the UK, and is rated joint seventh for the percentage of research rated as world-leading (4*) in the RAE.

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HIGH QUALITY WORK IS TAKING PLACE IN THE FIELDS OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, AERONAUTICAL, AUTOMOTIVE, OPTOELECTRONIC, MATERIAL, ELECTRONIC AND SUSTAINABLE ENGINEERING AS WELL AS ICT.

S C I E N C E A N D E N G I N E E R I N G

Welsh universities played a key role in some of the most significant scientific breakthroughs of the 21st century, including Swansea University physicists making major contributions to the success of the Antihydrogen Laser Physics Apparatus (ALPHA) project at CERN. Swansea alumnus and Honorary Fellow Dr Lyndon Evans cbe frs was at the centre of CERN operations as Director of the Large Hadron Collider project.

Universities in Wales are working at an internationally significant level in advanced engineering, having an impact on a wide range of social issues and business sectors including aerospace and defence, automotive and optoelectronics. The innovative work being carried out is attracting major companies such as BP, Fujitsu, Airbus, British Airways, Ford and Rolls-Royce, as well as grants from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). In the field of aerospace and defence alone, there are 160 companies in Wales, employing 20,000 people and turning over in excess of £5 billion a year.

Courses such as University of South Wales’ Aircraft Maintenance Engineering make use of real aircraft facilities, including the university’s full-size BAE Jetstream 31 commercial plane and an MP521 flight simulator. The university has a partnership with British Airways Engineering, through which it delivers the qualifying elements required for aircraft maintenance personnel.

Swansea University, in collaboration with the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan,Glyndwr and University of Wales Trinity Saint David, have formed ASTUTE: Advanced Sustainable Manufacturing Technologies. The £27 million project helps local manufacturing industry to adopt more advanced technologies, and to reduce environmental impact.

WELSH UNIVERSITIES PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS OF THE 21ST CENTURY.

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IMPORTANT WORK IN BIOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MARINE AND RURAL SCIENCES – PARTICULARLY FOR FOOD AND WATER SECURITY AND GLOBAL SUSTAINABILITY.

(PV) panels could supply up to 30 per cent of Europe’s electricity needs by 2050, significantly reducing carbon emissions.

Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff and Swansea universities launched the Climate Change Consortium of Wales (C3W) in 2009, to improve fundamental understanding of the causes, nature, timing and consequences of climate change on Earth’s environment and on humanity.

The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences at Aberystwyth University (IBERS) was awarded one of the first ever

Research and teaching in Wales is internationally strong in these areas, due in part to its geographical location and natural resources, attracting partnerships with – and investment from – Tata Steel, EDF, Babcock, Hitachi, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the National Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), among others.

Glyndwr University’s Centre for Solar Energy Research (CSER) is conducting important research into photovoltaics. Solar photovoltaic

E N E R G Y A N D R E S O U R C E S , E A R T H , O C E A N S A N D P L A N E T S

represent the UK on the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystems.

The Centre for Glaciology at Aberystwyth University is one of the leading British research groups concerned with the study of international glaciers and their sedimentary products. Professor Michael Hambrey was awarded the Polar Medal by HM The Queen in 1989, and was recognised in the naming of ‘Hambrey Cliffs’ on James Ross Island in Antarctica in 2006.

Excellence With Impact Awards by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council in 2011. IBERS is the lead partner in SOLID (Sustainable Organic and Low Input Dairying), an EU financed £5.3 million project involving 26 partners from 11 different countries, which aims to improve breeds and feeding methods in cows and goats to maintain productivity and to improve animal health and welfare.

Professor Gary Carvalho from the School of Biological Sciences at Bangor University was recently appointed to the UK National Committee for Biodiversity, which will

RESEARCH AND TEACHING IN WALES IS INTERNATIONALLY STRONG IN THESE AREAS ATTRACTING PARTNERSHIPS AND INVESTMENT FROM ACROSS THE WORLD.

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INNOVATIONS IN ROBOTICS, VISUALISATION, OPTICS AND OTHER INTELLIGENT TOOLS FOR SMART LIVING.

colleagues from the Intelligent Robotics Group at Aberystwyth University developed ‘Adam’, the robot scientist, to carry out scientific processes automatically without the need for human intervention. Time Magazine rated it the fourth most significant scientific discovery of 2009, and the research sparked worldwide media interest.

Bangor University’s School of Electronic Engineering was ranked joint second in the UK in the 2008 RAE. A current project led by Professor Jianming Tang looks at the use of optical internet cabling to increase broadband transmission by up to 2,000

Welsh universities are conducting cutting-edge research in the field, collaborating with each other and international companies including Microsoft, Intel, IBM and CISCO.

Bangor, Cardiff, Swansea and Aberystwyth universities operate the Wales Research Institute of Visual Computing, to amalgamate research programmes between their computer science departments.

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, amongst others, Professor Ross King and

I N T E L L I G E N T S Y S T E M S A N D S M A R T L I V I N G

At Glyndwr University, OpTIC Glyndwr is a leading centre for the research and development of optoelectronics technology. It is manufacturing prototype hexagonal segments for the world’s largest telescope, the €42 million European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), to be built by the European Southern Observatory in Chile. In September 2011, UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, described the work of Glyndwr University and others in the project as ‘world leading’.

times current speed and capacity, regardless of a subscriber’s home location.

The Advanced Medical Imaging and Visualization Unit at Bangor University (in collaboration with Leeds General Infirmary and the Institute of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University), has developed a surgical training tool for the iPad called ‘VCath’. It is designed to take a neurosurgical trainee through the steps of positioning and inserting a catheter into the brain of a virtual 3D patient.

IN SEPTEMBER 2011, UK PRIME MINISTER, DAVID CAMERON, DESCRIBED THE WORK OF GLYNDWR UNIVERSITY AND OTHERS IN THE PROJECT AS ‘WORLD LEADING’.

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It is no coincidence that the UK’s first Olympic gold medal of 2012, and the first ever British Olympic gold medal in women’s rowing, was won by Cardiff Metropolitan University alumna Helen Glover, along with her partner. Cardiff Metropolitan University is one of the leading universities for student sport in the UK, with top facilities including the National Indoor Athletics Centre, Outdoor Athletics Track and Tennis Centre.

Other high quality facilities include Celtic Manor Resort – the venue for the 2010 Ryder Cup. It has a 28-bay floodlit driving range, short game practice facilities, two

golf courses and a Golf Academy which is used by students of the University of South Wales as are 30 acres of playing fields at the University’s Sport Park, including five floodlit pitches and a FIFA approved full-size ‘rubber crumb’ pitch. Swansea University is home to the Wales National Pool and Sports Village. Glyndwr University Racecourse Stadium is the world’s oldest active international football ground. These facilities are used by professional national and international teams.

WELSH UNIVERSITIES ARE SOME OF THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY FOR SPORTS AND TOURISM, AND BOAST WORLD-CLASS FACILITIES.

S P O R T S A N D T O U R I S M

The Welsh Centre for Tourism Research (Cardiff Metropolitan University) was the only tourism research centre in the UK to have its own profile in the 2008 RAE. Over two-thirds of research was ranked as of international standing (2*) and a quarter was deemed to be world-leading (4*) or internationally excellent (3*). The Centre has established the African Centre for Sustainable Tourism Development and the Middle East and North Africa Tourism Research Centre to promote research and international partnerships in sustainable destinations.

The Tourism, Hospitality and Events Management Department at Cardiff Metropolitan University achieved a satisfaction score of 90 per cent in the National Student Survey 2008 – the highest ever achieved by any university department in the UK. It provides courses in areas such as international tourism, marketing and hospitality, and students are able to undertake work placements in several countries.

CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY IS ONE OF THE LEADING UNIVERSITIES FOR STUDENT SPORT IN THE UK.

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The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama is the National Conservatoire of Wales and part of the University of South Wales. It prepares students to enter and influence the world of music, theatre and related professions using international-standard facilities, including a concert hall, theatres, rehearsal studios and the award-winning Anthony Hopkins Centre. It is also a networking hub for arts professionals, and a public arts centre with an annual audience of 65,000. The College works closely with the BBC and Welsh National Opera.

Wales has been at the heart of animation for close to a century, and characters such as SuperTed and Fireman Sam have given Welsh animation a strong reputation. The University of South Wales provides training in animation and industry links with companies such as Aardman and Dinamo Studios.

The University of South Wales, Cardiff Metropolitan University and University of Wales Trinity Saint David form the Wales Institute for Research in Art and Design. In RAE 2008, 70 per cent of their research was rated internationally excellent (3*) or world leading (4*).

INCORPORATING ARCHITECTURE, ANIMATION, DESIGN, FASHION, FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY, MUSIC, VISUAL ANDPERFORMING ARTS, AND TELEVISION AND MEDIA.

C R E AT I V E I N D U S T R I E S

Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies combines a long-standing record of excellence in teaching and journalism training with an outstanding research portfolio. It has won over 40 awards since 2001.

At University of Wales Trinity Saint David, the School of Glass has a long-standing reputation as a centre of excellence in the field of stained glass. In 2013, the Schools of Glass, Product Design and Automotive Design will be centralised in a new Sustainable Design Centre.

With an investment of some £16 million over four years, Cardiff University is part of a Knowledge Exchange Hub for the Creative Economy, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to drive forward creative and digital innovation, and bring benefits to education, society and business.

WALES HAS BEEN AT THE HEART OF ANIMATION FOR CLOSE TO A CENTURY, AND CHARACTERS SUCH AS SUPERTED AND FIREMAN SAM HAVE GIVEN WELSH ANIMATION A REPUTATION.

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The universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, Glyndwr, South Wales, Swansea and University of Wales Trinity Saint David offer degree courses in the Welsh language, the benefits of which include greater employment opportunities after graduation. As well as the study and teaching of Welsh, the universities have diverse strengths in bilingualism, multilingualism and languages.

At Bangor University, there is academic expertise in bilingualism and multilingualism across many subjects. The School of Welsh is at the heart of Welsh literary life and aims to be an interface between creative practice in Wales and a wider international audience. The Centre for Place-Name Studies is part of the School, and its Place-Name Database is recognised by the National Archives as an example of best practice research, and forms the basis of the Dictionary of the Place-Names of Wales (2007). Supported by an Arts and Humanities Research Council grant, it is the most comprehensive published work of its kind.

OUTSTANDING WORK IN CELTIC ARCHAEOLOGY, BILINGUALISM, MULTILINGUALISM, TRANSLATION AND MINORITY LANGUAGES.

C E LT I C I D E N T I T Y , B I L I N G U A L I S M , L A N G U A G E S A N D C U LT U R E

The Mercator Institute for Media, Languages and Culture at Aberystwyth University hosts projects in language, creative and literary translation, media, publishing and culture, with much of the activity based around European and worldwide networks. Minority languages are at the forefront of the Institute’s mission, and the majority of its projects include these alongside state and trans-frontier languages.

Cardiff University’s School of European Languages, Translation and Politics has an international reputation in research, and appears in the top quartile in all major RAE indicators. The School of Welsh is the base for the oldest established Chair of Welsh and for over a century the department has produced eminent scholars and writers, including WJ Gruffydd, GJ Williams, AOH Jarman and Saunders Lewis.

THE SCHOOL OF WELSH IS AT THE HEART OF WELSH LITERARY LIFE.

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REFERRING TO ART, LITERATURE, PERFORMING ARTS, ANCIENT AND MODERN LANGUAGES, HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION, ANTHROPOLOGY, ARCHAEOLOGY, CRIMINOLOGY, CULTURAL STUDIES, ECONOMICS, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, PSYCHOLOGY, LAW, POLITICS AND SOCIOLOGY.

The School of Architecture at Cardiff University has a reputation as one of the best in the UK, recognised internationally for its research through a number of centres. The School of Planning and Geography is a leading international centre for teaching and research in spatial planning and human geography, and was ranked first in the UK in the 2008 RAE for its research.

A R T S , H U M A N I T I E S A N D S O C I A L S C I E N C E S

Wales is home to leading research in many different areas of arts, humanities and social sciences, and applied research in areas as diverse as criminal typology and gender studies. Pioneering work is being done in dictionary development, translation and language technologies. The outstanding research output is confirmed by the success rate in gaining grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and other funding bodies.

In the 2008 RAE, research in the areas of accounting, banking and finance at Bangor Business School was rated first in the UK. It has one of the largest PhD cohorts of any business school in the country, and was the first UK university to introduce an MBA in banking and finance.

At Swansea University, the programme in classics, ancient history and Egyptology studies the ancient civilisations of Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The School works closely with the Egypt Centre, which houses some 3,000 archaeological objects of Egyptian material culture.

Aberystwyth University’s Department of International Politics is renowned for teaching and research that has helped to shape the direction of the field, and shed light on some of the most urgent problems of contemporary international politics. Based on research and teaching rankings, the Department is among the top five in the UK.

WALES IS HOME TO LEADING RESEARCH IN MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF ARTS, HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND APPLIED RESEARCH IN AREAS AS DIVERSE AS CRIMINAL TYPOLOGY AND GENDER STUDIES.

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In this area, partnerships with further education colleges are extending pathways into higher education, and making provision more local and accessible.

Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute (UHOVI) is a strategic partnership between the University of South Wales and further education colleges, training providers, local authorities, businesses, schools and the voluntary sector. The Institute provides a wide range of higher education courses, in several different subject areas, to those who may be employed or unemployed, at local colleges and community venues.

The Welsh Centre for Crime and Social Justice, funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, brings together academics from the Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Cardiff Metropolitan, South Wales, Glyndwr and Swansea universities to generate theoretically informed, policy-relevant research on crime and social justice.

The Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People, based at Swansea University, is a forum for research, advocacy and expertise on human rights of children and young people and is associated with the World Congress on Rights of Children and Adolescents.

RESEARCH AND TEACHING IN SOCIAL ETHICS, HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHILDREN, CRIME AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND MIGRATION POLICY.

E D U C AT I O N A L A N D S O C I A L A C C E S S A N D J U S T I C E

The Centre for Criminology at University of South Wales delivers teaching, research and consultancy in criminology, which encompasses the study of crime, criminals, victims and the criminal justice system, including the police, court systems and prisons.

IN THIS AREA, PARTNERSHIPS WITH FURTHER EDUCATION COLLEGES ARE EXTENDING PATHWAYS INTO HIGHER EDUCATION, AND MAKING PROVISION MORE LOCAL AND ACCESSIBLE.

The Centre for Migration Policy Research is an inter-disciplinary research centre based at Swansea University. At a time when asylum and migration issues are high on political and policy agendas, the Centre aims to encourage the exchange of ideas and ensure that policy making is underpinned by empirical evidence. Research associates have regional expertise, which includes Wales and the UK, Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia.

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According to UNESCO, the number of students who have crossed a national border to study, or are enrolled in a distance learning programme abroad, has grown by 78 per cent in a decade.

As well as international engagement with governments, organisations and other bodies, universities in Wales have many student and staff exchange and mobility agreements, teaching articulations and research partnerships. University curricula are increasingly international to encourage an understanding of cultural diversity, global influences and entrepreneurialism.

Cardiff University engages with universities worldwide, but has built strong relationships with China in particular. The university has a Joint Institute for Oncology Research with Peking University, and an International Centre for Biomedical Research with China’s Capital Medical University. The work of this partnership, which aims to find new ways of detecting and treating breast cancer, came first in the International Collaboration category at the annual Times Higher Education awards in 2011.

HIGHER EDUCATION IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY INTERNATIONAL AND MOBILE.

I N T E R N AT I O N A L E N G A G E M E N T

Swansea University is heavily involved in the Science Without Borders Scheme, which has brought over 70 Brazilian postgraduates to Swansea and other Welsh universities, and is helping to generate government and industry connections with Brazil.

International alumni of Wales include Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone; Datuk Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Minister of Education in Malaysia; and Sulak Sivaraska, human rights campaigner in Thailand, who was awarded the Right Livelihood Award in 1995 and twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Cardiff Metropolitan is the only university in the UK to co-ordinate five different Erasmus Mundus Action 2 (EMA2) projects, which offer financial support for mobility exchanges. Current partners include Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, India, Western Balkans and the Caucasus region. The university is also developing collaborative distance learning programmes, delivered 100 per cent online, with partners in India, Lebanon and South Africa.

CARDIFF METROPOLITAN IS THE ONLY UNIVERSITY IN THE UK TO COORDINATE FIVE DIFFERENT ERASMUS MUNDUS ACTION 2 (EMA2) PROJECTS, WHICH OFFER FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR MOBILITY EXCHANGES.

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Part of the success in student satisfaction rankings is due to the fact that Welsh universities are situated in towns or small cities. In most cases, students are able to walk or cycle everywhere, without the need for long commutes. Cost of living is generally lower than in other parts of the UK, as are crime statistics. In the i-graduate International Student Barometer, Cardiff Metropolitan University was ranked first for student satisfaction in the UK in 2010, 2011 and 2012.

The Confederation of British Industry Wales (CBI Wales), the National Union of Students Wales, the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales and the Committee of Vice-Chancellors have developed a Skills and Employability Framework to improve the job-related skills of graduates from universities in Wales. The three key areas include work placements and work experience; employer approved courses and embedding employability skills across all higher education curricula.

WELSH UNIVERSITIES PERFORM STRONGLY IN STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEYS SUCH AS THE NATIONAL STUDENT SURVEY AND TIMES HIGHER EDUCATION’S STUDENT EXPERIENCE SURVEY.

S T U D E N T E X P E R I E N C E , E M P L O YA B I L I T Y A N D S U P P O R T

of Music and Drama internships with the BBC and Wales National Opera and Swansea University students taking ERASMUS work placements in Europe and internships in India.

The majority of universities run student buddy or mentoring schemes, which match up international students with alumni or existing students before they depart from home. The larger universities also arrange airport collection for international students, to ensure that they are met by a friendly face.

Industry partnerships are an essential part of student employability, creating opportunities for work placements and pathways into employment, commerce and business. According to Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data, 91 per cent of graduates from full-time degree courses in Wales are employed six months after leaving higher education, which is higher than the UK average.

Work placements and internships being offered include University of Wales Trinity Saint David internships with Walt Disney World and CN Tower; Royal Welsh College

IN THE I-GRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT BAROMETER, CARDIFF METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY WAS RANKED FIRST FOR STUDENT SATISFACTION IN THE UK IN 2010, 2011 AND 2012.

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© British Council 2013 / D136 The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. All images © Mat Wright unless otherwise stated.

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