British Council to Invest $500,000 from Prime Minister’s Initiative in “UK-US Higher Education New Partnerships Fund”; Initiative Developed in Cooperation with Institute of International Education
Fund Unveiled as IIE Announces that UK Remains Top Destination for US Students
Washington, DC – November 16, 2009 – To mark International Education Week, the British Council (the UK’s organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities) announced today that it will contribute $500,000 toward a new initiative, the UK-US Higher Education New Partnerships Fund, to stimulate increased interaction between United Kingdom and United States higher education institutions. The fund is linked to extensive research carried out in cooperation with the Institute of International Education (IIE) earlier in the year on higher education partnerships between the UK and the US. Full details of the New Partnerships Fund will be announced in early 2010 alongside the full research findings.
"The UK and the USA have excellent higher education systems, and for many years students from both countries have benefitted from the close working relationships that have developed between our two countries,” commented David Lammy, the UK’s Minister for Higher Education and Intellectual Property "These new partnerships, funded through the Prime Minister's Initiative for International Education, will build on this and encourage even more links between universities and students across both our systems. The relationship between the UK and US is important, and we remain committed to that and to building on it for the future."
Higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and United States have a long history of collaboration for joint research initiatives across many disciplines, as well as an abundance of professor and student exchanges. There are currently more than 5,000 UK university staff with research links to the United States and more than 3,500 US research students currently working in the UK. A few of the joint UK-US research projects currently underway include: exploring stem cell therapy for macular degeneration, conducting an extensive study of the Earth’s atmosphere, identifying materials that act as superconductors and the studying role of sugar in cell-to-cell communication.
‘’Education links are crucial for increasing long term cultural relations and this new initiative represents a continued investment into the development of transatlantic education partnerships,” said Sharon Memis, Director British Council North America.
The British Council’s UK-US Higher Education New Partnerships Fund is introduced as higher education partnerships receive a growing spotlight in U.S. foreign policy. In recent weeks, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has emphasized education and higher education partnerships on her state visits. In Russia, Secretary Clinton remarked, “…Part of our approach in the Obama Administration is to reach out to form more partnerships with not just governments but people-to-people partnerships that we think are going to provide a strong foundation for our future cooperation.”
The United Kingdom is the top destination for American students who choose to study outside the country in semester- or year-abroad as well as full degree programs: undergraduate, masters and PhD.
This year, the United Kingdom once again took the top spot, rising almost 2% with 33,333 Americans studying in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in the 2007-2008 school year (14% of overall study abroad students) according to new data released by IIE. Conversely, the United States is perennially the top destination for British students who study outside their home country with 8,701 studying in the US during the 2008-09 school year. A complete copy of the IIE release is available at http://www.opendoors.iienetwork.org.
The U.S. Departments of State and Education annually recognize the importance of global education through International Education Week.
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About the British Council
The British Council is the United Kingdom’s international non-profit organization for cultural relations and education opportunities. In the US, we increase recognition of the wide range of learning opportunities available in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and facilitate educational cooperation between the US and UK.
About Education UK
Education UK is a British Council brand that represents higher education, including universities and schools, in the United Kingdom.
In the United States, Education UK represents UK universities at educational conferences, particularly the annual meetings of the National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) and the NAFSA - Association of International Educators.
CONTACT: Carrie AnnandThe United Kingdom’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities.
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