The FINANCIAL -- Commenting on the University World Rankings published on October 7 by the Times Higher Education magazine, Pat Killingley, the British Council’s Director of Higher Education, said:

“We are delighted to see UK universities doing so well, and in many cases improving their position, in this year’s global rankings. Academics and students around the world place a great deal of importance on the rankings, and this news will help us to continue to attract fresh talent to UK education.

“The emergence of top performing universities in Asia however shows that we cannot afford to be complacent and underlines the importance of continuing to promote our competitive advantages. At the same time, the growing importance of collaboration between institutions and academics in different countries means we should perhaps be viewing these rising Asian stars more as potential partners than as rivals. Some 80 per cent of UK universities now have some form of international education partnership with international institutions, helping us to share ideas and research with other countries.

“It is also vital to remember that the UK owes much of its worldwide reputation for top quality education to many universities and colleges not listed in the top 200. These institutions, which include those offering a smaller range of specialised programmes, add to the broad range of education on offer in the UK. This rich diversity has a lot to do with why there are now over 380,000 international students studying in the UK, and this number continues to grow year on year.”

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