The United Kingdom has a proud history and an impeccable record in providing international students with some of the finest choices of institutions for their higher education. Many of these institutions are equipped with state of the art facilities for students to explore and fulfill their potential. The higher education system in UK encourages students to be independent and creative while expanding their subject knowledge and developing the skills necessary to survive in a competitive job market. The Sri Lankan education system too, closely resembles that of the UK, as it was modeled after the British system at the early stages. Therefore, a student, who selects UK as his/her destination for higher education, is likely to find their entry into a foreign education system somewhat familiar to that of Sri Lanka. With UK, students can rest assured of having selected nothing but the best.
The United Kingdom has over 100 universities, and many other colleges of higher and further education and private training providers that offer a wide range of qualifications ranging from undergraduate, postgraduate to vocational programmes of study. Students are very closely screened for academic credentials in order to maintain the standards that are expected.
QS Worldwide University Rankings of 2013, featured eight leading universities in the UK among the top 50 universities in the world, four of them, including Universities of Oxford and Cambridge and the London School of Economics (LSE), were among the top six.
The Russell Group of Universities, an association of twenty-four public research universities that include world-class institutions such as The University of Sheffield, University of Manchester, University of Nottingham, Durham University and others offer high achievers an amazing set of choices to lay the foundations for a bright future. Russell Group universities receive two-thirds of all research funding granted by the Government of UK and as at 2004, accounted for 56% of all doctorates awarded in the UK. Around 30% of non-EU international students in the UK are enrolled in a Russell Group university.
The UK was ranked 2nd in the world for university-industry collaboration by the Annual Innovation Report of 2012 issued by the United Kingdom Government’s Department for Business Innovation & Skills. Rigid adherence to high standards and constant evaluation of the education system has enabled them to play a lead role in the field of higher education.
The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) found that 54% of the research conducted by UK universities was ‘internationally excellent.’ This is clear evidence that UK is the ultimate choice of any student who wants to excel in any professional course of study.
UK is the number one destination in the world for English Language Study. A student pursuing linguistics, literature or any other related field of study will gain the maximum benefits from these esteemed institutions.
UK offers a multicultural environment that puts any foreign student at ease. London was ranked 2nd behind Paris in the QS Best Student City Rankings of 2013. London continues to be one of the highly sought after destinations for international students the world over. Large metropolitan cities like Manchester and Edinburgh too feature among the top 50 Best Student City Rankings in the world, while Sheffield, Birmingham, Newcastle consistently feature among the most popular cities for students.
UK is replete with culture and history. UNESCO has identified more than 28 world heritage sites and cities in the UK, so a student will never run out of things to explore during breaks. This is an opportunity for students who want nothing but the best for themselves.