Statistics show UK visas up in 2010
New statistics published by the UK Office for National Statistics last week show that the number of students visas issued for the year to June 2010 reached 362,015, an increase of 35 per cent on the same period to June 2009.
The increase is attributed to the introduction of a new visa system in March 2009, which was changed again, restricting the ease in which students could get a visa, in March 2010. The statistics also show that the number of work-related visas were down by 14 per cent to June 2010 on the previous year to 161,050 visas.
New university and college consortium in the USA
A group of 11 college and university campuses in the USA have joined together to form a consortium called the GlobalPittsburgh Education Partnership in a bid to increase international student enrolments and retention by 10 per cent in the next five years.
The universities that have already joined the consortium are Carlow University, Chatham University, Community College of Allegheny County, Duquesne University, La Roche College, the three Pennsylvania State campuses of Beaver, Greater Allegheny and New Kensington, Robert Morris University, Washington & Jefferson College and West Virginia University.
Roger Cranville, President of GlobalPittsburgh, said, “We plan to use GlobalPittsburgh’s resources to raise the visibility of the region’s outstanding educational opportunities around the world, and also to help engage incoming students and their families once they arrive in the region.”
Post graduate applications on the increase in USA
A recent report released by the Council of Graduate Schools in the USA has revealed that overseas applications to graduate schools in the USA have risen by nine per cent in 2010 compared with 2009.
New admissions grew by three per cent year on year with top source countries being China, India and Korea. The number of new admissions form Chinese students grew by 16 per cent and marked the fifth year of double-digit growth. However, admissions of students from India and Korea dropped by four per cent and seven per cent respectively.
Nathan Bell, author of the report, said, “The declines in offers weren’t nearly as bad as last year. It might indicate we’re moving toward something more stable for next year.”