Why choose the UK as an international study destination

Multicultural UK
The UK is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world. Between 1991 and 2001, the minority ethnic population in Britain grew by 53 per cent to 4.6 million (accounting for 7.9 per cent of the total population). Multiculturalism has benefited the UK in all areas of its culture, from industry and commerce to music, art, sport, science and literature. It has brought fresh ideas, new skills, labour and cultural diversity to the UK and is celebrated with festivals such as the Notting Hill Carnival (which takes place in London every August) and the Chinese New Year festivals held in cities across the UK.

Culture
Studying in the UK, students will be surrounded by a wealth of beauty and creativity. For such a small nation, the UK has an extraordinarily rich historical and cultural heritage. While other countries may now be greater political and economic entities, the UK has undoubtedly retained its leading position as a source of scientific, literary and artistic talent.

Architecture
Fine historic architecture is a major feature of the UK. It can be found on a small scale in traditional market towns, or on a grand scale in palaces and major historic buildings. While studying in the UK, students might take the opportunity to visit some of the many historic homes, such as Chatsworth in Derbyshire or Glamis Castle in Scotland. A visit to Buckingham Palace of Windsor Castle will show them the glory of the Royal Family residences.

Arts and literature
Virtually everywhere students go in the UK, they will be able to attend some sort of arts or cultural event. Literature lovers can enjoy a Shakespeare performance at Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of the most famous playwright that ever lived. Art fanatics will have the opportunity to visit the world-renowned National Galleries of London and Edinburgh, the Liverpool and London Tate Galleries and the scores of exhibitions elsewhere, including the Mackintosh Collection at the Glasgow School of Art and the Manchester Whitworth and City Art Galleries.

Entertainment
From pubs and clubs to cinema, the arts, theatre, comedy, live music and more, there is no shortage of things to see and do wherever you are in the UK. There are more than 3,250 cinemas in the UK, and foreign language films account for more than a third of all film releases in the UK. The public house (or pub) has long been a symbol of a great British night out. Pubs in the UK vary from traditional coaching inns and rest houses (the historic George Inn in Southwark, London, is a good example) to modern, glass-fronted chain pubs, such as All Bar One and Pitcher and Piano that you will find on the UK’s high streets. There is also a vibrant wine bar and café culture that often attracts the young crowd of a given area. The UK’s major towns and cities are also famous for their brilliant nightlife. Club nights range from hip hop and garage to commercial pop and alternative rock, and carry on into the early hours of the morning, long after most pubs and bars have closed. For the biggest clubs, head to one of the UK’s larger cities: Fabric in London, Milk in Belfast and Time Flies in Cardiff are among the UK’s top clubs and attract star DJs like Pete Tong, Seb Fontaine and Judge Jules.

Food and drink
UK food is much more than fish and chips or roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. Top chefs like Jamie Oliver at Fifteen, Raymond Blanc at White Horse and Gordon Ramsay (whose London restaurant has been awarded three Michelin stars for the third consecutive year) have helped to position the UK at the head of the table of European cuisine. And if you cannot afford to dine out on some of the best haute cuisine, you can grab a takeaway or sample some good old-fashioned British classics. One of the greatest things about food in the UK is its variety; on most UK high streets you find foods from all around the world including Chinese, Thai, Spanish, Italian and Indian. In turn, these multicultural influences have helped turn the UK into a nation of ‘foodies’, with many people taking a far greater interest in what they eat than ever before. This explains the huge popularity of television cookery shows and the celebrity status of chefs such as Jamie Oliver, Delia Smith and Nigella Lawson.

Film and theatre
Great writing, direction and acting have given UK theatre its worldwide reputation for excellence. International stars, including Nicole Kidman, David Schwimmer, Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna, have performed on the London stage. As a result, box-office sales for productions such as This Is Our Youth and The Blue Room (which was itself directed by Oscar-winning theatre/film director, Sam Mendes) have soared. London’s West End stages some of the most exciting theatre in the world and many classic shows have premièred here. The world’s longest running play, Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap, was first staged in London on 25 November 1952 and is still going strong. Ewan McGregor returned to the West End stage in the classic musical Guys and Dolls in 2005; Jane rakowski, most famous for her role in Ally McBeal, starred alongside Ewan. Regional theatre is also thriving across the country. The UK has a long history of film-making and it is an industry that is thriving today. At the beginning of 2004, the UK Film Council reported that a record £1.17 billion had been spent on British film production in 2003 – double the figure for the previous year. The UK does not just produce world-quality studios – young British actors including Keira Knightley, Orlando Bloom, Paul Bettany and Parminder Nagra made a big impression in 2003 and look set to join already established names such as Kate Winslet and Jude Law as Hollywood favourites.

Sport
The UK is a nation obsessed with sport from football, cricket and rugby to tennis, athletics and horse racing. In November 2003, England won the Rugby World Cup, making rugby hero Jonny Wilkinson almost a big as star as England football captain David Beckham. Team GB won 30 Olympic medals at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Among the haul were nine gold medals, two provided by Kelly Holmes, Olympic champion over 800m and 1500m. Holmes’s double gold was hailed as one of the finest achievements in British track and field history. While spectators have the opportunity to watch world-class football, rugby, tennis, athletics and more in the UK, there are also first-class leisure centres and gyms all across the country. The 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester was a great success. Sports developments totalling £120 million have improved facilities across the country and UK universities have been a major beneficiary of this money.

Media
UK broadcasting has a reputation for excellence and is often recognised as being the best in the world. The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) and other UK terrestrial channels, have produced award-winning programmes that have become known across the world. The most recent example of this is the hit sitcom The Office, which became the toast of Hollywood in January when it won two Golden Globe awards, the first British comedy series to win the award. Radio is also dominated by the BBC; its five national networks, three regional services and 40 local radio stations in England make up nearly 50 per cent of all radio listening. Add to that four national commercial radio stations, around 170 local ones and over 300 digital stations and you have an enormous range of news, music, sport and other programmes to choose from. Newspapers in the UK range from the broadsheets (those with a serious tone) – including The Times, The Independent and the Guardian – to the more celebrity-led tabloids such as The Sun and The Mirror. Newsagent’s shelves are stacked high with glossy magazines covering sport, music, food, health, fashion, and current affairs.

Countryside, coastal areas and cities
For a relatively small island, the UK’s countryside is remarkably varied. From Scotland’s majestic Ben Nevis, the stunning landscape of the borders, Northern Ireland and Yorkshire, the lakes, valleys and mountains of Wales and down to the rolling beauty of the South of England, it ranges from the gentle to the agnificent. And it is a landscape that has been made famous across the globe with films such as Harry Potter, Calendar Girls and Love Actually. Travelling around the UK – whether you choose to go by car, train or bus – is relatively inexpensive, especially if taking advantage of the many student travel discounts available. The UK is blessed with some stunning beaches and charming seaside towns. From the picturesque towns hewn into the rocks above the Cornish coast and the stunning resorts of the Scottish coast, to the lively seaside resort of Blackpool (famous for its illuminations) or Brighton (also known as London-by-the-sea because of its vibrant night life) there is a holiday by the sea to suit everyone. Over 100 of the UK’s beaches have been awarded the Blue Flag for sustainable development or Green Flag for cleanliness. London is by far the UK’s largest city with a population of over seven million people. In a recent poll it was voted Europe’s coolest city – a view reinforced by the newest edition of the backpackers’ bible, the Lonely Planet guide, which described it as ‘the place to be right now’. This consensus would go some way to explaining why it is also the most popular city break destination in Europe, attracting 11.6 million visitors in 2002. The UK’s other capital cities – Belfast, Edinburgh and Cardiff – are also steeped in history and undergoing large-scale redevelopment. What makes the UK’s cities so interesting is that each is firmly rooted in the history and landscape of the surrounding area. Liverpool retains its maritime history in its renovated and revitalized docklands; Manchester is an energetic and exciting modern city; and Bristol has become an up-to-date city filled with unique attractions.

Climate
One of the only things you can count on where the UK’s weather is concerned is its unreliability. Despite the changeable nature of the weather, there are four distinct seasons in the UK: winter, spring, summer and autumn. On the whole, temperatures rarely fall below -5˚c or rise much above 32˚c. One of the most noticeable climatic features in the UK is long summer days and short winter ones – it gets dark by 10.00 p.m. in July and just 4.00 p.m. in December.

Education is delivered in English
Improved English skills can mean improved job prospects
Where better for students to improve their knowledge of English than the birthplace of the language? Studying in the UK, students will be using English every day in a variety of situations. This constant exposure to the language will have enormous benefits. If they are not already, by the end of their courses students will be confident in written and spoken English as well as equipped with a valuable qualification. This will stand them in good stead for their chosen careers by making them much more attractive to employers back home. English has become the world’s global language. It is spoken by around one in four of the world’s population, and has official or special status in at least 75 countries with a total population of over two billion.

Main Facts

• Students throughout world like an English-language education




• UK promises a rich experience for international students The UK is one of the most popular destinations in the world to international students




• Education System is recognized around the world as a world class system




• The UK's education system is comprehensive and adaptable International graduates from the UK have a variety of options. They can look for job continue their education, or return back to their home country with their new skills and knowledge.




• The degrees and qualifications from UK higher education institutions are known around the world as high quality and world class




• The standard of excellence is set by some of the older universities with recognizable names, like Oxford and Cambridge, but the tradition carries through to many of the universities and colleges throughout the UK.




• Most degree programs in the UK require a three-year course and a masters program is typically one year




• The international student in the UK is typically allowed to work up to 20 hours a week during school term, and up to full-time when school is out of term




• There are a variety of scholarships for students who wish to study in the UK




• Over the last 30 to 40 years the UK has changed greatly and has become much more cosmopolitan and multicultural.




• The UK is seen as a destination of great diversity with London being the hub for many internationals.




• The origins of the United Kingdom, a country rich in history and culture and find out how the country we know today was formed over many years through the union of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.