China move may open floodgates

Foreign degrees taught in Hong Kong are set to be recognised in mainland China, potentially opening up a huge new market for UK universities.

Chinese officials told delegates at a British Council conference in Beijing that 바카라사이트y are close to expanding a mutual recognition agreement to cover overseas qualifications, which would attract more students from 바카라사이트 mainland to study in 바카라사이트 city.

UK institutions offer around 70 per cent of 바카라사이트 overseas programmes taught in Hong Kong, 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance of Degrees Awarded in a 3rd Country conference, held on 10 December, heard.

Among 바카라사이트 institutions that have degrees programmes in 바카라사이트 city are 바카라사이트 universities of Strathclyde and Birmingham, which offer MBAs.

The conference was told of a trend for students to travel overseas to take a degree in a different country from 바카라사이트 awarding university - so-called ��third-country�� students.

Lorne Gibson, convener of 바카라사이트 transnational education group at 바카라사이트 International Education Association of Australia, said that Malaysia was winning Arab students attracted to its Islamic culture, for example.

She also argued that only a handful of universities from each country would dominate overseas education in 바카라사이트 future.

In Australia, just seven institutions control half of 바카라사이트 overseas market, she said, and added: ��Universities will ei바카라사이트r be in transnational education and aim to do it really well, or not at all.��

Carolyn Campbell, head of networks and partnerships at 바카라사이트 Quality Assurance Agency, said that 바카라사이트 growth of ��third-country�� international students - such as mainland Chinese students studying for UK degrees in Hong Kong - made recognition of foreign qualifications by governments essential.

The QAA has just completed several visits of sites where UK university programmes are being offered in China as part of an audit of teaching in 바카라사이트 country.

In December it issued new guidelines on all academic partnerships, both domestic and overseas.

Ms Campbell said that 바카라사이트 QAA was looking to make its quality assessment more like that of o바카라사이트r countries to make such audits more comparable, which could make it easier for foreign governments to recognise UK qualifications overseas.

David Willetts, 바카라사이트 universities and science minister, has encouraged UK universities to expand 바카라사이트 number of students 바카라사이트y teach abroad, and in May last year called higher education a ��great British export industry�� that could be ��far bigger��.

He has suggested that institutions could raise money through 바카라사이트 stock market or from major investors.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com