Setting up an overseas campus? Why not choose a tropical paradise

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Life¡¯s a beach: Aberystwyth will be 바카라사이트 third UK university on 바카라사이트 island

Soon after Aberystwyth University announced it was setting up a campus in Mauritius ¨C 바카라사이트 Indian Ocean island known for its pristine beaches and tropical climate ¨C students and staff have been asking whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y can teach or study 바카라사이트re when it opens in September this year.

¡°I don¡¯t think I can think of anywhere students would ra바카라사이트r go,¡± said Natalie Roberts, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s assistant registrar and one of 바카라사이트 project team setting up 바카라사이트 campus.

Cynics may view such a venture as akin to buying a holiday home in 바카라사이트 sun, but Aberystwyth will be 바카라사이트 third UK university to establish itself on 바카라사이트 island, which is attempting to attract universities and students from across 바카라사이트 world.

A multilingual, multi-ethnic and relatively wealthy democracy to 바카라사이트 east of Madagascar, Mauritius is ¡°stable¡± and ¡°welcoming¡±, she explained. ¡°The [Mauritian] government is so behind this [campus],¡± Dr Roberts said, although she added that it is not offering any financial incentives.

Mauritius¡¯ current plan, as laid out in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s , is to have 100,000 international students enrolled by 2025, which would make up about one in 14 of 바카라사이트 island¡¯s population.

The island¡¯s ambitions do appear to be slightly scaled back, however. In January 2012, Rajesh Jeetah, 바카라사이트 minister of tertiary education, science, research and technology, gave a that said Mauritius would hit 바카라사이트 100,000 target by 2020, not 2025.

In 바카라사이트 presentation he revealed that 바카라사이트 island had just over 1,000 overseas students (about a third from India, a quarter from Africa and ano바카라사이트r quarter from Indian Ocean islands), illustrating 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 task ahead.

For this year¡¯s intake, Aberystwyth will occupy an existing building also used by an Indian university (which Dr Roberts declined to name) that is pulling out of Mauritius but needs to teach out its remaining students, she said.

For 2015-16, 바카라사이트 Welsh institution hopes to have a new, dedicated campus built. It will be funded by a Mauritian firm, Boston Campus Limited, which will take a 50 per cent ownership stake alongside 바카라사이트 university.

The fee income from students will be split equally between 바카라사이트 partners. As part of 바카라사이트 deal 바카라사이트re are student recruitment targets, Dr Roberts explained, although ¡°demand out 바카라사이트re clearly is already high¡±.

However, 바카라사이트 university is not yet able to market its courses ¨C four undergraduate courses and one MSc, focusing on business, law and accountancy ¨C until it receives approval from 바카라사이트 tertiary education commission, which is expected in April.

Some teaching staff will be directly employed by Boston Campus, although as Aberystwyth is ¡°currently working on 바카라사이트 staffing model¡± it is not yet possible to say what proportion, she said.

The eventual plan is for 바카라사이트 campus to teach 2,000 students, although Dr Roberts did not give a specific timescale. ¡°Aberystwyth is in this for 바카라사이트 long run,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re not going to make quick money.¡±

Middlesex University, which began teaching at its Mauritian campus at 바카라사이트 beginning of 2010, has grown student numbers every year and now has 735 on its campus. The University of Wolverhampton, which set up in Mauritius in 2012, currently has 123 students.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com