Russell Group

Narxoz University announces an agreement with Queen's University Belfast for a branch at the Almaty campus, with signing ceremony attended by Lord Cameron

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 3, 2024
University, Russell Group, Republic, Education, Commonwealth, Partnership, Lord Cameron, Queen's University, Foreign, Student, Queen's University Belfast, Tutoring

The agreement, signed at a ceremony attended by Lord David Cameron, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and former UK Prime Minister, marks a significant milestone in Narxoz's history.

Key Points: 
  • The agreement, signed at a ceremony attended by Lord David Cameron, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and former UK Prime Minister, marks a significant milestone in Narxoz's history.
  • The new partnership strengthens the relationship between Queen's and Narxoz, building on their double degree agreement which was announced earlier this year.
  • Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen's University Belfast, outlined: "As an international University, Queen's University Belfast is delighted to partner with Narxoz University, and this partnership builds on the excellent relationships we have developed with students and university staff.
  • Miras Daulenov, President of Narxoz University, added: "Our partnership with Queen's University Belfast is an example of effective collaboration with a top university.

Narxoz University announces an agreement with Queen's University Belfast for a branch at the Almaty campus, with signing ceremony attended by Lord Cameron

Retrieved on: 
Friday, May 3, 2024
University, Russell Group, Republic, Education, Commonwealth, Partnership, Lord Cameron, Queen's University, Multimedia, Foreign, Student, Queen's University Belfast, Tutoring

The agreement, signed at a ceremony attended by Lord David Cameron, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and former UK Prime Minister, marks a significant milestone in Narxoz's history.

Key Points: 
  • The agreement, signed at a ceremony attended by Lord David Cameron, British Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, and former UK Prime Minister, marks a significant milestone in Narxoz's history.
  • The new partnership strengthens the relationship between Queen's and Narxoz, building on their double degree agreement which was announced earlier this year.
  • Nola Hewitt-Dundas, Faculty Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Queen's University Belfast, outlined: "As an international University, Queen's University Belfast is delighted to partner with Narxoz University, and this partnership builds on the excellent relationships we have developed with students and university staff.
  • Miras Daulenov, President of Narxoz University, added: "Our partnership with Queen's University Belfast is an example of effective collaboration with a top university.

Why international students are taking the ‘back door’ route into England’s top universities

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, February 8, 2024
Doug, Education, The Sunday Times, Student, Government, Perception, Russell Group, Ivy League, School, Diplomacy, Research, University, Medicine, Tutoring

Using secret film of recruitment agents, the newspaper reported on a “back door” route which lets international students into Russell Group universities with “far lower grades” than students from the UK.

Key Points: 
  • Using secret film of recruitment agents, the newspaper reported on a “back door” route which lets international students into Russell Group universities with “far lower grades” than students from the UK.
  • The “back door” enables international students to enter a year-long foundation course with lower entry grades, then apply for progression onto an undergraduate degree.
  • This is leading to concerns that they are favouring international students through the foundation year route.

Foundation years

  • There are foundation years run by independent companies with partnerships and recognition from universities.
  • Russell Group and other English universities also run foundation years themselves, often linked to specific subjects such as medicine and physical sciences.
  • Foundation years are becoming increasingly popular, with the number of entrants increasing from 8,000 to around 70,000 during the last decade.
  • By helping less-advantaged students enter university, foundation years increase opportunities and improve the supply of highly skilled graduates.

Student recruitment

  • In real terms, the fee for each student has reduced by around one quarter in this time.
  • In contrast, there is no cap on international student fees.
  • Universities are recruiting more students through this route because they rely on them to fund domestic student places.
  • Yet the government now funds only £1,600 of the average £10,200 that English universities receive for each domestic student.


Chris Millward is employed by the University of Birmingham, which is a member of the Russell Group. For four years prior to his appointment to the University of Birmingham in 2022, Chris was the Director for Fair Access and Participation on the executive and board of England's higher education regulator, the Office for Students. He has, therefore, been directly involved in the issues addressed by this article.

NARXOZ ENTERS HISTORIC DEGREE PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADING UK UNIVERSITY

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 26, 2024
Student, Russell Group, Bachelor, University, Republic, Employment, Research, Partnership, State, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business administration, History, Queen's University Belfast, Double degree, Education, Smith School of Business, Queen, Business school, Export, Narxoz University, Tutoring

Provides Narxoz students with access to Queen's University Belfast, a leading UK institution

Key Points: 
  • Provides Narxoz students with access to Queen's University Belfast, a leading UK institution
    ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Jan. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Narxoz University , a preeminent private university in Almaty in the Republic of Kazakhstan, has entered into a historic Institutional Partnership and Double Degree Agreement with Queen's University Belfast, a prestigious Russell Group UK university.
  • As part of the Double Degree program, Narxoz students can receive a degree (BSc Business Management, BSc Business Economics or BSc Finance) from Queen's, a degree (Bachelor of Business Administration) from Narxoz University and the opportunity to undertake internships and employment with British companies.
  • Narxoz has become the first university in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to form an institutional partnership with Queen's University Belfast.
  • Ravishankar, Dean, Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast commented: "Queen's Business School looks forward to partnering with Narxoz University and building valuable relationships in Kazakhstan.

NARXOZ ENTERS HISTORIC DEGREE PARTNERSHIP WITH LEADING UK UNIVERSITY

Retrieved on: 
Friday, January 26, 2024
Student, Russell Group, Bachelor, University, Republic, Employment, Research, Multimedia, Partnership, State, Bachelor of Business Administration, Business administration, History, Queen's University Belfast, Double degree, Education, Smith School of Business, Queen, Business school, Export, Narxoz University, Tutoring

Provides Narxoz students with access to Queen's University Belfast, a leading UK institution

Key Points: 
  • Provides Narxoz students with access to Queen's University Belfast, a leading UK institution
    ALMATY, Kazakhstan, Jan. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Narxoz University , a preeminent private university in Almaty in the Republic of Kazakhstan, has entered into a historic Institutional Partnership and Double Degree Agreement with Queen's University Belfast, a prestigious Russell Group UK university.
  • As part of the Double Degree program, Narxoz students can receive a degree (BSc Business Management, BSc Business Economics or BSc Finance) from Queen's, a degree (Bachelor of Business Administration) from Narxoz University and the opportunity to undertake internships and employment with British companies.
  • Narxoz has become the first university in Kazakhstan and Central Asia to form an institutional partnership with Queen's University Belfast.
  • Ravishankar, Dean, Queen's Business School, Queen's University Belfast commented: "Queen's Business School looks forward to partnering with Narxoz University and building valuable relationships in Kazakhstan.

AI AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY EXPECTED TO DRIVE GROWTH IN CONSULTING IN 2024 ACCORDING TO INDEPENDENT NEW SURVEY FROM THE MCA

Retrieved on: 
Monday, January 22, 2024
Digital technology, Russell Group, Woman, Learning, Retail, Research, Time management, Uncertainty, Face, Savanta ComRes, Consultant, AI, Excellence, MCA, Running, Social mobility, Human, Data analysis, Public sector, Interface (computing), Growth

In the largest piece of research ever conducted by independent research firm Savanta Comres.

Key Points: 
  • In the largest piece of research ever conducted by independent research firm Savanta Comres.
  • The impact of AI features greatly in the results of the MCA Member Survey 2024.
  • Independent market research agency Savanta partnered with the MCA to collect and analyse member data for the 2024 report.
  • The UK consulting industry is amongst the best in the world and a vital part of the business landscape.

National Council For Adoption Names Co-Founder of Tennessee-Based Adoption Nonprofit as the 2023 Inductee to Adoption Hall of Fame

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, October 26, 2023
Russell Group, Child, Policy, Friends, Service, Congress, Animal Care Centers of NYC, NCFA, Gold, Culture, Parent, Pharmaceutical industry, Education

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is pleased to announce Mary Beth Chapman, founder of the Franklin, Tennessee based nonprofit, Show Hope, as the 2023 inductee to the Adoption Hall of Fame .

Key Points: 
  • ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 26, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- National Council For Adoption (NCFA) is pleased to announce Mary Beth Chapman, founder of the Franklin, Tennessee based nonprofit, Show Hope, as the 2023 inductee to the Adoption Hall of Fame .
  • This award is given to recognize those who exhibit outstanding dedication, service and sacrifice to the cause of adoption and those who have positively impacted the practice of adoption.
  • During National Adoption Month in November, NCFA will also recognize its Friend of Adoption awardees.
  • NCFA will also honor Rep. Danny Davis (D-IL), Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL), Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH), and California-based attorney Celeste Liversidge as Friends of Adoption.

What happens if a university goes bust?

Retrieved on: 
Monday, September 25, 2023
Financial Services Compensation Scheme, Chancellor, Housing, Education, Face, Higher Education Statistics Agency, Policy, University, Sheffield Hallam University, ING, History, Government, Russell Group, Student, Prospectus, Collection, Ferguson Marine, Income, RBS, Landsbanki, Universities UK, Bank, Insurance, Tutoring, Nursing

They can stand by while private businesses collapse and see the resulting loss of jobs and revenue.

Key Points: 
  • They can stand by while private businesses collapse and see the resulting loss of jobs and revenue.
  • Or they can step in and use public money to prop up these firms.
  • The UK boasts the second-largest collection of Nobel laureates and four of the world’s top-20 universities.

Financial woes

    • The most recent data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency for the financial year ending in 2022 shows that (excluding pension adjustments, which can skew accounts for particular years) 24% of UK universities reported a deficit.
    • The outgoing vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Sir Chris Husbands, recently suggested that calls to increase fee levels could be perceived as being tone deaf.
    • Of the brand names that collapsed during the 2008 global financial crisis, few will remember the Heritable Bank.
    • The government, via the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, paid compensation to Heritable’s customers and, while some of these monies were recouped, the upfront costs were significant and the endgame did not see all of the cost recovered.

Consequences for students

    • Despite a potential merger under consideration in Australia, there is little history of mergers between universities in the UK.
    • Almost inevitably, a series of messy class action lawsuits would result, with students seeking recompense for fees paid, perhaps over multiple years, that did not result in the qualification advertised.
    • Future students might become more interested in the annual financial reports of a prospective university than its traditional prospectus.

Pulling down communities

    • This could range from housing, hospitality and retail being starved of income, to these and many other sectors suffering a shortage of a part-time, flexible workers.
    • Somewhere between £0.5bn and £1bn is a reasonable estimate of the amount attributable to any one university.
    • The university sector is not immune to the kind of industrial or technological revolutions that have swept through other industries.
    • Some of our policymakers and regulators might regard a university failure as an indication that the market is working.

Student number caps on 'rip-off degrees' overlook their potential benefits for social mobility

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, July 20, 2023
Department, Employment, University, Education, University of Greenwich, Rhode Island Department of Education, Research, Social capital, Government, Institute for Fiscal Studies, Intention, GCSE, Russell Group, Institute, Trust, Sutton Trust, University of Westminster, Ageing, Social mobility, Tutoring, Nursing, Student

The intention of the government intervention is to ensure that students get appropriate value from their courses.

Key Points: 
  • The intention of the government intervention is to ensure that students get appropriate value from their courses.
  • It also intends to make sure taxpayers aren’t left to foot the bill when students don’t earn enough to repay all of their student loans.
  • But less-selective universities – and the courses they offer – play a significant role in driving social mobility and supporting the local economy.
  • Overall, a student from a low-income background is four times more likely to be socially mobile if they attend university.

Student outcomes

    • Universities are already regulated based on their student outcomes.
    • The OfS publishes data on these student outcomes.
    • The cap on student numbers for particular courses now planned by the government is an additional penalty.
    • Despite the fact that the highest earners subsidise those who do not fully repay their student loans, we end up with a workforce that is rich and varied in background and skills and diverse in its make up.

Manchester Baccalaureate: how the proposed vocational GCSE route would work – and the pitfalls it must avoid

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
Gaps, Technology, Burnham, Education, Parent, Perception, University, General Certificate of Secondary Education, Research, History, Language, Movement, Government, Science, A-Level, Student, National Alliance of High-level Local Universities, GCSE, Russell Group, BTEC, English Baccalaureate, Engineering, Health, Geography, Nursing, Tutoring, Management

From September 2024, GCSE pupils in Greater Manchester may be able to embark on a educational pathway created specifically for them.

Key Points: 
  • From September 2024, GCSE pupils in Greater Manchester may be able to embark on a educational pathway created specifically for them.
  • Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, announced his plans to introduce a Manchester Baccalaureate (MBacc) in May 2023 and a public consultation on the plans has recently closed.

Another path

    • The subjects required for the EBacc are GCSE English literature and language, maths, science, a language and either geography or history.
    • The MBacc, by contrast, could require students to study maths, English language and technology alongside optional subjects such as engineering, creative arts, or sciences.
    • The government is aiming for 90% of pupils in England to be taking the EBacc combination of subjects at GCSE by 2025.
    • The dual offering of the EBacc and MBacc is intended “to give a clear path to all young people in Greater Manchester, whatever their interests, ambitions and passions”.

Academic hierarchy

    • However, these new qualifications have yet to successfully bridge the division between academic and vocational study routes.
    • Teachers will need to be supported to give advice that does not assign a hierarchy to the two routes.
    • If this hierarchy emerges, the division that becomes apparent at 16 could begin even earlier.