Opening new doors to the world

Our University is truly global

There are over 3,800 overseas students from some 128 countries studying with us; we have strong links with several overseas universities, and student exchanges with 30 countries including China, India and Dubai; and our offices in China, Central Europe, South Asia, South East Asia and West Africa give us excellent bases from which to expand our educational activities.

But our next ambitious venture explores very different territory.

In short, we aim to establish business partnerships across the world, building on our excellent reputation for successful work with UK companies. We’ve started by expanding our flourishing links with India, predicted to become the fifth largest economy in the world.

The Wolverhampton India project

Launched last year, the Wolverhampton India project is backed by the University, the City Council and College, central government and business organisations, among others. It aims to make a positive contribution to businesses, individuals and communities in both India and Wolverhampton.

The University will provide educational and training programmes, aiming to export its expertise in growth areas such as healthcare, engineering and technologies.

Ground-breaking India visit

An agreement signed in June marks a giant step forward for the University’s international ambitions.

University delegates joined other key city figures on a Wolverhampton India trip to Punjab, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Punjab Government’s Education Secretary and Vice-Chancellor Professor Caroline Gipps.

This could open up a fantastic variety of opportunities to increase educational opportunities and training. Initially, the University will lead a project to raise English language levels across the state by training teachers and exchanging staff and students. Other areas of development will include nursing, and the University will now look across India to match our areas of expertise to regional needs.

On the same trip, a second memorandum was signed with Doaba College and the Lovely Professional University to promote opportunities for student and staff exchanges, progression and recruitment.

Enriching student experience and prospects

Naturally, we make strenuous efforts to help international students with settling in when they join us. But at Wolverhampton, we’re putting as much thought into what happens when they leave.

The International Office with input from the University of Wolverhampton Business School and Careers and Employment Services have piloted an innovative programme for international students to enhance their employment prospects following graduation. The eight-week course, with a three-week work placement in a local company in the summer, was trialled successfully with 13 international students from a range of EU and non-EU countries.

The taught element of the course included modules on leadership, entrepreneurship, innovation, CV enhancement, employability and interview skills. The work placements, organised by the Work Placements Unit in the School of Computing and Information Technology, gave the opportunity to shadow senior management staff and get a flavour of the working world.

£8.5 million for sustainability in Nepal

The University’s Centre for International Development and Training has been working in Nepal for around 20 years, helping to improve the long-term prospects for its inhabitants.

In 2008 they won a contract worth £8.5 million – the largest the University has ever signed – to act as advisory specialists for a major programme funded by the Department for International Development.