Students from The University of Nottingham are to sample Hong Kong life — and education — after winning the British Council Scholarship for Excellence.
Leon Mann and Samuel Ashcroft will spend a year studying at the prestigious University of Hong Kong as part of an exchange programme between the universities. Their time in Hong Kong will be funded by the scholarships from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS).
International Relations student Leon Mann is looking forward to taking advantage of all the opportunities that come with studying in Asia.
He said:“I will make the most of my placement by enjoying what I will study, searching for the local experience, finding a job or internship in Hong Kong, and travelling around Asia while I’m over there.
“I would like to become more involved in the scholarship’s organisation to help promote UK-Hong Kong study and cultural exchanges. UK universities are becoming ever more popular for Hong Kong students, whereas Hong Kong isn’t always an immediate option when UK students consider where to study abroad.”
Living and studying in Hong Kong
Leon also hopes to discover more about his own roots. He said: “My parents migrated to the UK from Hong Kong over 40 years ago and I was born in the UK, so I only hear about what life was like from them. Although I am a dual nationality, this placement will be the first opportunity in my life for me to actually live and study in Hong Kong, to meet local people and to see what it’s really like, rather than just going as a tourist — so let’s hope that it will be a positive experience!”
There are a wide range of opportunities to study abroad for students at Nottingham, including at the University’s overseas campuses in China and Malaysia. There is also the opportunity to work or study abroad through the Erasmus programme, as well as international exchanges and summer schools.
The benefits of studying abroad
Rachel Jessop, International Officer at The University of Nottingham, said: “Students who choose to study abroad have a competitive advantage in the globalised workplace, as they can gain a set of skills highly valued by employers, including cross-cultural awareness, independence and adaptability.
“Studying abroad enables students to broaden their academic experience by studying subjects that may not be available in Nottingham, potentially from leaders in their academic field. It also provides a unique experience to travel and make friends from all over the world.”
More information about studying abroad while at The University of Nottingham is available on the International Office website.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottinghamhas 42,000 students at award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It was ‘one of the first to embrace a truly international approach to higher education’, according to the Sunday Times University Guide 2013. It is also one of the most popular universities among graduate employers, one of the world’s greenest universities, and winner of the Times Higher Education Award for ‘Outstanding Contribution to Sustainable Development’. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong and the QS World Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. The University aims to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education for its research into global food security.
Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fundraising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. More news