British Council responds to University World Rankings

“The emergence of top performing universities in Asia however shows that we cannot afford to be complacent and underlines the importance of continuing to promote our competitive advantages. At the same time, the growing importance of collaboration between institutions and academics in different countries means we should perhaps be viewing these rising Asian stars more as potential partners than as rivals. Some 80 per cent of UK universities now have some form of international education partnership with international institutions, helping us to share ideas and research with other countries.

“It is also vital to remember that the UK owes much of its worldwide reputation for top quality education to many universities and colleges not listed in the top 200. These institutions, which include those offering a smaller range of specialised programmes, add to the broad range of education on offer in the UK. This rich diversity has a lot to do with why there are now over 380,000 international students studying in the UK, and this number continues to grow year on year.”

For more information, please contact

James Rowe at the British Council Press Office on 020 7389 4939 or james.rowe@britishcouncil.org

The British Council

·         Celebrating 75 years in 2009, the British Council is the UK’s international organisation for educational opportunities and cultural relations.

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