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UK a favourite destination for pursuing higher studies

The latest figures released by UK’s Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) project a 15 per cent increase in 2005-2006 over the previous academic year in the number of students from the UAE who went to pursue undergraduate and postgraduate studies in the UK.

According to the British Council in Dubai, young students choose the UK primarily because of its academic reputation, the international recognition and prestige associated with UK qualifications, and the country’s cultural diversity.

Deputy Director of British Council, UAE, Alison Devine, notes, “There are currently more than 2,000 students from the UAE studying at higher education levels in the UK and this number continues to rise each year. In addition, a little less than 1,000 students from the UAE are studying in the UK at a further education level.”

Not specifying numbers, Devine adds, “A majority of the students are UAE nationals. There has been a year-on-year increase among nationals opting to pursue education in the UK.” However, Britons, Jordanians, Canadians, Egyptians, Iraqis, Sudanese and Lebanese and those belonging to some of the Asian countries also pursue their studies in the UK.

At the undergraduate level, electronic and electrical engineering, business and management studies, computer science are among the other popular courses, while business studies, academic studies in education, management, clinical medicine, tourism and transport are preferred by those pursuing postgraduation.

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