Study Abroad INTERVIEW
Q. Is there an increase in the num-
ber of Indian students studying in
the UK?
A. The number of Indian students
enrolling in the Russell Group of leading
UK universities is growing. At Newcas-
tle University, a founding Russell Group
member, we are also seeing an increase
in the number of Indian students for
both undergraduate and postgraduate
levels. Indian students recognise the
quality of education in the UK and the
opportunities it provides. We recognise
the talent that Indian students bring to
our programmes and to our university.
Q. What are the popular programmes
explored by Indian students in New
Castle University?
A. The most popular programmes
among Indian students at Newcastle
University are Computer Science, Busi-
ness, Finance, Engineering and Bio-
sciences. These are some of our strong-
est academic fields. We host National
Innovation Centre for Data, the Nation-
al Innovation Centre for Ageing, and
the National Centre for Energy Sys-
tems Engineering. Newcastle Univer-
sity Business School holds the ‘Triple
Crown’ of the major global accredita-
tions - AACSB, AMBA, and EQUIS.
Q. Do you have any unique new age
programs to attract Indian students?
A. Our School of Computing is offering
an exciting new MSc programme in Data
Science. Like many of our programmes,
this was created in collaboration with
a number of high profile industry lead-
ers to address skills shortages in areas
of growing demand. The course brings
together students and industry prac-
titioners in a setting where new tech-
nologies are developed and translated
into industry. Our School of Arts and
Cultures is a leader in the UK. It offers
a range of cutting edge BA and MA
that include Media, PR, Journalism,
Communication, Gallery and Museum
Studies, and Heritage.Q. What are the various scholarships
that an Indian student can avail of at
your university?
A. The university launched the Vice-
Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarships
and the Vice-Chancellor’s Interna-
tional Scholarships for the first time
in 2018-19 to encourage high qualityapplicants from India. Our Indian stu-
dents perform well on our programmes
and go on to great careers and personal
achievements. Scholarship provision
for India expanded for the 2018-2019
academic year on these bases. The
scholarships offer for 2019-20 entry
includes thirteen 50 percent tuition
fee discounts and two full tuition fee
discounts as well as automatic partial
tuition fee scholarships with a value
of £1,500 to £5,000. The scholarships
are available to applicants applying to
study at undergraduate and Master’s
level for almost all subject areas. In
addition to these schemes the university
participates in the Commonwealth and
Chevening Scholarship schemes which
are also available to Indian applicants.Q. What are the prospects for place-
ments and part-time work?
A. International students studying
in the UK are here on a Tier 4 visa.
This allows them to work for upto
20 hours per week during their stud-
ies at Newcastle University. We have
a number of opportunities on and off
campus for students to engage in part
time work, and we believe work experi-
ence is invaluable. Our award-winning
careers service provides students with
a wide range of opportunities to sup-
port students when looking for their
graduate career and starting their own
businesses. This includes opportunities
to apply for internships, placements and
shadowing experiences during and after
their course.INDIAN
STUDENTS’ TALENT
ENRICHES BRITISH
UNIVERSITIES
Alex Metcalfe, Director, International Affairs, New Castle
University in a conversation with Pritha Roy Choudhury
throws light on the growing scope for Indian students to
study in the United Kingdom...
Our engagement
with India is not just
about students coming
to Newcastle. We also
want to send students
and staff to spend time
in India. We recently
signed student and
staff exchange agree-
ments with IIT Bombay
and IIT Delhi