International Exeter Annual Report 2009/10

International Exeter

annual report2009/10

ContentsForeword 1

Communications 2

Study Abroad 8

Partnership Development 12

International Student Recruitment 20

Faculty Mobility 28

International Alumni 30

Other Activities 31

Oversight and Risk Mitigation 32

International Exeter – Offi ce Structure 33

International Exeter

annual report2009/10

1International Exeter annual report 2009/10

Foreword Internationalisation is more than an activity owned by the International Offi ce.

With each year that passes, more and more individuals across the University’s three

campuses become engaged in international activities. It is not just our faculty – our

Student Services, Communications, Research and Knowledge Transfer, Alumni, Legal,

Academic and Campus teams are all involved. Over the last twelve months we

have witnessed substantial progress in the implementation of the University’s new

Internationalisation Strategy – progress that has been promoted by Professional Service

staff, faculty and the Students’ Guild working together to ensure that internationalisation

permeates everything we do.

The purpose of this Annual Report is to

highlight what that collective effort has

achieved in the fi rst twelve months of

International Exeter and to look ahead at

what we want to achieve during 2010/11.

We have made an impressive start: with

substantial progress in raising awareness of

the University brand overseas; engagement

with quality partners around the world; the

establishment of Representative Offi ces

in Beijing and Shanghai; a resoundingly

successful International Summer School;

and more Exeter students experiencing a

wider array of Study Abroad opportunities

than ever before. On top of this the

University enjoyed unprecedented growth

in international student recruitment, with

enrolments in 2009/10 up 44% on the

same time the previous year. We are now

privileged to host over 4,000 international

students from 130 different countries – a

quarter of the student body.

As we look to embed internationalisation

still further, it is clear that we face a more

challenging external environment than

ever before. The picture for the UK higher

education (HE) sector in general remains, at

best, uncertain for the foreseeable future.

The University of Exeter is in a relatively

strong position, and with suffi cient risk-

mitigation measures in place, there is no

reason why our efforts to internationalise

should not turn this environment into one of

opportunity as opposed to one of threat.

Critical therefore will be continued

success in the recruitment of high quality

international students. Challenges include

identifi cation of gaps in our programme

portfolios, how to ensure that we are

maximising both price and value, and

how we ensure diversity of intake

without compromising quality. These are

diffi cult things to get right, but with the

introduction of Colleges, and the support

of the Internationalisation of Colleges Task

and Finish Group, we are clearly moving

forward.

The fact we are addressing these issues

shows how far we have travelled. In

November 2004 the Vice-Chancellor

outlined his vision for the University in a

paper entitled Imagining the Future and

called for Exeter to be ‘more international

in outlook and impact as expressed through

high profi le, strong research and teaching

collaborations with quality partners overseas

and at least a quarter of the student body

being drawn from as many countries as

possible.’ The University is well on the

way to delivering this vision – indeed it is

now looking to new horizons. International

Exeter will build on the successes of the last

twelve months, investing further in order

to fi rmly establish Exeter as a university of

global standing.

Professor Neil ArmstrongDeputy Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation)October 2010

Communications Strategic Goals 1 and 7 of the Internationalisation Strategy

call for the establishment of Exeter as a university of global

standing, with a communications programme aimed at

partner institutions, key stakeholders and opinion makers.

Substantial progress was made in respect

of the image we present to the outside

world, not least with the official launch

of International Exeter at the Innovation

Centre on 12 April 2010, an event that

saw a large turn out from the city, including

the Lord Mayor, City Councillors and the

Chief Executive of Exeter City Council. The

reception saw the launch of the International

Exeter brochure, which presents our

Internationalisation Strategy to the outside

world. It articulates our ambitions up

to 2015, while showcasing the existing

international nature of the University. We

are unique among our peers in the UK HE

sector in producing a document of such

detail and design, and it was extremely

well received, attracting complimentary

comments from universities in the UK,

Europe, Australasia and the United States.

Across the three campuses, the Director

of International Exeter undertook 17

presentations to faculty and Professional

Service staff to inform them about the new

Strategy and highlight the opportunities

on offer.

Internationalisation is not something that

stops at the University gates and we have

taken the view that our Strategy will not

be successful without the support of the

local community. Although we encourage

our international students to volunteer in

the community, and invite that community

to participate in multicultural events on

campus, many other benefits derived are

not always so obvious even though they

affect profoundly the wellbeing of local

citizens. Accordingly, in advance of the

launch of International Exeter, we asked

independent consultancy Oxford Economics

to calculate the direct, and multiplier effects

of international student expenditure (fees,

subsistence and visits) in both Exeter and

the South West. The results of this unique

research showed that international students

studying at the University contribute

over £57 million a year to Exeter’s Gross

Domestic Product (GDP) and £68 million

to the wider South West economy.

Furthermore, international students support

over 2,100 jobs, or 2.3% of all jobs in the

city of Exeter.

2 International Exeter annual report 2009/10

International Exeter brochure 2010

“The internationalisation of the

UK’s university sector is already

upon us. The choice is whether

we, as a university, are going to be

passive bystanders in the face of it,

or whether we are going to shape

our own destiny in an increasingly

global environment.”

Professor Steve SmithVice-Chancellor

International Exeter Launch, 12 April 2010


International Exeter Oxford Economics report 2010


The initial success of our communications

programme was due to the close

working relationship forged between

the International Offi ce and the

Communications team. The development

of the International Exeter graphic,

complementary to the overall University

of Exeter brand, was rolled out across all

international marketing material. Evidence

of this can be seen with the launch of the

International Exeter website. Signifi cant

effort and resource was devoted to

developing a more professional and

attractive look in line with the new

University corporate style. It includes a

password protected area for University of

Exeter staff offering guidance and advice

relating to international partnerships,

qualifi cation guides, visa issues and travel

advice.

Our marketing and communications

output also extends to a series of high

quality ‘International Exeter’ posters to

boost visibility across campus (e.g. Study

Abroad) and for use overseas (as a general

recruitment tool).

In-country communications is essential if

we are to raise brand awareness of the

University beyond the UK. Protecting this

brand is vital and, in conjunction with the

Research and Knowledge Transfer team

and Legal Services, the International Offi ce’s

immediate priority was to protect the

University trademark in China, India, the

USA and Europe. This project, requiring

non-recurrent expenditure, will be

completed by the end of 2010.

Following the Internationalisation Strategy’s

requirement to evaluate the role of

representation overseas, a cost-benefi t

analysis recommended the closure of the

University’s Middle East Offi ce (MEO), which

took effect in January 2010. A successful exit

was negotiated, with the interests of EdD

TESOL students being safeguarded through

the leasing of new (unstaffed) premises for

the Graduate School of Education (GSE)

within Dubai Knowledge Village, at a

considerably reduced cost. GSE will assume

full responsibility for this offi ce in

November 2010.

Communications (cont.)

Fees (£m) Exeter South West

Direct Effect 21.9 21.9Indirect Effect 0.9 3.0Induced Effect 4.9 7.4total 27.7 32.3

Subsistence spending (£m) Exeter South West


Additional visitors (£m) Exeter South West


overall gdP 57.4 67.8Contribution (£m)

Source: Oxford Economics

Impact on local employment Exeter South West

Direct Effect 1,770 1,770Indirect Effect 70 220Induced Effect 280 420total Jobs Supported 2,120 2,410

Source: Oxford Economics

Economic impact of international students

Co-operation with universities world wideand sharing world-class research

International Exeter poster 2010



As a result of cost savings arising from

closure, the University was able to open two

representative offi ces in China through the

‘Launchpad’ service offered by the China

British Business Council. Unlike other UK

universities, our offi ces do not have a student

recruitment function. Instead activities are

concentrated on partnership development,

alumni support, employability and

communications. Over 1,400 applications

were received for the two positions, and

in July 2010 we appointed Ms Bess Ying

(formerly Acting Education Marketing

Manager at the British Council, Shanghai)

as Project Manager for Shanghai, and Ms

Limin Dai (formerly Director of Business

Development at 21st Century English

Educational Media, part of the China Daily

Group) as Project Manager for Beijing. Both

Project Managers have visited the University

as part of their induction programme, and

met with key personnel in the Colleges and

Professional Services in order to agree key

performance indicators. They will produce

a Business Plan in Autumn 2010, and are

already working actively with colleagues in

the Careers and Employment Service to

identify placement opportunities for our

Chinese graduates seeking employment on

their return to their home country.

September 2010 sees the appointment of

a new International Events Offi cer (Ms Jess

Harrington), a joint position between the

International and Communications Offi ces.

As well as providing much needed support in

the management of incoming VIP delegations

from overseas, and additional support for

outgoing ‘Presidential’ visits, the additional

capacity within the Press Offi ce should allow

for increased opportunities to raise brand

awareness overseas.

Going ForwardThe International Exeter website will see

further improvements, including a greater

range of services for university staff, e.g.

more advice on partnership development,

“Congratulations on

your excellent and very

clear international strategy.

It looks and feels exactly

right, and I’m delighted you’ve

chosen to share it… you clearly

recognise that by publishing

the strategy so openly you’re

actually using it to raise

Exeter’s profi le internationally.”

Director of InternationalNew Zealand University

and reports on marketing trips overseas

conducted by the Offi ce. As part of our

outreach mission we will be working with

colleagues in Communications to produce

a high quality fi lm, of fi ve minutes duration,

encapsulating the international strengths and

ambition of the University of Exeter as a

leading, research-intensive institution, while

also illustrating the outstanding natural beauty

of the campus and environs, the aim being

to ‘imprint’ the city, region and University

on international audiences. The intention

is not to produce marketing material aimed

at student recruitment, but to reach both

constituencies identifi ed as key in Objective 7

of the Internationalisation Strategy and others

who may have a stake in the University,

e.g. prospective faculty. Many of Exeter’s

peers and competitors, particularly those in

North America, have produced high-quality

short fi lms, frequently broadcast through

independent media such as YouTube

and i-Tunes. The production of a short,

high-quality fi lm, to be delivered by

Penzance-based company ‘Three S Films’

by Autumn 2010, will send a powerful signal

in respect of Exeter’s quality, reputation and

ambition.

As we bed down operations in our

Representative Offi ces in Shanghai

and Beijing, we will work towards the

establishment of a Representative Offi ce in

Bangalore in 2011 through the services of

consultancy fi rm SANNAM S4. As with our

presence in China, the Bangalore Offi ce will

support in-country institutional partnerships,

engage with alumni contacts and take

forward the employability agenda in concert

with staff back at Exeter. However, unlike

our operations in China this offi ce will also

have a recruitment function.

Working with colleagues across the

University – and in close cooperation with

Universities UK, given the Vice-Chancellor’s

status as President – we will continue to

maximise Exeter’s overseas profi le by means

of the Presidential visits.

Communications (cont.)


International Exeter – short film 2010

The undeniable value of a period of study

spent abroad resonates across the three

leading strategies for the University –

Internationalisation, Education and Research

and Knowledge Transfer – while helping

to underpin the key University objective of

making our students even more attractive to

potential employers. Study Abroad appears

to be an increasingly popular interest of

our students – the number of students

undertaking Study Abroad as part of their

degree programme at Exeter rose 68%

between 2007/08 and 2009/10 – and there

is evidence to suggest that, at 2.4% of the

f/t total, the proportion of students going

abroad puts Exeter just below the median

position in a peer group that includes Bristol,

Durham, Nottingham, Birmingham and

Warwick. We are confident that we can

improve upon this position.


International Exeter Study Abroad brochure 2010

Study Abroad Strategic Goal 2 of the Internationalisation Strategy calls for

the creation of imaginative and attractive opportunities in

order to improve the student experience at the University

of Exeter.

“Thanks very much for the

copy of Exeter’s International

Strategy. Apart from being a most

attractively produced publication,

I am impressed by the clarity of the

document. The Strategic Goals are

clear, all encompassing and, more

important, will be stimulating

to staff .”

Senior ManagerAssociation for European Life

Science Universities


International Exeter Study Abroad poster 2010


Study Abroad (cont.)

exeter students participating on international summer school activity

number of Students Summer 2009 Summer 2010

CUPL Summer School (Beijing) 19 22

Study India 13

Study China (Easter programme) 11

Study China (Summer programme) 6

Tsinghua (Beijing) 2

Fudan (Shanghai) 2

John Hopkins (Bologna) 1

Hong Kong University 1

Mannheim 1

ITAM (Mexico) 1

St Petersburg State 1

Greek & Roman Drama Summer school, Epidaurus 1

total 19 62

“Thank you very much

indeed for sending me a copy

of your impressive booklet

about the international

strategy and targets for the

University. It is very quotable.

Thank you!”

Independent Higher Education Consultant

While the International Strategy identifi es

Study Abroad as a priority for the years

ahead, we believe also that promotion of,

and investment in, international summer

schools represents a particularly ‘quick

win’ in terms of raising awareness and

appetite for Study Abroad, as well as helping

to underpin partnership engagement.

Accordingly we have been encouraging

proactively more of our students to consider

a period of Study Abroad and a poster

campaign was launched earlier this year.

A Study Abroad leafl et will be given to every

new incoming student for 2010/11 as part

of the University welcome pack.

In 2009/10, fi nancial aid was provided

to assist 62 students to participate in

international summer school programmes,

a substantial increase over the 19 students

who went abroad in 2009. (Financial aid

was contingent upon criteria relating to

the reputation of the destination of the

universities, the long-standing nature of

arrangements, and the recommendations of

Exeter faculty.)


For the second year running our partner

the China University of Political Science

& Law (CUPL) held a summer school in

Beijing for Exeter students, with 22 of our

students participating. (The International

Offi ce funded 15 scholarships, and HuSS

an additional four). As in the year before,

members of the School of Law also

attended, to provide pastoral oversight

as well as to develop research linkages

between the two institutions. (This year we

sent three support staff instead of two, the

additional capacity proving welcome when

one Exeter student was hospitalised). We

are pleased to report that this programme

will again be awarded funding under the

Prime Minister’s Initiative (PMI2), with a

view to sending more students to the CUPL

Summer School next year.

Going ForwardThese are relatively early days in the

development of a strategy for Study Abroad,

and with that in mind, a Study Abroad

Task and Finish Group, chaired jointly by

the DVC for Internationalisation and the

DVC for Education, will be established in

Autumn 2010. The Group will address

the following key issues, with the aim

of producing a Study Abroad Strategy

by January 2011: To articulate the value

of Study Abroad as part of the student

experience, and its contribution towards

both the Internationalisation and Education

Strategies; provide agreed defi nitions for

Study Abroad at the University (length of

Study Abroad, destination etc); consider

the matter of Study Abroad targets for the

University and by College; discuss potential

incentives for achieving Study Abroad targets

(e.g. through the IDM); review the barriers

to achieving these targets, (e.g. suffi cient

accommodation for incoming students);

defi ne strategic ownership of Study Abroad

within the Colleges; and discuss how best

to embed Study Abroad within the Business

Planning Process for Colleges.

“I wonder if you would mind

sending me another two or

three copies of the strategy?

There are a couple of people

here I would like to pass it to

as an example of best practice

elsewhere.”

Internationalisation Development ManagerUK University


Partnership Development Strategic Goal 3 of the Internationalisation Strategy requires the University to build and

sustain partnerships with top-quality institutions around the world.

Exeter has built up a network of agreements

with over 180 universities in 36 countries,

encompassing a wide range of activities,

including joint research, student exchange

and general Memoranda of Understanding

(MoUs). Nevertheless, the true measure

of success in respect of international

partnerships is not the number of MoUs

signed, but the extent to which our students

and staff have meaningful engagement with

their counterparts. To that end, our focus

over the last year was the development

of a smaller number of ‘institutional-level’

partnerships with top-quality universities

around the world.

Our immediate priority in 2009/10 was

to identify and cultivate such links in China

(Tsinghua, CUPL, East China Normal

University), Hong Kong (Hong Kong

University) and Taiwan (National Taiwan

University (NTU)). Critical to success in

the early days was the catalytic effect of

the ‘Presidential’ visits and our ability to

leverage further profi le in respect of the

Vice-Chancellor’s position as President

of Universities UK. Hence the calendar

year 2009 saw a total of 39 reciprocal

visits, with a consequent increase in the

University’s profi le; for example, the visit by

ECNU staff to Exeter in September 2009

was covered by the Times Higher, while

coverage of Presidential visits overseas

included articles in the infl uential South China

Morning Post and the Singaporean Today

magazine in May 2009, and coverage of the

Vice-Chancellor’s presentation in Beijing

in the July 2009 edition of World Education

Information Magazine, a popular publication

by the Chinese Ministry of Education, read

by many education professionals in China.

“Having just completed

a review and rewrite of our

Internationalisation Strategy

(though not in such glorious

colour as that of Exeter), I was

impressed both with its scope

and presentation.”

Director of International Policy UK University


Building on these partnerships was an

important part of the International Offi ce’s

activities in the last year, and following

a visit to NTU in November 2009, the

Offi ce facilitated and co-funded a visit by

a delegation of six professors from NTU

in April of this year. In respect of China,

the University of Exeter is to strengthen

and deepen its research collaboration with

Tsinghua University. As part of a long-term

negotiation towards an institutional-level

MOU discussions continue in respect of

joint investment in a new water distribution

network laboratory, that will build on

the existing links between faculty in the

Department of Environmental Science and

Engineering and colleagues in the Centre for

Water Systems.

A major feature of our work in 2009/10

was to drive forward relationships with

incontestably world-class institutions in

India. The Vice-Chancellor led a visit to the

country in February 2010 and highlights

included successful introductory meetings

with the elite Indian Institute of Science,

Bangalore (IISc-B) and the Indian Institute of

Management, Bangalore (IIM-B). The

Vice-Chancellor also met with the Director

and staff of the Indian Institute of Technology,

Delhi (IIT-Delhi), gave a keynote speech

at British Council HQ on UK-Indian HE

Partnerships and met with the Minister

responsible for higher education, Kapil Sibal.

Follow-up to these visits was both rapid

and highly promising: a delegation of four

academics from IIM-B visited us from 8-11

June to tour the University and to spend a

seminar day with the Business School. Six

faculty from the Business School will be

visiting IIM-B in turn during Autumn 2010.

Between 29 June and 2 July the University

was host to a delegation of seven academics

from IISc-B. In what was an outstandingly

successful visit the group met faculty from

Biosciences and CEMPS. Plans are already

well advanced for a return visit to IISc-B by

approximately 15 Exeter staff for a research

symposium in January 2011. In addition, a

delegation from IIT Delhi has been invited to

visit later in this year.

July 2010 saw the profi le of the University

enhanced considerably in India when the

Vice-Chancellor accompanied the Prime

Minister, David Cameron on a high-level UK

government trade mission to that country.


Our plans for engagement in India will

be strengthened further when the Vice-

Chancellor returns to India with the Minister

for Universities and Science at the beginning

of November, heading a UUK delegation

to discuss greater cooperation between UK

and Indian universities. The Vice-Chancellor

will visit Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing on

University business immediately afterwards.

Substantial progress was made in respect of

partnership development in the USA. We

continue to enjoy a good relationship with

the University of South Florida (USF), a

connection initiated by having INTO

as a common partner. Excellent research

synergies in the fi eld of Water Engineering

have been identifi ed, and Professor David

Butler visited USF to discuss a joint bid for

funding under the British Council’s UK-US

Higher Education Partnerships programme.

The Business School has signed a student

exchange agreement and is exploring

internship opportunities for our students.

Further synergies in joint research are likely.

A key development was the successful

cultivation of links following a visit to the

USA and Canada in June 2010 by the DVC

Internationalisation and the Director of

International Exeter. Their reception was

“Exeter was the most

enjoyable experience in my life.

Thanks to all of you who

made this possible.”

Khirod MoharanaStudent,

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

uniformly positive, but the most promising

developments were with the College of

William and Mary in Williamsburg (founded

in 1693, 33rd in US National Rankings

and known as a “Public Ivy” university) and

Brown University (founded in 1764, 16th in

US National Rankings, and an “Ivy League”

institution). Both universities are

research-intensive, signifi cantly older (yet

smaller) than Exeter, campus-based and

have similar research profi les. Exeter enjoys

a long-standing relationship with William

and Mary and Provost Michael Halleran

visited Exeter in June. Draft ‘collaboration

documents’ have been submitted to both

institutions as a basis for discussion: Brown

has also suggested the creation of a dedicated

faculty mobility fund, on the same lines as

we have proposed with Tsinghua. Other

universities visited may offer opportunities

for individual faculty. For example, potential

research links with Georgetown are

apparent, and there is scope to expand Study

Abroad provision at Toronto.

A key factor in underpinning partnership

development is the Exeter International

Summer School. Held in July, the

University hosted 25 students from leading

international universities including partners

Tsinghua, CUPL, IIT-D and IIM-B. Two

parallel pathways were involved, Leadership

for Global Challenges and Law, and the

three week programme culminated in a

‘graduation’ ceremony and celebratory

dinner. Feedback was outstanding, not just

from the students, but from the CUPL

member of faculty who accompanied his

students and the 23 Exeter faculty who

engaged in delivering this challenging and

academically testing programme. Our

decision to keep the International Summer

School small and competitive (academic and

linguistic minima were enforced as opposed

to being a ‘free for all’) has put us in the top

range of summer school experiences offered

by UK universities.

Partnership Development (cont.)


“The University of Exeter

International Summer School

will be a memorable experience

in my university life. The

programme was well organised,

with helpful teachers and

students and we were treated

with warm hospitality throughout

our stay. I hope next year’s

Summer School will further

strengthen our universities

friendly relationship.”

Jiang DiStudent, Tsinghua University


Summer School 2010 – Graduation Ceremony


“Thank you, you have

hosted a fl awless

programme. It has been

a pleasure for me to be

a part of the event

and group.”Tuheena MukherjeeStudent, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi



Partnership Development (cont.)

Going ForwardDuring 2010/11 we will look to embed

our nascent partnerships with the highly

prestigious universities mentioned above. In

particular, our focus on India and the North

America cannot slip. We will continue to

work with colleagues in Brown University

and the College of William and Mary in

the United States, and with colleagues at

IISc-B, IIM-B and the National Institution

of Advanced Studies, Bangalore. We will

also pursue emerging links with the Indian

Institute of Technology, Delhi. As a result

of the visit by the Vice-Chancellor to India

in June we will be working with UUK to

explore opportunities for Exeter in respect

of the new ‘innovation universities’ that will

be built over the next decade. Consolidation

of all these partnerships will take precedence

over seeking out additional partners.

With existing partners in China, Hong Kong

and Taiwan, the University has a relative

large group of institutional-level partners

already, and we will work with Colleges

and RKT to ensure that our faculty are

engaged with their counterparts in these

institutions. Following the success of the

inaugural International Summer School, we

will increase carefully both the number of

pathways on offer (with the aim of offering

one major pathway for each College)

and the number of partner institutions

participating (in particular, to bring in

North American universities). Provision of

academic credit for the courses on offer

is essential, and steps will be taken in the

forthcoming months to pilot this through the

University’s accreditation system.

International Summer School poster

“My experience of Exeter Summer School was excellent.

I have received not only knowledge, but also enjoyable trips

and friendship. I will remember these days forever.

Thank you so much!”

Zhang AnqiStudent, East China Normal University

In January 2010 a further 326 students

registered for academic-level pre-university

programmes at the INTO Exeter Centre.

International student numbers were up 44%

on 2009, while enrolments were up 47%,

with UG and PGT intakes experiencing

substantial growth (70% and 50%

respectively).

While our relationship with INTO has

contributed significantly to growth,

direct entrants in 2009/10 accounted for

approximately 55% of all new international

fee UGs and 90% of all new international

fee PGTs. Approximately 43% of all new

international fee students enrolling last

September did so via the services of a

University-accredited agent, managed by

the International Office. However, growth

has not been accompanied by diversity:

clustering, by College, programme and

Country of Domicile (COD), has the

potential both to impact adversely upon

the student experience while exposing the

University to increased risk.

Traditionally the majority of our international

fee students study in the Business School:

53% came under this category in 2009/10,

with INTO accounting for 14%. When

viewed on the basis of Schools, i.e. as

opposed to Colleges, HUSS accounted for

11.5%, EMPS 6.5%, SALL and GSE both

4% and Other 8%. But these figures mask

particular concentrations: for example, in

2009/10 the Business School was home to

66% of all University international fee UGs

and 77% of all international PGTs. (PGRs

remained more evenly distributed across

the University – the School’s share stood at

17%, while e.g. HUSS had 34%).

Concentration of students within the

Business School reflects market forces: it is

simply a fact that international students tend

to see a business degree as the best return

on investment, and we are good at business

studies.


International Exeter Student Guide

International Student Recruitment Strategic Goal 4 calls for an increase in the number of international

students taking programmes at the University, while ensuring an

appropriate balance by nationality, level and programme.

In 2009/10 the University hosted about 4,000 f/t non-UK students,

approximately equivalent to 25% of the full time student population

of 15,760. This increase has been driven in recent years by the

dramatic growth of the international fee student population. The

2006 International Strategy had a target population of 1,750

international fee students by 2010. The September 2009 intake

amounted to 1,827 students, contributing to a total international fee

population of 2,820 students.


International Exeter recruitment banners


International Exeter recruitment banners


The dominance of the Business School as

the main driver for growth is reinforced

by the role of the INTO Exeter Centre:

recruitment in 2009/10 to the Centre’s

Business Foundation pathway was up

47% on the previous year, and to the

Business Diploma by 201%. Accordingly

the University has found itself in a position

where, through the combined efforts of

the International Offi ce, Schools and INTO

University Partnerships, extraordinary

growth is being fuelled through a reliance

upon a particular subject discipline, i.e.

business studies, and in particular, accounting

and fi nance.

Market forces not only dictate that Business

Studies are popular, they also dictate that

the greatest demand for overseas study

comes from the People’s Republic of China

(PRC). Institutionally Exeter has a diverse

population, with over 130 nationalities

represented within its student body, with

46 alone in the INTO Centre. However,

China has remained the dominant force in

recruitment terms over the past three years,

and the International Offi ce does not expect

this market to fl ag.

International Student Recruitment (cont.)

In 2007, the 317 Chinese students we

hosted represented 22% of our international

fee population; by 2009 this proportion

had risen to 34%, i.e. one in three of our

2,820 international students were Chinese.

The dominance of China is even more

acute in INTO Exeter, where two out of

three students were either from China,

Hong Kong, Singapore or Taiwan: China on

its own accounted for 58% of all students

at the Centre. This trend is exacerbated

by the tendency on the part of Chinese

students to apply early in the academic

cycle: as a result, places tend to be fi lled

with Chinese students fi rst. Applicants from

markets that come on stream later in the

admissions cycle (e.g. India) fi nd that spaces

available have been reduced. The University

is unable to impose a quota by country

or turn the tap on or off: to do so would

almost certainly contravene Part III of the

1976 Race Relations Act. Having one-third

of our international fee base derived from a

single country increases risk, but the position

would be less serious were this group

dispersed evenly across the University.

Studying in Cornwall newsletters


The Business School has a particularly heavy

concentration of Chinese students: 22%

of the total new entrants to the School in

2009 were Chinese, 73% of the students

progressing last year from the Business

Foundation at INTO Exeter to their fi rst

year in degree studies were Chinese,

while 51% of the students progressing last

year from the Business Diploma at INTO

Exeter to their second year of studies with

us were Chinese. Even more acute is the

popularity of Accounting & Finance with

both INTO and direct entry students, which

led to a form of concentrated clustering:

52% of Year 1 students on the UG degree

in Accounting & Finance were Chinese,

as opposed to a Business School fi rst year

average of 22%.

As a direct response to the challenge of

diversifi cation, the University established

an Internationalisation of Colleges Task and

Finish Group (IOC). This body has been

critical in bringing together College Managers

and senior fi gures from the Professional

Services, and three meetings of the IOC

took place in 2009/10. The purpose of

the Group is to consider how College

management structures may best facilitate

delivery of the Internationalisation Strategy,

including consideration of broad KPIs and,

more immediately, how the University may

best place itself to ensure the continued

recruitment of high quality international

students whilst ensuring an appropriate mix

by country, level and programme.

During 2009/10 the International Offi ce was

at the forefront of determining University

policy and procedures in respect of the

new Points Based System (PBS) immigration

legislation. New processes have been

introduced in the Admissions Offi ce and at

INTO Exeter to ensure that Confi rmations


Agents newsletters


of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) can be issued

in an accurate and timely manner. Information

has also been provided for those students

who are outside PBS arrangements, e.g.

one semester Study Abroad students and

visiting PhD scholars. Extensive training was

provided to University agents, and detailed

advice supported by updated web information,

was produced for applicants. As a result, our

applicants appear to be obtaining their visas

with less trouble than last year.

In conjunction with colleagues in Education

Enhancement, Communications and Marketing

and Research and Knowledge Transfer, the

International Offi ce played an active role in the

development of the online guide ‘Considering

a UK PhD: Your Next Steps’. The end

product is a high quality interactive 24/7 online

resource (including video, audio and on-screen

interaction) which aims to demystify the UK

PhD and the application process. Featuring

a variety of current research students and

staff across different subjects the tool moves

students from the initial research idea to the

application stage in a structured process. We

have received good feedback from students

and our agents during the development stage

and hope that the tool will result in higher

quality applications in 2010/11.

The International Offi ce was also a key

player in the Postgraduate Admissions review

conducted earlier in the year. This has led

to a number of process improvements,

including additions to our online academic

qualifi cation equivalencies guide. Work was

also undertaken with our network of agents to

encourage greater use of the online application

system: 70% of all PGT applications from

overseas were received this way in the current

cycle, with consequent reduction in time

spent processing paper forms. Discussions

are ongoing about the development of a

postgraduate applicant portal, critical to

achieving higher levels of customer service for

international applicants. In turn the creation

of such a portal would provide an opportunity

to develop an agent portal, a valuable

service already provided by a number of our

competitors.

We continue to encourage the recruitment

of quality students by means of the improved

International Masters Scholarship Scheme.

Funded jointly by the International Offi ce and

Colleges, the scheme was very well received

by the market, with 144 applications for the 11

awards covering tuition fees. In an encouraging

development the strength of applications was

such that a further 16 awards were agreed with

Colleges, in order to boost conversion of high

calibre applicants.

To date 17 awards have been accepted. In

addition a number of INTO progressors

have received scholarships to encourage their

retention at the University. These partial awards

worth £2,000 p.a. are aimed at retaining those

students who achieve distinction grades in their

Foundation programme, and who are applying

to non-business subjects.

In support of the quality agenda International

Offi ce staff were active in reviewing and advising

on the English Language minima required by

the University for admission to its programmes.

Requirements were reviewed for all levels

of study, with adjustments for 2011 entry

receiving where appropriate the approval of the

Admissions Working Group and the Graduate

Research Faculty Board. Upward revision of our

English language requirements not only brings

us more into line with some of our peers, it

also sends a clear signal of our intention to raise

quality of intake. In recognition of the pressures

faced with increased numbers of applications

from overseas, the Internationalisation Strategy

has provided investment of £61,000 in the

form of funding for four support posts in the

Admissions Offi ce.

International applications to the University

remained buoyant during 2009/10. By the end

of the academic year (July 2010) undergraduate

applications were up 40% on the same time

last year, with offers up 33% despite increased

tariff requirements. INTO students accounted

for 17% of all undergraduate Year One offers.

Signifi cant increases in PGT applications have

continued to impact adversely on turnaround

times, however. PGT applications at the end of

July were up 25% on the same time last year

and would have been signifi cantly higher had

it not been for the early closure of Business

School courses.

I have heard great things

from my two Fulbright

colleagues who attended the

launch of your International

Strategy last week. The

brochure is also impressive. I

am delighted that we will be

working closely with Exeter

as we develop Fulbright

partnership awards with you.

Senior ManagerUS-UK Fulbright Commission


International Exeter rankings flyer 2009/2010

1 Oxford

2 Cambridge

3 Imperial College London

4 St Andrews

5 University College London

6 Warwick

7 London School of Economics 8 Durham

9 Exeter 10 Bristol 11 York 12 King’s College London 13 Bath 14 Edinburgh = 15 Leicester = 15 Southampton 17 Loughborough 18 Sheffi eld 19 Glasgow 20 Nottingham 21 Newcastle 22 Birmingham

23 Lancaster

24 Manchester 25 Aston

26 Cardiff

27 Leeds

= 28 East Anglia

=28 Liverpool

30 Royal Holloway

Exeter is ranked 9thout of 114 UK universitiesTimes Good University Guide 2010

www.exeter.ac.uk/international

Research excellence:RAE 200890% of Exeter’s research was rated as being at internationally recognised levels.

Sixteen of our 31 subjects are ranked in

their respective Top 10▲

▲based on percentage of research rated 3* and 4* (internationally excellent or world leading)


The introduction of the rolling deposit

scheme for programmes in the Business

School allowed offers to be made longer

than would otherwise have been the case,

but the sheer demand – international and

home – for these courses still threatened

to be in excess of the School’s consolidated

and programme level targets. Extensive

work was undertaken to monitor numbers

and provide various conversion scenarios,

but the change in internal processes (i.e.

deposits and increased offer levels) alongside

in-market concerns about immigration has

made accurate predictions extremely diffi cult.

Whilst broadly benefi cial the rolling deposit

scheme has disadvantaged students applying

for government funding (e.g. Central Asia,

Brunei) who were unwilling to commit their

own funds by the deposit deadline and were

therefore withdrawn. In autumn 2010

Business School, Admissions and International

Offi ce staff will review the deposit system and

discuss a split admissions cycle for the 2011

intake to ensure applicant processing is more

manageable and maximises customer service.

Going ForwardThe sector as a whole faces substantial

challenges as universities look to international

student recruitment as a means of

underpinning or even ensuring fi nancial

stability. Raising entry standards (be that

in the form of academic criteria or English

language minima) and seeking a more

diverse intake (rather than simply rely on

China to deliver volume) will have an impact

upon our ability to recruit large numbers

of students. But our central message

must continue to be an association of our

brand with quality, and a willingness to

require higher entry qualifi cations for our

students: we are interested in improving

international as well as domestic tariffs as

part of a longer game, i.e. to protect and

nourish our reputation for a quality student

experience. Addressing these challenges,

the IOC has already proven itself to be an

invaluable forum within which to discuss

diversifi cation issues (i.e. suitable mix by

country / College / level / programme);

‘convergence planning’ (i.e. the coming

together of the business plan for INTO

University of Exeter with College plans);

and the setting of challenging but achievable

targets by Colleges for 2011/12 onwards.

Working closely with colleagues in Planning

Services a new ‘international students

modelling tool’ was devised, enabling for the

fi rst time Colleges to understand in fi ne detail

the number of international students studying

at peer universities, and how this might

lead to identifi cation of programme ‘gaps’,

with consequent opportunities for portfolio

development. Interim planned numbers,

using this recruitment tool and following

consultation with the International Offi ce,

will be reported to the IOC in autumn 2010,

with continued refi nement as a result of

discussion with the International Offi cers,

prior to fi nal signoff in January/February 2011.

At a more immediate and practical level,

the Internationalisation Strategy will make

funding available to enable ‘recruitment

ambassadors’, i.e. existing faculty, to visit

key markets. Five awards of £1,000 per

College will be made in total, with each

College expected to contribute 5 x £500.

This approach will enable the International

Offi ce and Colleges to plan trips together

in good time, and in a more structured

way than has been possible hitherto. The

International Offi ce will remain as a fulcrum

for joint marketing activities with INTO, to

ensure the greatest possible synergy when it

comes to joint marketing for the recruitment

of international fee students to University

programmes. The introduction of a travel

notifi cation system for University staff this

year will facilitate sharing of travel information

between Colleges. The International Offi ce

will also explore with Colleges whether

further investment may be required in order

to maintain and invigorate the diversity

agenda.


Faculty Mobility Strategic Goal 5 calls for the provision for University staff of an enriched working

environment, characterised by the opportunity to incorporate an increased

international dimension to their experience.

A successful Internationalisation Strategy

is not possible without the support of

our faculty. Whether it is delivering our

International Summer School, underpinning

partnership development or helping to raise

the profile of the University overseas by

drawing the awareness of others to Exeter’s

strengths in research, our faculty are key.

Since October 2009 the Internationalisation

Strategy has funded 23 Academic

Fellowships, enabling faculty across all

Colleges to visit 22 partner/prospective

partner institutions in 11 countries.


International Exeter Outward Mobility Fellows 2009/10

Host Country Faculty Member School Partner Institution

Australia Prof Patrick Devine-Wright Geography University of Melbourne

Australia Dr Adeline Johns-Putra English University of Melbourne/ Monash University

Australia Prof Ian McLaren Psychology University of Sydney/ University of New South Wales

Canada Dr Stewart Barr Geography University of British Columbia

China Prof Regenia Gagnier SALL Tsinghua University

China Dr Fu Jia/ Prof Richard Lamming Business School Fudan University

China Prof Brahm Norwich Graduate School of Education ECNU

China/ Hong Kong Dr Karen McAuliffe HUSS Hong Kong University, CUPL, ECNU

China/ Hong Kong Prof David Zhang EMPS Hong Kong University/ Tsinghua University National Tsinghua University/ Nankai University

France Prof Joanne Horton/ Business School National Centre for Scientific Research Prof Kevin McMeeking/ Lindsay Stringfellow

Germany Prof David Kelsey Business School Heidelberg University

Hong Kong Dr Mark Paterson Geography Hong Kong University

Hong Kong Dr Mark Wilson Sports and Health Science Hong Kong University

Netherlands Dr Sean Carter Geography University of Amsterdam

New Zealand Richard Bolden Centre for Leadership Studies Auckland University

Russia Prof Jonathan Gosling Business School International Management Institute of St Petersburg

Singapore Prof Kevin McMeeking Business School Nanyang Technological University

Singapore Dr Eugene Mullan/ Prof Andy Wills Psychology National University Singapore

Sweden Richard Bolden, Business School Lund University Prof Jonathan Gosling, Dr Beverley Hawkins, Anne O’Brien, Emma Jeanes

Taiwan Prof Murray Grant Biosciences National Taiwan University

USA Prof Ian Cook Geography Brown University

USA Prof Joanne Horton Business School Harvard University

USA Dr Marjo Koivisto HUSS Brown University


Funding was also made available to

promote the University overseas and

stimulate research linkages by means of a

Visiting International Fellowship programme:

under this scheme Nobel Prize Winner

and member of the Russian parliament,

Professor Zhores Alferov, has accepted an

invitation to visit Exeter in November 2010.

Professor Alferov will visit faculty at CEMPS

and give a public lecture, to be followed by

a dinner at hosted by the Vice-Chancellor at

which he will be guest of honour.

In support of faculty mobility good progress

was made in respect of a Travel Notification

system, a priority identified as Objective 7(a)

under the Internationalisation Strategy. This

facility will ensure consistent and enhanced

duty of care on the part of the University,

while providing Colleges with data that will

inform their marketing plans when it comes

to international student recruitment, e.g.

by sharing knowledge and resources about

which faculty are going where, and why. A

report by a Working Group was completed,

and a Board to oversee implementation met

in July 2010, with representatives from the

Professional Services (including the Head of

Procurement) and Colleges.

A beneficial but unexpected conclusion

of this exercise was that the University’s

Travel Policy was in need of revision,

both in respect of travel at home and

overseas. A brief interim Travel Policy will

be produced in Autumn 2010 containing

strong recommendations, e.g. travel to be

signed off by College senior management,

expenses withheld if systems not followed.

Going ForwardA new round of Outward Mobility

Academic Fellowships is underway, tenable

in 2010/11, with 25 Fellowships available

in the first tranche. Worth up to £5,000

each, with funding matched by Colleges,

the intention is to fund a total of at least 50

Fellowships for the entire year, enabling

our academic community to forge links

with researchers at the world’s leading

institutions. Faculty from the Peninsula

College of Medicine and Dentistry have

been invited to participate.

For the first time we will ring-fence

funding tied to specific partner universities.

Following the successful visit to Brown

University by the DVC (Internationalisation)

and Director of International Exeter a

new “Exeter-Brown Mobility Fund” will

International Exeter Outward Mobility application form

be created, whereby both universities

will sponsor up to 12 short-term staff

visits per academic year, i.e. six Exeter

faculty and six Brown faculty, in order to

facilitate guest lectures and take forward

research collaboration. A limited number

of awards may be extended to Directors

of Professional Services from either

University. Exeter will ring-fence £10,000

from its internationalisation budget to

cover flights and subsistence for Exeter

staff travelling to Brown, and to pay

accommodation costs for Brown faculty

visiting Exeter. Brown is exploring a parallel

model for its own staff.

International AlumniDARO continues to work closely with the International Office in respect of Strategic

Goal 6 of the Internationalisation Strategy, i.e. “to develop lifelong relationships with

our international alumni”.

The past year witnessed significant

developments in respect of DARO’s strategy

for international alumni engagement.

Presidential visits added significantly to

the profile of the University amongst our

alumni at home and abroad (e.g. Taipei,

Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok in November

2009), and opportunities were taken

to engage with our former students

overseas whenever possible, e.g. the

Director of International Exeter met alumni

in Athens in April 2010 and the DVC

(Internationalisation) met with alumni in

New York in June 2010. The focus is now

on the formation of active alumni groups led

by Alumni Country Contacts, and a drive

towards attracting philanthropic support

from International Alumni.

Going ForwardFollowing the recent visit by the Project

Managers of the Beijing and Shanghai Offices

to the University, DARO have already

begun discussing how our China offices will

assist in the delivery of DARO’s agenda in

China. Performance Indicators discussed

to date in respect of alumni include

supporting Chinese alumni groups by

meeting regularly each year, and targets for

attending Presidential events and competitor

research. Performance Indicators for

fundraising include production of a report

on the culture of gift-giving in China, and

competitor research.


“This award bestows a

certain sense of legitimacy

to the practice, research

and policy work on the

internationalisation of higher

education… All in all, the visit

and convocation events were

both inspiring and memorable

and certainly surpassed our

expectations. Both John and

I were very impressed with

the accomplishments and the

future direction of the University

of Exeter and especially, the

talented team leading it.”

Professor Jane KnightUniversity of Toronto

and Honorary Graduate 2010

Other Activities In addition to the above, a range of

complementary activities occupied the

International Office in the past year. These

included a Dual Degree Working Group,

which concluded its business in July 2010.

The Group devised a set of terms and

definitions for collaborative teaching, such

as ‘double degrees’, and in co-operation

with colleagues in Collaborative Provision,

drew up guidelines for Colleges considering

overseas collaboration and partnership

delivery. In due course these guidelines

will be in the University’s TQA manual

and published for use by University staff

on the International Office/Collaborative

Provision websites. The Group’s report

will be presented to DVCs Professor

Neil Armstrong and Professor Janice

Kay in support of delivery of both the

Internationalisation and Education Strategies.

There was investment in Academic Services

in support of the international student

experience, over and above our significant

investment in the Admissions Office.

£9,000 was invested to boost Counselling

Services for international students, while in

June 2010 we invested £20,000 in disability

resources for international students (who

cannot access public money for learning and

teaching equipment). In the new Financial


Year we will set aside a further £10,000

for Counselling Services, another £10,000

to boost welfare support provided to our

international students on arrival in the

autumn, and £12,000 to support the Head

of Learning and Development role out

‘cultural competency’ training to Academic

and Professional Services staff in 2010/11.

Oversight and Risk MitigationThroughout the year delivery of the Internationalisation Strategy was greatly facilitated

by two advisory bodies, which helped us meet the challenges and understand and

mitigate the risks involved. Regular meetings with John Allwood, as part of the Dual

Assurance mechanism adopted by the University, were helpful in bringing to the

Strategy a private sector perspective, while the International Strategy Advisory Board,

which meets each term, and with a membership drawn from Colleges and the

Professional Services, proved to be an invaluable sounding board and source of advice.

Internationalisation brings enormous

opportunities but tremendous risks. Our

Strategy is mindful of the need to protect

the reputation of the University and mitigate

risk wherever possible. In addition to the

risk-mitigation systems that the University

has in place, we reviewed carefully areas

where we believe further mitigation

to be appropriate. This has included a

wholesale review of partnership-based legal

documentation, e.g. MOU templates, and

student exchange agreements. Working

closely with Legal Services and Eversheds

the International Offi ce simplifi ed greatly the

contractual side of partner engagement. A

new set of legal templates was devised, with

guidance on their use issued to Colleges in

February 2010. All this information is now

available on a dedicated, easy to access, staff

section on the International Exeter website.

Work is ongoing in respect of revisions

to legal documentation relating to agents

appointed to recruit international students

to the University: recent uncertainties in

UK VAT law are currently the subject of

much debate in the sector, and the process

accordingly has been subject to delay.

Risks are an inevitable part of

internationalisation, but of particular concern

are those emanating from UK government

regulation. On 29 July 2010 the University

was advised by the UK Border Agency that

its allocation of Certifi cates of Sponsorship

for non-EU citizens for the period 19

July 2010 to 31 March 2011 would be

just six. The quota applies to new faculty

appointments, extensions to current

Certifi cates of Sponsorship/Work Permits

and the transfer of current staff from Tier

1 (Post Study) to Tier 2. The University

had to suspend issuing CoS to a number of

international faculty with the attendant risk

that it will not be able to recruit additional

non-EU staff before April 2011. We will

support colleagues in Personnel in their

attempts to pursue an effective resolution of

this issue, though it is impossible to prepare

in advance for such unexpected regulatory

developments.


“The University has

embarked on an exciting

journey to move from a top

UK university, to a top world

university. It is a journey that

will secure our future in an

increasingly competitive and

international environment.

It is a journey that we invite

you all to participate in.”Professor Neil Armstrong

Deputy Vice-ChancellorInternational Exeter Launch, 12 April 2010

International Exeter Office Structure


AdMInIStrAtIveASSIStAnt

(Katrina Macneill)


(vacant)

SuMMer SCHoolSuPPort oFFICer

(Marte Billington)


(Carol Walters)

PA to dIreCtor oF InternAtIonAl

oFFICe(Carol Adkins)

reCruItMent PArtnerSHIPS

HeAd oF InternAtIonAl reCruItMent(nikki Padget)

ASSIStAnt dIreCtor

(PArtnerSHIPS)(richard Foord)

InternAtIonAlPArtnerSHIPS

ASSIStAnt (lucy thompson)

InternAtIonAleventS oFFICer (Jess Harrington)

ProJeCt MAnAgerCHInA oFFICe

(SHAngHAI) (Bess Ying)

ProJeCt MAnAgerCHInA oFFICe

(BeIJIng) (lim dai)

ASSIStAnt dIreCtor

(PArtnerSHIPS)(Bryony Blinman)

StudY ABroAd oFFICer

(Anne Worth)

StudY ABroAd AdMInIStrAtor

(Isabella Coella-Knapp)

erASMuS oFFICer(valery Benson)

Student exCHAnge

And WeBSIte AdMInIStrAtor

(Anna Morley)

ASSIStAnt dIreCtor(Chris dean)

InternAtIonAl lIAISon oFFICer(Michelle Skinner)

ASSIStAntInternAtIonAl lIAISon oFFICer

(James Healey)

InternAtIonAl oFFICer

(lauren Murphy)

InternAtIonAl oFFICer

(victoria Wilson)

ASSIStAnt dIreCtor

(robin rhodes)

ASSIStAnt dIreCtor

(vacant)

dIreCtor InternAtIonAl

exeter(Shaun Curtis)

dIreCtor oF InternAtIonAl

oFFICe(John Withrington)

SuPPort

exeCutIveASSIStAnt And PA to dIreCtor oF InternAtIonAl

exeter(Charlotte Allen)

Professor neil Armstrong

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Internationalisation)

University of Exeter

Northcote House

The Queen’s Drive

Exeter

EX4 4QE

dr Shaun Curtis

Director of International Exeter

University of Exeter

8th Floor, Laver Building

North Park Road

Exeter

EX4 4QE

Email: [email protected]

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International Exeter Annual Report 2009/10

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