De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has today announced the opening of a new office in the heart of Europe signalling its commitment to enhancing further its European and global engagement.
On the day the Government is to enact Article 50 to begin the process of leaving the European Union, DMU has reaffirmed its commitment to remaining open and welcome to students across the world.
From the office, based in Frankfurt, DMU will develop and enhance its strategic partnerships as well as its profile across Europe, provide a base from which DMU will manage its European student applications and allow the university to increase student opportunities in Europe, such as placements through #DMUglobal.
The opening of the office is an embodiment of DMU’s #LoveInternational campaign, which was created in the wake of the EU referendum last June.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard wanted to reassure existing staff and students of their right to remain in the UK and work to engage and encourage international students in the uncertain period following the referendum.
The campaign involved numerous trips to European cities – including Berlin, Warsaw, Vilnius and Stockholm - meeting with prospective students, answering their questions and showing the benefits of international study.
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By January 2017, DMU’s undergraduate EU applications had risen 29 per cent, bucking a national decline in numbers of 7.43 per cent. In Poland the figures are even more striking: following DMU’s visit in July last year, more than three times as many Polish students have applied to study at the university, highlighting the importance of the personal engagement of the Vice-Chancellor and senior university leaders.
DMU will open its new European office in June in partnership with Oxford International Education Group (OIEG), which currently operates the Leicester International Pathway College in partnership with DMU, helping create opportunities for international students to study in the UK.
Speaking from Poland where the latest #LoveInternational event is being held, Professor Shellard said: “On the day the Government has triggered Article 50, we believe it important to restate and reaffirm our university’s commitment to working within Europe.
“DMU is a global university and we pride ourselves on our diversity. We are fortunate to be home to students and staff from more than 130 countries, each bringing with them a rich variety of cultures and ideas, making studying and working at DMU a transformative experience.
“We want to do all we can to protect this and encourage people to keep choosing DMU, to have the opportunity to come and study in the UK, which offers the best higher education experience in the world.”
David Brown, Group Chief Executive of OIEG, who will run the new Frankfurt office, said: “DMU is leading from the front in committing to offer international education opportunities to students from all over the world and we are delighted to be playing our part in supporting them.
“This new office is an important statement of the value of European and international engagement by a UK university and firmly underlines our continued belief that UK universities should have a strong and ongoing presence in Europe.”
Posted on Wednesday 29 March 2017