Bridging the old and the new
M. DINESH VARMA
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Its international alumni date back to the 1930s and it has about 2,800 foreign students on its rolls today. What makes the University of Liverpool attractive for students and what is on offer for Indian students?
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What the Ivy League club of Universities is to the U.S., the Russell Group is to the U.K. As a member of the 19-strong alliance of research-intensive universities in U.K., the University of Liverpool is one of those institutions that fuses a strong academic tradition with a forward-looking curricula.
With a tradition of international alumni dating back to the 1930s, this university today has about 2,800 foreign students on its rolls for courses as varied as engineering and tropical medicine and management and bioinformatics.
It is perhaps this tradition that facilitates effortless integration with campus life for Liverpool University's international students, including candidates from India, according to Ursula Henry, Deputy Director, International Recruitment and Relations Office.
Ms. Ursula was in Chennai recently under the auspices of Edwise overseas education consultants, to screen student aspirants. "As an international university, we have always aimed at attracting students with a wide variety of backgrounds," said Ms. Ursula. Feedback from the alumni has upheld the ``growth experience'' as a chief attribute of campus life.
Indian students are predominantly postgraduates as the one-year intensive Master's programme is one of the chief attractions offered by the university. The Master's in microelectronics, management and biotechnology are among the popular programmes. Besides being the first to open departments in Architecture, Biochemistry and Civic Design and launch a e-Business degree, the University of Liverpool pioneered appointment of chairs in Dentistry, Oceanography, Orthopaedic Surgery and Social Anthropology.
The fixed fee structure which insulates the tuition costs from variables is another attraction. Students can legally work part-time for 20 hours a week (though the university would rather not encourage students, especially postgraduates, to put in the full quota).
The emphasis on research encourages many students to stay on and pursue projects for industry. The university prides on having produced at least eight Nobel Laureates, including Hargobind Khorana, who shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1968 with M.W. Nuremberg and R.W. Holley for interpreting the genetic code and analysing its function in protein synthesis.
The annual tuition fees depends on the course, starting with £8,150 for a typical classroom-based subject, around £10,500 for a laboratory-focused discipline and around £13,500 for an MBA programme. In-campus accommodation can cost around £7,000 for a Master's and around £5,000 a year for a three-year undergraduate course. The 40 international scholarship awards entitle meritorious students to a 25 per cent discount on tuition fees.The university assesses foreign students for a mix of skills and academic excellence. A 10th first class or 12th class score of 75 per cent or a degree qualification with a 60 per cent score along with a 70 per cent score in English can bypass the need to undergo an English proficiency examination.
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